Sinclair said that it launched Broadspan, a datacasting platform based on the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology.
Edgio, a content delivery network, said some of its clients will be using Broadspan as an alternative to the internet..
Broadspan will be able to deliver data all of the 33 markets where a Sinclair station is broadcasting using ATSC 3.0.
Datacasting is being counted on by broadcasters as growing into a lucrative business. One forecast estimated that datacasting could generate $15 billion annually.
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“Broadspan’s customer-centric data delivery provisioning platform provides an elegant, cost-effective tool to move data easily. It leverages the remarkably reliable and efficient one-to-many broadcast architecture to provide a new option for data users,” said Del Parks, Sinclair’s president of technology.
Broadspan relies on a network that connects the Sinclair stations so that data delivery from all of the stations can be controlled from a single point.
Other broadcasters are also eying datacasting. Nexstar Media Group and E.W. Scripps Co. have a joint venture to do datacasting based in Detroit.
Datacasting can help a content delivery company like Edgio by enabling the delivery of content via over-the-air broadcast, particularly at times when the internet is crowded–like when a Super Bowl is streaming. It can also help as more consumers demand 4K pictures, which require more data.
“Sinclair's pioneering leadership in ATSC 3.0 enables this groundbreaking innovation. By leveraging ATSC 3.0's convergence of broadcast and broadband, we are delivering a true 4K experience,” said Eric Black CTO and GM of media at Edgio. “Broadspan isn't just a game changer; it's a paradigm shift in defining immersive entertainment.”
