Media services company Red Bee has teamed up with Fox Sports Netherlands to provide the pay-television broadcaster with IP-based Master Control Room (MCR) services.
The multi-year deal allows Fox Sports to use Red Bee’s Global MCR platform, based in the Dutch city of Hilversum, to provide high-end sports content to its viewers.
As part of the contribution and distribution, Red Bee will provide mobile encoding kits for 38 football stadia to deliver signals from the top two tiers of Dutch football, the Eredivisie and the second-tier Eerste Divisie. The signals will be routed through the global MCR in Hilversum and made available to the Fox Sports production and broadcast department.
Connectivity setups will also be launched between BT Tower in London, the global MCR in Hilversum and other Red Bee hubs. Fully-managed contribution services will also be provided for Xee Denmark and ESPN Africa.
The agreement will allow Fox Sports to broadcast in 1080p and High Dynamic Range quality.
Steve Nylund, chief executive at Red Bee, said: “With our recently launched global IP-based MCR Platform in Hilversum and additional facilities in London, Paris and Stockholm, we have built a highly flexible and futureproof infrastructure than can manage all MCR, distribution and contribution needs for an evolving media and broadcast industry.”
Along with the top two Dutch football leagues, Fox Sports’ rights portfolio in the Netherlands also includes the the KNVB Cup, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer, NFL, MLB, NHL and tennis from the ATP and WTA.