Broadcast history was made last week when the NBA aired the January 14th matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic, live in 4K. The game was also a showcase regular season game because it was played at The O2 in London, England. The 4K-resolution broadcast, which is also known as Ultra HD, is currently the highest quality resolution on the market. The NBA’s official press release announcement via their website, cited BT Sport and Rogers as the two partners who broadcasted the game. It was the first time that fans had the opportunity to watch a live NBA game in 4K.
Watch #NBALondon16 live in Ultra HD from 7.45pm!
https://t.co/JhgqMycK7z
— BT Sport (@btsport) January 14, 2016
The live 4K broadcast was a huge step for the NBA and sports broadcasting, since this telecast had been in the making for over a year. The NBA continues to develop and pursue high-tech broadcast methods. Last year, the NBA was the first U.S. professional sports league to record a game in 4K. The recording was shown to a private party of NBA and BT Sport representatives. The NBA also pursued virtual reality broadcasts in order to increase their dynamic broadcast offerings. This year, the NBA featured opening night access to a live virtual reality stream, via NextVR, of a game between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans.
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NBA, BT Sport, and Rogers executives all raved about their excitement of the broadcast and the future of 4K technology. Steve Hellmuth, Executive VP of Operations and Technology for the NBA, stated that the NBA is, “always looking for new and innovative ways to bring our passionate fans closer to our game, and this groundbreaking 4K broadcast is a great opportunity to provide fans at home the sharpest look ever at the NBA.” BT Sport COO, Jamie Hindhaugh, expressed her excitement about the company’s accomplishment and is, “extremely proud to have launched Europe’s very first live sports 4K channel, BT Sport Ultra HD, and to be innovating and leading the UK TV market.”
Global First: Rogers, NBA and BT Sport announce first-ever live NBA broadcast in 4K https://t.co/05OzrB7D7D
— Rogers (@Rogers) January 14, 2016
Rogers is one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, and is betting big on 4K. Roger’s president, Rick Brace, called his company’s push for more 4K content “a revolution,” according to an article in the Chronicle Herald. His company’s plan for 2016 is to air 500 hours of TV content in 4K. Most of the content will be live sports content such as Blue Jays baseball games.
The movement to 4K broadcasting makes sense considering the forecasts are predicting heavy growth in the consumption of 4K TVs. According to a Business Insider article, consumer uptake is accelerating because average selling prices of existing 4K TVs have dropped and will continue to decrease. The article goes on to predict that “50% of North American households will have 4K-capable TVs by 2024”, in less than ten years. Clearly, the first 4K broadcast of last week is just the beginning of sports taking over and leading the surge for demand and purchasing of Ultra-HD TVs.