Deliver a Turnkey Solution in Time for the Biggest Sport Event of the Summer? Of Course We (mexi)Can!

As if there weren't enough reasons to pop over to Mexico for a working holiday - the vibrant cities, the pristine beaches, the exceptional food (swapping our Bratwurst for Burritos makes a nice change from traditional German fare) - this year there is of course a bigger reason than ever: one of the globe's biggest sporting events. And we were in Mexico to deliver technology that would sit right at the heart of it.

But we're being a little disingenuous. Firstly, because the installation needed to be ready well before the summer of excitement, there was never going to be any opportunity to catch a match. And secondly, we didn't actually get to cross the Atlantic at all, because we were able to leave everything in the hands of our wonderful and incredibly competent business partner, Promexar.

The Project

Working with Televisa, one of Mexico's most prominent broadcasters, Promexar deployed a complete EASY-IP solution - our joint offering along with technology partner manifold. EASY-IP integrates Arkona's BLADE//runner platform with manifold CLOUD to deliver a unified system for video and audio routing, multiviewing and processing.

At its heart is the BLADE//runner AT300 Programmable Acceleration Card (PAC), a networked media processor that delivers dual 100GE network interfaces and 16x16 UHD-capable SDI I/O. This provides high-capacity routing with clean and quiet switching, all managed through a centralised control interface. It also facilitates best-in-class audio capabilities, offering a dedicated 16,000 x 12,000 mono audio router and advanced processing features such as dynamic compressors, equalizers, and loudness metering, along with built-in audio/video alignment.

Complementing the routing infrastructure, manifold CLOUD provides the industry's most powerful ultra-low latency multiviewer, capable of processing up to 1.6Tbps in a single rack unit. This allows any source to be displayed on any output in any size, with guaranteed sub-frame latency end-to-end. For high-density production - say, for instance, covering one of the world's biggest sporting events - this kind of scalable, deterministic performance is essential.

But Promexar were keen to forward this solution not only because of its immense capacity, functionality, processing power and reliability, but because of its ease of implementation and use. Televisa are in the process of transitioning away from a full SDI architecture towards IP and operate a hybrid structure in the meantime.

Easy-IP's support for both workflows facilitates the transition to ST 2110 at the broadcaster's own pace, without forced investments or operational disruption. It delivers an easy-to-handle learning curve with intuitive architecture and UI, and minimal disruption to existing workflows. Most importantly, it provides the reliability and deterministic outcomes that Televisa had previously enjoyed in a full SDI environment, while unlocking all the advantages of IP - not least the ability to scale to the demands of massive once-in-a-blue-moon sports productions without overcommitting to infrastructure that would become redundant after the tournament.

Televisa were thrilled with the results. Promexar's CEO, Christian Fragoso, reported: "Televisa were truly satisfied with what we were able to deliver. This project demonstrates how a truly flexible, software-defined IP infrastructure can meet the demands of large-scale live production without compromising on reliability or performance. Televisa were very clear about how much this was going to shape the way they delivered this year's biggest sporting event and we are proud to have delivered a solution that will serve them well for years to come."

As always, our business partners are fundamental to our success in these integrations, and Promexar outdid themselves here. Our very own Erling Hedkvist told us: "Promexar have been with us since 2023, and themselves have evolved over the course of 14 years from a traditional distributor to a cutting-edge integrator. Their multidisciplinary approach and commitment to the idea of digital transformation is exactly the kind of mindset you want for a project of this scale, and align perfectly with our own approaches and values. We're pleased and proud to count them as part of the arkona/manifold team, and hugely grateful to them for their work on the Televisa project."

So, while we may not have made it to Mexico in person, our technology certainly did - and thanks to Promexar, it got there in plenty of time to take centre stage when the whistle blows. Next time, we'll make sure to be there in person - if only for the burritos.