The Sports Video Group is thrilled to welcome IMAX as a new corporate sponsor. While the company is known worldwide for its iconic large-format theatrical experience, it also continues to roll out major advancements in streaming optimization and monitoring software.

For example, IMAX’s StreamSmart On-Air product is designed to monitor and maintain quality when streaming live sports events while also reducing the bitrate substantially to save streaming organizations in CDN distribution costs. The innovative orchestration platform seamlessly integrates with existing workflows – using IMAX’s VisionScience technology to preserve video quality while further reducing file sizes on top of existing optimization methods – to ensure quality and cut costs.

VisionScience is IMAX’s Emmy-award winning technology that successfully maps the human visual system to create proficiencies that represent a significant leap in streaming efficiency while maintaining exceptional visual quality.

Last month, NBA China and IMAX China teamed up to bring the 2024 NBA Finals live to select IMAX locations across Hong Kong and Taiwan, providing NBA fans with an immersive, one-of-a-kind viewing experience. This was the first partnership between IMAX and the NBA and marks the first time IMAX China has delivered a live sports experience to its audiences.

Due to a lack of dedicated private network connectivity in the market, IMAX is leveraging its StreamSmart On-Air technology to enhance the streaming experience for the Finals. IMAX quickly sold out the seats at all the locations. This was done under demanding network conditions (at some locations, internet connection was 50 Mbps – a fraction of what most homes in the US and EU have).

SVG sat down with Vikram Arumilli, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Streaming and Consumer Technology, IMAX, to discuss the latest advances in IMAX streaming technology, how StreamSmart potentially changes the game for live-sports streamers, and how the NBA China project is a prime example of how the technology can be leveraged for live-sports-content distribution in the future.