RealSprint, a long-standing partner of ATG, has recently helped increase the reach of the horse racing company by creating TV apps for the Apple and Android ecosystems. This is one step in the journey of increasing platform support while maintaining a fully synchronized cross-platform experience.
With the help of RealSprint, ATG is increasing its content reach to include support for Android TV together with Apple TV. As a response to insights about audience behavior, the new apps that were recently released provide the same level of performance as the online ultra-low-latency stream on https://www.atg.se. Regardless of whether the viewer is watching on a desktop computer, mobile phone, or television set, every user is in sync, further emphasizing trust and fairness in the ATG brand.
ATG is the leading player in the Swedish trotting and horseracing scene, with races running just about every day, adding up to a total of 20 000 races yearly. The collaboration between ATG and RealSprint dates back several years, with ATG utilizing RealSprint’s Vindral to achieve ultra-low latency and synchronized playout while sustaining the highest video quality at full stability. The all-around strength of the Vindral streaming solution is required for ATG’s ability to provide a premium user experience, even for viewers on congested networks. Ultra-low latency and synchronized playout increase the window of opportunity, allowing fans to place their bets closer to the action. Bettors cherish this feature, as a lot goes into assessing the form of the horses during the warm-up of each race. Additional time at this stage is important in order to make proper assessments and thereby a prerequisite for placing more informed bets. Greater volumes of incoming bets also translate into increased business for ATG and catalyze their brand recognition.
“An important part of our strategy is to make ATG Live available on as many platforms as possible. Up until now, we’ve been available on ATG.se, the ATG app, the social betting platform ATG Tillsammans, as well as on linear television. Now, we add Apple TV and Android TV to the mix, and more is coming. RealSprint, who’s been an important supplier to us for many years, rapidly helped us extend our distribution to these apps, which has been widely appreciated among our customers.“
Mikael Kudrén, Head of Digital at ATG
Although challenging, it is crucial to understand and continuously adapt to your audience. The behavior of the viewer is always at the core, and in the case of ATG, users appreciate the flexibility of being able to watch their favored horse racing on the television, tablet, or smartphone app.
For the most dedicated players and fans, horse racing is at the core of their lifestyle and something they are truly devoted to. With the extended support for synchronized cross-platform watching and betting, they can view the stream on one device and place their bets on another. Chromecast has been a prioritized playout method for a long time, and adding support for both AppleTV and AndroidTV is a way for ATG to further accommodate the needs and expectations of their customers. Greater flexibility for viewers to consume streams on multiple devices further strengthens ATG’s position as a brand with excellent customer satisfaction.
“Helping ATG improve its content distribution means the support is also added to our native and web SDK. Implementing support for Google Cast and Apple TV is a common struggle for live streaming platforms, but it’s becoming increasingly important to incorporate as users expect it. The native iOS SDK allows for picture-in-picture, and in combination with our ultra-low latency, synchronization, and 4K support, it adds to and further renews our offering.”
Per Mafrost, CTO of RealSprint
Broad-scale support for Apple TV and Android TV is now available
While traditional television is dropping market shares, OTT media, especially subscription video on demand, SVOD, is seeing tremendous growth and is estimated to accelerate further during the coming years. Apps like Netflix, HBO, and Disney+ are transforming the way people consume video, leading to new consumer behaviors and expectations for the future – representing a shift in the modern TV and video ecosystems. Broad-scale cord-cutting with consumers canceling their multi-channel television subscriptions means an industry-wide transition from multicast to unicast. Consumers expect video content to be more relevant and in accordance with their personal preferences to a greater extent than before and count on content to be available and easily accessed cross-platforms. To this, the introduction of 5G is a contributing factor, strengthening the possibility of consuming video content on the go.
Linear television is still one important component in ATG’s delivery due to its popularity among viewers. Yet, the support for Android TV and Apple TV is a way to diversify ATG’s content distribution and proactively adapt to market shifts. Owning the content platform entirely is valuable, as it allows for greater customization, control, and optimization of their offering, continuously adding value for their customers.