Maestro automation tools for 62nd Grammy Awards Red Carpet Livestream
February 12, 2020
Maestro, an industry thought leader at the forefront of livestreaming, has rolled out a suite of new automation tools to help broadcasters incorporate interactivity into their streaming strategies while alleviating the need for increased costs. The new technology was put to use for the first time during the 62nd Grammy Awards on the Red Carpet Livestream.
The tools were used live during the 62nd Grammy Awards on Grammy.com as part of a partnership with IBM and the Recording Academy. IBM Watson programmatically detected artists on the red carpet and generated relevant insights then used Maestro APIs with Lightstream integration to publish them into the stream in real-time. The result – an enhanced livestream experience for viewers and significantly increased levels of audience engagement for Grammy Awards.
“Livestreaming experiences are continuing to differentiate from traditional TV broadcasts and data is the engine of change. New live interactive formats, personalized experiences, and automated workflows are three key areas we are focused on. Our goal is to make these tools incredibly easy to use so that customers of all sizes can improve metrics without added costs,” said Ari Evans, Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
The new toolset from Maestro empowers broadcasters to easily create custom overlays that are dynamically populated with live data and broadcast using a simple API. Automation workflows are as simple as “if this then that”, mapping opportunities for interactivity to specific data triggers.
Maestro integrated Lightstream’s Cloud video production API directly into its platform so broadcasters can now composite, or “burn in” interactive elements for redistribution to other platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook–completely in the cloud. Using this automation technique, broadcasters can leverage these platforms as a marketing tool to funnel audiences to premium Maestro-powered experiences on their own sites and apps.
Applications are highly diverse, spanning sports/esports, gaming, entertainment, and beyond. In-stream betting workflows can be completely automated; dynamic live odds data, automatic triggers when odds change, and viewer targeting based on their preferences. Fantasy sports integration creates personalized overlays when points are earned with calls to action that drive engagement and social interaction. Game developers can connect their in-game data APIs to automate unique opportunities for interactivity at key moments during streamer’s broadcasts. These examples barely scratch the surface of the new class of experiences that are now possible with Maestro.
In addition to Grammy, Maestro boasts the likes of Activision Blizzard, Epic, Microsoft, Sky Sports and Adobe as customers, spanning across multiple sectors including sports, esports and entertainment.
“From the work we do with our growing customer base, we know that in-stream interactivity drives an average of 175% increase in watch time, 45% increase in retention, and 210% increase in revenue. We’re incredibly proud to activate these tools for the Grammy Awards, and to see the impact this had on the experience for viewers is fantastic,” added Evans.
This is the latest in Maestro’s vision to enable the future of broadcast: an internet-first experience with new interactive formats that drive increased engagement, watch time, and revenue.