Pac-12 football action featuring N’Keal Harry of Arizona State against Chris Hawkins of USC during the second half at Sun Devil Stadium on Oct. 28, 2017. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Pac-12 Conference has expanded its relationship with Amazon Web Services to utilize AWS’s cloud technology and machine learning to accelerate media workflows and enhance streaming capabilities.
AWS will power live broadcasts of 850 collegiate games on Pac-12 Networks for the 2018-19 season. As part of the extended deal, the Pac-12 will use AWS artificial intelligence platforms to improve the network’s video-on-demand content and over-the-top streaming capabilities. For example, Amazon SageMaker will now be used to capture automated highlights from games and deliver closed captioning to Pac-12 Networks broadcasters in real-time.
“We’ve chosen to go all-in on the world’s leading cloud to drive digital transformation across the entire organization, and to enhance our innovation and workflow processes so that we can bring new cloud-based capabilities to market faster,” said Mark Kramer, Vice President, Engineering and Technology at Pac-12 Networks, in a press release. “As we standardize on AWS machine learning and media services, we’ll be able to usher in a new era of entertainment for collegiate sports enthusiasts.”
The Pac-12 will be able to leverage artificial intelligence tools from AWS to anticipate digital demand across the conference’s website, mobile app, and streaming platform. The Pac-12 will also move its commercial databases to Amazon Aurora to improve speed and availability.
“College sports fans expect exceptional viewing experiences no matter where, or how, they are watching,” said Teresa Carlson Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector at AWS, in the press release. “Already, Pac-12 is tapping into our services to find new ways to connect with collegiate fans without being limited by an on-premises architecture.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Amazon’s SageMaker is also utilized by Major League Baseball to collect data for its Statcast platform and is helping build a prediction tool that forecasts the type and location of pitches. Pac-12 viewers could now expect the implementation of some sort of AI-backed advanced metrics or graphics in broadcasts of college basketball or football.
