How live streaming of Sports matches works on website

Sports matches are telecasted live on websites using a combination of various technologies depending on the specific requirements and scale of the event. Here’s a typical tech stack and approach used for live sports streaming:

Tech Stack for Live Sports Streaming

1. Video Capture: Cameras at the event venue capture the live action, which is then fed into a production setup.

2. Production Setup:

   • Switchers and Mixers: Video switchers and mixers are used to switch between camera feeds, add graphics, overlays, and do live editing.
   • Audio Equipment: Microphones and audio mixers capture and mix the ambient sound, commentary, and stadium atmosphere.

3. Encoding and Compression: The video and audio signals are encoded and compressed to reduce bandwidth requirements and prepare them for transmission over the internet. Encoders convert the video feed into a digital format suitable for streaming.

4. Streaming Protocol:

   • HTTP Live Streaming (HLS): This is a widely used protocol for streaming media content over the internet. It breaks the video into small segments and serves them over HTTP.
   • RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol): Although less common now due to browser support, RTMP was historically used for low-latency streaming.

5. Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs distribute the live video streams globally to ensure low latency and high availability. Popular CDNs include Akamai, Cloudflare, and AWS CloudFront.

6. Website Integration:

   • Frontend: HTML5 video player (using <video> tag) for playback.
   • JavaScript: May include custom scripts for handling player controls, adaptive bitrate streaming, and interaction with backend services.

7. Backend Services:

   • APIs: To manage user authentication, subscriptions (if applicable), and user interactions.
   • Analytics: Track viewer metrics, engagement, and performance.