Bundesliga 2: New automated cloud-based production boosts global visibility

Photo: DFL/Getty Images/Neil Baynes

10 October 2022 – Thanks to Artificial Intelligence and streaming technology, DFL media partners now have access to an expanded live signal of all 306 Bundesliga 2 matches plus play-offs. English-language graphics showing the team line-ups and scoreboards as well as detailed scorer information are now generated in real-time automatically and distributed globally. Furthermore, the innovative Bundesliga Match Facts powered by AWS are now an integral component of every broadcast of a match in Germany’s second-highest league. All this relieves international media partners of the potentially labour-intensive task of editing line-ups, player names and match statistics into the signal.

Selected top matches even include English live commentary, embedded in the live-stream signal. Thus, the DFL delivers a fully edited end product in real-time that enhances its media partners’ distribution flexibility. This means that international fans of Bundesliga 2 clubs now have access to full, comprehensive coverage of all matches.

Bundesliga 2 match transmissions increased by 126 per cent

Within the first year the popularity of this streaming offer, which is made available globally through highly efficient remote production in the AWS cloud, has grown dramatically. A total of 37 international licensees, including ESPN+ in the USA, Viaplay in Scandinavia, and OneFootball in Brazil, adopted the signal for their programming, reaching a total of 114 countries. This resulted in a total number of 17,824 Bundesliga 2 match transmissions (including repeats) during the 2021-22 season, equivalent to a 126 per cent increase. The matches were watched by 21.8 m viewers around the world, nearly twice as many as during the 2020-21 season. 

Dominik Scholler, Head of Audiovisual Rights International at the DFL, explains: “By launching the automated, cloud-based Bundesliga 2 production, we have created an innovative product for all live matches and digital clips, which was instantly welcomed enthusiastically by our media partners and fans around the world.” This is also evidenced by the nomination for this year’s ISC International Sports Awards: The automated production of the Bundesliga 2 matches has been acknowledged with the “Innovation Award – Rights Holder”.

Automated process: Custom-generated highlight clips for each market

Another service that is based on automatisation is the generation of custom-generated highlight clips. The DFL’s international media partners can create a range of content for their respective market, including in-match clips showing goals or key scenes involving players from the destination region. These clips are created in an automated process applying technology provided by the Israeli company WSC Sports. They can be included in post-match reporting or used on social media.

As an additional enhancement, the DFL now produces its Social Media Matchday Feed for Bundesliga 2 matches, as well. As a digital media service on all Bundesliga 2 matchdays, this feed can supply valuable, authentic content to national and international media partners, such as Sky Germany, for use on digital channels and in TV broadcasts.