08.08.08

WELCOME TO BEIJING 2008:
THE FIRST OLYMPICS WHERE VIEWERS ARE IN CHARGE

Anystream® technology will enable millions to tune into the Olympics when and where they want

Dulles, VA — August 8, 2008 —On August 8th and for 17 days thereafter, millions of people won’t have to be glued to their television sets in order to be glued to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Instead, they will be watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics on an unprecedented range of viewing platforms — everything from laptops to mobile phones and television on demand. Defying the limitations of conventional broadcasting, they’ll fit the games into their lives when and where they want.  

NBC Universal® chose Anystream as the hub for their multi-screen initiative.   Anystream will orchestrate the entire digitization and publishing of over 2,600 hours of Olympics programming to more than 16 on-demand destinations. It’s a transformative moment in Olympic history, mirroring the profound shifts in television viewing and media consumption: 

•	Consumers are moving beyond the “prime time only” viewing model. They want programming delivered to them on all the devices and all the screens they’ve incorporated into their lives.
•	Because consumers aren’t rooted in their living rooms, and with a 12-hour time difference between Beijing and the East Coast, it is impossible to keep results of high-profile events quiet. Without a paradigm shift in distribution, the risk of losing audience mindshare is high.
•	Only the brand-name events earn a spot on network television. But millions of viewers, increasingly accustomed to choice, are hungry for niche events, which now find a home in the multi-screen world.

How does Anystream make this happen?

This is a prototypical scenario, one that will be brought to life millions of times, in millions of ways, during the Olympics:

A working mom in Chicago gets home after finishing her job as a commodities analyst. She fires up her computer to watch the rhythmic gymnastics finals that happened 11 hours ago. Her daughter is on her high-school team, so she closely follows the action. 

Here’s how Anystream will deliver this — and 10,000 more - gold-medal events to her and viewers around the United States:

•	Anystream ingests the usage policies and rules surrounding each clip, highlight or event. These policies serve as Anystream’s blueprint to automatically prepare content for varying outlets and devices;
•	Once video arrives from Beijing, Anystream grabs video from partner broadcast servers, editing systems and other digital sources;
•	Anystream transforms and customizes the video into formats ready for 16 syndication outlets. Content originating in Beijing is easily converted between PAL and NTSC formats for domestic viewing, as well as between SD and HD for the first-ever high-def Olympic experience at broadband and television VOD destinations;
•	Anystream packages the video with the correct title information, images and athlete statistics for dozens of popular web, mobile, and electronic sell through destinations including NBCOlympics.com;
•	Anystream publishes final video packages to locations ready for syndication partners;
•	Anystream tracks and provides status of content at critical steps throughout the process by passing through usage policies and scheduling information. Using this information, executives can access Anystream’s media dashboard giving them visibility into content availability and location of video packages.
•	Consumers - like the working mom in Chicago - access content on web, mobile and television VOD platforms. With Anystream’s custom implementation of Microsoft® Silverlight for NBCOlympics.com, viewers gain cross-platform viewing and new capabilities like broadband picture-in-picture.

 

“The days of by appointment TV are over. Consumers are carrying the flag of beyond-TV viewing, and the on-demand broadcast of the 2008 Olympic Games is raising the bar for all major news and sporting events to come,” said Fred Singer, Anystream CEO. “At Anystream, we’re proud to be the technology that turns what could be into today’s viewing reality. ”

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For More Information:

Mary Young
Director, Marketing
Anystream
cell (703) 963-2467
tel (703) 948-3043
myoung@anystream.com

Brian Wendel
RLM Public Relations for Anystream
Tel: (212) 741-5106 x 212
brian@rlmpr.com

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