Supply Red Bee Media provides remote video referee services for the Swedish Ice Hockey League as well as for the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) for premier football in the Netherlands.
Using the centralised live video facilities at its broadcast hubs in Stockholm and Hilversum (near Amsterdam) Red Bee Media is capable of hosting remote video referees in a fully equipped and secure central environment with direct live video and audio connections to the various stadiums across these countries.
Each video referee has access to all live camera feeds from the venue which can be logged, fast replayed, and zoomed into, to come to an instant assessment as required. The on-site main referee has an in-ear direct connection with the video ref and replays can be shown to the main ref on a dedicated video screen next to the playing field.
Using this setup, the video assist referees can act as a natural extension of the on-site team of officials without having to travel there, increasing both security and efficiency. From this RBM shared environment, multiple matches can be handled on the same day using the same staff and the same advanced logging and replay tools.
The vast broadcast expertise that Red Bee Media brings to the table regarding Live Sports, be it for weekly league games or for massive events like the Olympic Games, ensures a smooth operation. For the referees the low-latency interaction with the officials at the venues allows them to operate as if they are on the spot.
During matches, a considerable number of key review events over the past period have shown to increase the referee’s overall accuracy. Local public and press in both countries have clearly recognised the added value this service can bring to the game. Public perception is important for this type of service and RBM as a strictly neutral partner is perfectly positioned to provide these without any potential public perception of bias.
For RBM’s league customers, it doesn’t stop there. The multi-camera raw video material can be stored on RBM’s central Media Asset Management platform where it can be re-used for offline referee training as well as for arbitration cases.
By having these services provided by RBM, both SHL and KNVB have been able to enhance their game for the public in a secure and cost-efficient manner.
