For ITVX’s live stream of Love Island's new digital-first strategy, LiveU Studio cloud video service became the workflow between the film set in Majorca and the London-based podcast.
Last year marked the tenth anniversary of ITV’s reality dating show, Love Island. To build up excitement surrounding series 12, launched in the UK on 9 June, and to engage younger demographics, ITV expanded Love Island's digital-first strategy.
The official first podcast, titled ‘Love Island: The Morning After’, was live streamed on the ITVX streaming service and YouTube to serve as live watch-along programming that aired at the same time as the main launch show on ITV2. Love Island is produced by Lifted Entertainment, part of ITV Studios, and GroupM Motion Entertainment.
Agile Cloud Workflow
For the ITVX live stream, the production team needed to build a flexible, agile cloud workflow that could handle precise live on/off-air timings and real-time communication with its playout provider. They worked with the LiveU Studio cloud video service to set up a workflow between Majorca in Spain, where the main show is filmed, and London, the base for the podcast.
Currently, broadcasters that are anticipating a decline in linear viewing are reconsidering how to connect with audiences from diverse demographics, and experimenting with creative formats. Love Island is an example of how a strong presence across digital and social platforms can extend a show's impact beyond the main broadcast.
Leon Langdale, Technical Producer, ITV Studios said, "Reaching younger audiences means meeting them where they are, and that increasingly means digital and social platforms. Since the show's relaunch in 2015, viewing habits have undergone a marked shift. Using LiveU means we are prepared to respond quickly and cost-effectively, supporting new formats that engage viewers on their terms."
Direct Connection
For ‘The Morning After’ podcast, this approach involved a direct connection between Majorca and London. The producers could collaborate with talent in the two locations via LiveU Studio - accessed in a browser to manage video switching, audio mixing, clipping, ISO recording, graphics and social media – and distribute the content to several different digital platforms simultaneously.
The workflow started with a LiveU Video Return server at the set in Majorca delivering a low-latency stream of the main show to a LiveU LU800 unit in the London podcast studio. There, presenters Amy Hart and Indiyah Polack, viewed the main show on a monitor via an HDMI output.
The London LU800 then sent the podcast feed to LiveU Studio, while another LU800 in Majorca sent the main programme feed to the same platform. In LiveU Studio, a picture-in-picture output was created so viewers could watch the live podcast alongside the main programme in the corner of the screen. With minimal assets and a live feed, ITV created the feeling of the fans’ familiar show, complete with Love Island branding.
Going Live
"Typically, the podcast is recorded after the main show and edited overnight for distribution," said Leon. "Going live called for greater resilience, orchestration and technical coordination. Voxpod, our podcast production partner, were excellent, and LiveU Studio took a central role in managing the cloud workflow and making sure delivery remained efficient and robust."
For the final episode, which aired on Monday 4 August, an exclusive 30-minute live teaser show, fronted by Amy and Indiyah, was streamed immediately before the main show. "They roamed the villa, capturing last-minute interviews and gossip and building up the atmosphere. This workflow again used LiveU Studio to orchestrate multiple concurrent streams – TikTok, Instagram and YouTube – ensuring the pre-final buzz reached fans across different platforms."
Expanding Cloud Production
LiveU's technical partnership with ITV started over 10 years ago. Now, the company's portable mobile encoders, including the newer multi-cam LU800, are deployed daily across the country for newsgathering. The LU800 also remains an integral part of the network's disaster recovery strategy.
"LiveU Studio has given us a flexible entry point into cloud-based production, and we're keen to expand its use. While we still rely on traditional kit for much of the workflow, there's no reason we can't evolve into cutting between cameras, handling LRT protocol feeds, and adding live graphics directly in the cloud. It's an exciting direction to be moving right now."
Matthew Stringer, UK Sales Director, LiveU noted that digital-first is no longer a viewer trend, but an expectation. As networks face more pressure to produce more content with tighter budgets, broadcasters like ITV can use our agile, cost-effective, cloud production workflows to keep up with the industry's rapidly evolving demands without sacrificing quality. They have options to produce live content that complements the main coverage and attracts younger viewers who like to engage across multiple platforms and mobile devices." www.liveu.tv
