Case Study: SVT’s Move to Software-Defined Live Sports Production Cuts Costs by 50% and Carbon Footprint by 70%
SVT’s Move to Software-Defined Live Sports Production Cuts Costs by 50% and Carbon Footprint by 70%
By Andy Hooper, SVP Live Products, Ateliere Creative Technologies
For Sweden’s national public broadcaster, Sveriges Television AB (SVT), the future of live sports production is flexible, cost-efficient, and entirely software-driven. At Rally Sweden 2025 in Umeå, SVT unveiled a groundbreaking milestone by executing its first fully software-defined sports production—a move that is not only reshaping the way live broadcasts are created but also setting a bold benchmark for the industry in terms of cost efficiencies and environmental impact.
The World Rally Championship’s (WRC) premier winter event features drivers navigating snow-covered stages, showcasing their skills in challenging conditions. But Rally Sweden 2025 wasn’t just another event for SVT—it was proof that ambitious ideas could be transformed into operational excellence that achieves unprecedented efficiency and sustainability.
To cover this live event, SVT replaced traditional broadcast hardware with a flexible, cost-efficient system built on modern software and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. By creating a software-defined infrastructure powered by Ateliere Live, SVT achieved seamless, high-quality sports coverage while slashing costs and environmental impact significantly.
"The entire SVT production was delivered using software-based tools and streaming media, marking a major milestone," said Christoffer Ainek, Technical Producer at SVT.
Beyond Proof of Concept: A Digital Breakthrough
This transformation is part of Project Neo, SVT’s ambitious initiative to evolve from a traditional broadcaster into a fully digital media company. Launched in 2020, Project Neo rethinks every layer of production with three key goals: optimizing content delivery, shifting to standard IT hardware, and reducing costs and environmental impact by at least half. With the successful deployment at Rally Sweden, SVT has moved far beyond theory into real-world results.
Ateliere Live plays a key role in this cloud-based, software-defined workflow by eliminating costly proprietary equipment while enabling real-time, distributed production. Ateliere Live aligns with the Project Neo goals by offering a proven workflow that reduces production costs by at least 50% and lowers environmental impact by at least 70%. Replacing traditional broadcast hardware with an agile system of software and COTS hardware. With this full-scale implementation at Rally Sweden, SVT is no longer testing ideas.
"We’re well beyond the proof-of-concept phase and entering a new era of flexibility and efficiency in live production," Ainek added.
Rewriting the Rules of Live Broadcasting
For Rally Sweden 2025, SVT leveraged its flexible infrastructure to combine in-studio and remote production. Its Umeå facilities, located near the rally site, served as the hub for SVTs domestic coverage. The studio was equipped with PTZ cameras and commentary kits. Meanwhile, two roaming reporters used cellular-bonded backpacks to capture real-time reactions from drivers and the audience.
The production team—including producer, technical director/operator, replay operator, sound operator, and commentators—used a hybrid model with SVT’s cloud-native Core NEO system based in Stockholm. Live feeds from the cellular backpacks and the multilateral world feed from the WRC OB compound were transmitted over public internet to Stockholm, where NEO handled vision and sound mixing, graphics, and media playback. The Swedish-language commentary was seamlessly integrated from the Umeå studio, ensuring an engaging experience for local audiences.
Agile and Adaptable
Live sports are unpredictable—but with a fully integrated software-defined system, SVT turned unpredictability into opportunity. When a rally stage was shortened without warning, the production team swiftly adjusted in real time using Ateliere Live's rundown tools, ensuring uninterrupted coverage.This allowed the team to react instantly, ensuring seamless coverage despite last-minute changes.
Communication was another area of transformation. The robust integration of Ateliere Live with SVT’s NeoCom open-source talkback system streamlined communications across the team, eliminating delays and enhancing overall efficiency.
Beyond its flexibility, SVT’s software-defined approach delivered significant cost savings. By replacing expensive proprietary hardware—including audio and video mixers—with COTS components such as off-the-shelf GPUs and consumer TVs instead of broadcast monitors, SVT dramatically reduced operational costs. More importantly, this scalable model can be adapted for future productions without major new investments.
From Vision to Reality
SVT officially launched its software-defined production platform during the Singapore Smash Table Tennis Tournament in early February 2025, where a single journalist produced an entire broadcast—including graphics and commentary—using just a laptop.
This milestone marks SVT’s most significant production shift since 2012, when it pioneered remote production for the London Olympics. Now, the broadcaster is taking another leap forward:
“After years of development, testing, and collaborative efforts, SVT is finally realizing the vision of true software-defined production—a vital step leading to the 2026 Olympics,” said Dennis Buhr, Head of Production Development at SVT. With major events ahead, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, SVT’s commitment to software-defined production is just beginning.
If you’re ready to redefine your live production capabilities, explore Ateliere Live and discover how software-defined workflows can revolutionize your broadcasts—saving costs, enhancing flexibility, and staying ahead of the game.
