Yesterday, Telstra coughed up $155 million for the right to broadcast AFL matches to mobile phones and Internet-enabled TVs. That means more flexible options for viewers, but the flexibility won’t come for free.
We told you last week about some of the cool tech that’s in use at the Australian Open. One of the most impressive uses of technology is one that’s less evident to people using the site: the use of cloud computing systems to ensure the Australian Open web site can cope with large visitor surges during the event.
The Australian Open is one of the four key Grand Slam events in the international tennis calendar. IT plays a vital role in helping the players prepare and providing information for spectators on the ground and TV viewers at home. Here’s some of the more crucial applications for technology at the event.
New anti-siphoning rules for sport on TV permit commercial broadcasters to switch major events from their main channel to a second digital channel if they overrun, but the legislation to enable them hasn’t yet been introduced. However, the government has agreed that Seven can switch Australian Open broadcasts onto a secondary channel, avoiding a repeat of last year’s situation where major match coverage was canned for news broadcasts and Home & Away.
Lifehacker readers like Google Chrome, and I suspect many will be losing sleep over the next month watching the FIFA 2010 World Cup. You can combine the two with a selection of World Cup themes for Chrome, including options for each participating country. Thanks Curtis! [Chrome World Cup 2010 Themes]
