The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were the most watched games ever on digital platforms. Enjoying over 28 billion video views globally, and with up to 60 per cent of audiences consuming content via smartphones or tablets, they were dubbed the “first streaming Games”. With only weeks to go until the start of Paris 2024, the pressure is on streaming service providers to deliver a near-flawless experience for viewers across the globe.
Audiences rarely distinguish between live programming and streaming; as far as they’re concerned, it just has to work. So there’s no margin for error when it comes to streaming live events like the Olympics. Consumers today have little loyalty to any provider that doesn’t meet their high expectations. In an age of instant media gratification, a “technical difficulties” slate simply won’t suffice.
A quality-first approach is therefore essential to anticipate and manage the technical and operational challenges that underpin a successful live stream. Key to this approach, testing and feedback are crucial mechanisms to pre-emptively address potential points of failure or friction before they degrade the viewer experience and turn subscribers off.
The live streaming opportunity
In 2023, penetration of streaming services in UK households reached two-thirds (66 per cent). As the number of subscribers continues to grow, streaming media service providers must find new opportunities to deliver exceptional, engaging content.
Live sports programming is one such opportunity. YouTube, for example, streamed live Euro 2024 games, while Amazon Prime streams live ATP Tour and WTA Tour tennis matches, and Major League Baseball games are streamed live every Friday on Apple TV+. It makes sense, then, that streaming providers should look to capitalise on the opportunities that global sporting events such as this year’s Olympics represent.
Live streaming – not just of sporting events, but of news and commentary, talk shows, awards programmes and more – offers providers a range of benefits. Not only can it increase the number of subscribers, but live-event advertising will always be popular with brands looking to connect in a variety of innovative ways with an engaged audience. In addition, it enables providers to promote their own content, such as an upcoming series launch or first-run movie, to that same engaged audience.
Real-world, actionable insights
Unlike other content, however, live streaming offers unique challenges when it comes to quality assurance.
Validating live event streams requires testing on a huge scale. Not only must providers cover a wide base of viewers with a range of devices, operating systems, and carriers, but they must do so for subscribers located in various regions across the globe – especially in the case of international events like the Olympics. It’s not enough to guarantee a sufficient stream for viewers in one location – such as Paris, in this case. Viewers will be watching different events in different countries in different time zones and in different languages. Streaming packages must accommodate all of these variables.
Although some aspects of live streaming can be validated before a show begins, the sheer number of variables involved means testing it all beforehand would be impossible – even testing it during the broadcast itself requires a huge and comprehensive effort. It’s here, then, that real-world testing can play a key role in ensuring the quality of live streaming.
Real-world, actionable insights can help streaming providers avoid the potential impacts of poor-quality streams, such as a loss of subscriber loyalty. VPNs and device farms will catch some issues, but if they miss a defect that actively affects a significant number of live stream viewers, they’re clearly not sufficient in themselves. However, real testers, using real devices, in key regional markets can make a huge difference.
In-market testers, trained to evaluate the quality of live streams, playback, ads and more, can provide detailed reports, helping to quickly identify and resolve any defects that may occur – especially when working in collaboration with other testers, in real-time. Testers must validate the content, too, as well as the streaming quality, verifying that playback controls work correctly and additional elements, such as live stats, are displayed and updated properly.
Delivering the best possible experience
International tournaments like Paris 2024 require testing that befits the scale of the events themselves. Streaming audiences simply expect the programming to work. Time is of the essence; with so many moving parts at play, only a real-world, live testing community, representative of the audience, has the insights and the agility to deliver the best possible live streaming experience.
