The Switch delivers major league baseball, PGA golf and WWE for J Sports
The Switch delivers major league baseball, PGA golf and WWE for J Sports
The Switch, a provider of production services and global delivery of live video, has been chosen by Japan’s largest sports broadcaster J Sports to deliver live telecasts of major US sports directly from American stadiums and arenas to Japanese screens. The Switch has installed a permanent transmit path from its New York Network Operations Center (NOC) to the broadcaster’s Tokyo facility. J Sports also has access to a second transmit path deployed by The Switch to deliver other US sporting events when necessary. The deal took effect just as MLB restarted its 2020 season and the PGA resumed play after delays due to Covid-19. J Sports, which operates four dedicated sports channels and an on-demand service, is using The Switch’s network to broadcast two MLB games a day, multiple tournaments on the revised PGA schedule and weekly WWE Raw and SmackDown matches.
“The Switch is the perfect partner for the delivery of US sports,” said a J Sports spokesperson. “It was vital for us to work with a provider that has deep roots in the US sports broadcast market and an established reputation for the successful transmission of top-tier events. We wanted a company that understands how the broadcast of sports from US stadiums, arenas and golf courses works and also has proven global reach – and The Switch gives us all of that. It offers not just the benefit of its knowledge, but state-of-the-art connectivity in every US professional sports venue and the infrastructure and technical support necessary to ensure seamless delivery.”
The setup and broadcast of every game, tournament and match will be streamlined, tested and monitored 24/7 from The Switch’s New York NOC, with additional support on the ground in Tokyo. The second permanent path enables access to other international sports content on an ad-hoc basis, allowing J Sports to tap into The Switch’s extensive global network, whether feeds are picked up via New York, Los Angeles or London.
“Tokyo and New York are separated by 13 hours and 6,743 miles,” said Nicholas Castaneda, senior vice president of sales at The Switch. “When you partner with someone on the other side of the world for live broadcast, you need to have trust across production, engineering and operations. From bookings to our master control rooms, we are thrilled to extend The Switch network and offerings into Tokyo with the amazing team at J Sports.”
J Sports offers live games and events, sports documentaries and sports news shows, providing coverage of Japanese professional baseball, soccer, rugby and basketball, as well as international sports such as motor racing, skiing, badminton and cycling. The Switch’s fibre transport network will provide high-capacity, low-latency connectivity to every MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL and NFL arena and stadium, as well as leading international sports venues.