Achieving approximately half the operational costs and the essential reduction in latency for live sports streaming.
Colt Technology Services Ltd (Representative Director: Katsuya Oe; Head Office: Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter Colt), a global digital infrastructure company, today announced that J SPORTS Corporation (Head Office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Ichiro Hase) has adopted Colt’s ‘Colt Dedicated Cloud Access for AWS (hereinafter Colt DCA for AWS)’ for its core service, ‘J SPORTS On Demand’.
J SPORTS, having evaluated multiple providers’ line services, decided to adopt “Colt DCA for AWS” in November last year and commenced operations on 1 April this year. J Sports Co., Ltd. was established as Sky Entertainment Co., Ltd. in September 1996 and commenced broadcasting the following year in 1997. In September 2009, it became a consolidated subsidiary of Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (J:COM). In October 2011, the company name was changed to J SPORTS Corporation, and in July 2015, it launched the video streaming service ‘J SPORTS On Demand’.
Regarding the background to the introduction of Colt Network Services on this occasion, Kazuhiro Sekiguchi, Team Leader of the Digital Services Team within the On-Demand Business Department of the Programming and Production Headquarters at J SPORTS, stated as follows:
“With smartphone and tablet ownership now commonplace, viewers increasingly prefer watching content on these devices alongside traditional television viewing. Consequently, the industry has shifted its focus from broadcast-centric operations towards streaming services. Within this landscape, our company also aims for further growth in the streaming business and has long sought to reduce latency, which significantly impacts the user experience.”
Furthermore, another challenge for the company was that, as its business grew, infrastructure was built incrementally, resulting in a complex network configuration and an increase in unnecessary lines and network equipment. Consequently, the company took the opportunity to centralise its equipment at the Telecom Centre in Koto Ward, where its headquarters are located. By prioritising distribution from a single point, it succeeded in reducing operational costs by approximately half and also minimising the number of failure points, which had previously been an issue.
Regarding the selected “Colt DCA for AWS” solution, it was evaluated against multiple providers’ offerings for a 1Gbps redundant line. It was chosen not only for Colt’s most favorable cost position but also for its robust maintenance and operational framework, deemed capable of supporting J SPORTS’ 24/7 broadcasting and streaming operations.
Colt Dedicated Cloud Access is a secure, high-quality network service connecting the customers’ premises to various public clouds (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, etc.). By utilising Colt’s private network to establish private connections from offices, data centres, and various sites, it delivers cloud access that is both more secure and faster than public network connections such as the internet.
Reflecting on the selection process at the time, Mr. Kojiro Omata of the same team stated as follows:
“In fact, this was not the first time we had utilised Colt’s network. As part of the same digital services team, we had previously adopted it three years ago as part of the network infrastructure for that service. Although our relationship with Colt was indirect at that time, we were confident even then that they could deliver consistent quality.”
It is reported that since the service commenced operations on 1 April this year, stable operation has continued for approximately six months without once requiring maintenance or operational support from Colt.
Regarding the company’s future infrastructure development and expansion, Mr. Sekiguchi stated as follows:
“As our broadcasting operations shift from being primarily studio-based to increasingly relying on cloud-based live streaming, we require network connections from various locations. In the short term, we are utilising carrier lines and satellite connections such as Starlink. However, in the longer term, we recognise the need to transition these connections to stable, fixed lines. Within this context, we have high expectations for Colt.”
Moreover, within the broadcasting industry, “remote production” – where video and audio are transmitted from the field for production at remote locations or in the cloud – is becoming increasingly mainstream, and the shift towards IP-based and cloud-based content is expected to progress further.
Regarding J Sports’ adoption of Colt DCA for AWS, Katsuya Oe, Representative Director of Colt, stated as follows:
“We are deeply honoured and grateful that J SPORTS, a leading player in the sports broadcasting industry, has chosen our “Colt DCA for AWS” solution.
Our company provides services to the broadcasting industry in other global markets as well. However, providing low-latency, uninterrupted, stable image delivery lines to meet the needs of video professionals – a core aspect of any network service provider – is exemplified by our 17 years of continuous technical support for the Berlin International Film Festival. We are deeply honoured that J SPORTS has recognised this capability. We remain fully committed to supporting J SPORTS’ on-demand delivery services going forward.
Colt will continue to contribute to the stable provision and distribution of content within the broadcasting industry across the global market.
This press release has been translated from Japanese.
About Colt Technology Services
Colt Technology Services (Colt) is a global digital infrastructure company which creates extraordinary connections to help businesses succeed. Powered by amazing people and like-minded partners, Colt is driven by its purpose: to put the power of the digital universe in the hands of its customers, wherever, whenever and however they choose.
Since 1992, Colt has set itself apart through its deep commitment to its customers, growing from its heritage in the City of London to a global business spanning 40+ countries, with over 6,000 employees and more than 80 offices around the world. Colt’s customers benefit from expansive digital infrastructure connecting 32,000 buildings across 230 cities, more than 50 Metropolitan Area Networks and 275+ Points of Presence across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America’s largest business hubs.
Privately owned, Colt is one of the most financially sound companies in the sector. Obsessed with delivering industry-leading customer experience, Colt is guided by its dedication to customer innovation, by its values and its responsibility to its customers, partners, people and the planet. For more information, please visit www.colt.net
For the Media Inquiries:
Ritsuko Onodera, PR Director, Japan and Asia
Tel. (03)4560-7147
Mail: Ritsuko.Onodera@colt.net
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