Case Study

Creating a lively, highly automated racing channel

William Hill, a leading betting and gaming company, aimed to enhance audience engagement through a dedicated live app channel for horse and greyhound racing. While the channel was already popular, it required a high level of operational resources, making it costly to run. The objective was to create a dynamic, engaging, and fully automated production system that could be self-operated by the presenter while maintaining high production values.

The Vision

William Hill sought to build a scalable and cost-effective solution that would continue to deliver rich, real-time graphics and live racing coverage. A key requirement was ensuring that the presenter remained the focal point, much like a radio DJ, engaging audiences while integrating data-driven betting insights and live races. The ultimate goal was a system that could be controlled remotely, allowing for efficient and flexible operations.

The Challenge

The unpredictability of live racing events and fluctuating betting odds presented a unique challenge. Timings were unreliable, race delays were common, and data was continuously changing – making automation difficult. William Hill needed a technology partner capable of designing a bespoke solution that would seamlessly integrate live racing feeds, real-time betting data, and automated playout, all while ensuring the presenter retained control.

The CJP Solution

CJP Broadcast designed and delivered a turnkey solution, integrating hardware, bespoke software, and automation to streamline operations while maintaining a dynamic, high-quality production.

Bespoke Automation and Data Integration

To achieve seamless automation, CJP partnered with Squared Paper, a specialist media software house. Using their Busby development kit, the team built a custom control and user interface, ensuring that betting data and race feeds could drive automated production workflows.

Dynamic Graphics Generation

A critical part of the solution was the ability to automatically generate HTML5 graphics over the live SDI feeds. This included displaying real-time race odds, horse owner colours, and betting data, ensuring a visually engaging experience for viewers while requiring minimal manual input from the presenter.

Automated Playout and Remote Operation

The system was designed around PlayBox Technology’s Cosmos playout platform, enabling a fully automated race schedule that could dynamically adjust to live changes in race timings. The presenter could operate the system remotely, ensuring low-latency, real-time content delivery from multiple race locations.

Collaborative Development in Remote Conditions

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, development took place remotely, with CJP building and testing the hardware in their demo facility while Squared Paper developed and tested the software remotely. William Hill was able to log in and monitor progress, ensuring seamless collaboration throughout the process.

“We wanted to create something special in our racing coverage, to provide our customers with a better, richer racing experience. CJP Broadcast showed us that by using bespoke software, they could build a system that would bring our dedicated live greyhound racing channel to life.”

Mark Chesworth, Head of Broadcast, William Hill

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Speak With Our Team

Whether you’re looking for a complete virtual production setup or need support with specific components, CJP Broadcast is here to help. Get in touch to discuss your project and discover how we can create a system that works for you.