Comment: How to stream the Super Bowl, and other major events

Streaming live to a global audience is no small feat. Unlike on-demand content, live events must be delivered in near real-time to millions of viewers, ensuring seamless synchronisation across devices, regions, and varying network conditions.

For a high-stakes event like this weekend’s Super Bowl, even minor streaming issues such as buffering, latency, or audio disruptions can lead to widespread frustration among fans. Past major sports broadcasts have shown that scaling live-streaming infrastructure for events of this magnitude requires cutting-edge innovation beyond traditional content delivery methods.

The rise of Quality of Experience

The landscape of content consumption is shifting, especially for live sports. As broadcasting rights for major leagues are divided among multiple platforms, the exclusivity of content alone is losing its power. For example, traditionally, NFL games have been broadcast exclusively on major networks like CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN. However, with the rise of streaming and digital platforms, the league has diversified its distribution model, which has given rise to a new deal-breaker: Quality of Experience (QoE).

QoE encompasses various factors, including price, accessibility, visual quality, and device compatibility. Price remains a key differentiator, with consumers increasingly selective, jumping between streaming services to find the best value. Accessibility has also evolved beyond smart TVs - viewers now expect seamless streaming across smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles, with effortless integration across all devices. As competition increases, delivering an exceptional viewing experience is becoming just as crucial as the content itself.

The challenges of live streaming at scale

Streaming live content at a global scale requires highly precise synchronisation across regions, networks, and devices. Events attracting tens of millions of concurrent viewers demand a robust infrastructure that can handle massive spikes in traffic while maintaining broadcast-level quality. As a broad indicator, a high-demand event with 30 million viewers streaming at an average bitrate of five mbps required at least 150 tbps of sustained capacity, with a 30% safety margin that pushes that requirement even higher.

This level of demand shows the need for modern, scalable delivery models that can distribute content at peak times without compromising performance. Traditional CDNs have relied on centralised hubs, which now struggle with congestion, leading to latency and buffering issues.

If we take last year’s Super Bowl LVIII as an example, data from Phenix shows that while Paramount+ delivered the lowest streaming lag of all the content owners showing the game (42.73 seconds), some platforms suffered delays exceeding 86 seconds. This discrepancy demonstrates why streaming latency is so critical to the viewer experience, whether you’re a casual fan, fanatic, have an interest in betting or enjoy engaging in second-screen discussions. To compete with traditional broadcasts and cable, streaming services need to change their approach to real-time content delivery.

Edge-based CDNs: the key to a better viewing experience

One of the most important parts of a great sports viewing experience is picture quality. As 4K streaming becomes more common, streaming platforms must invest in better infrastructure to ensure smooth, high-definition video. This is where edge-based content delivery networks (CDNs) come in.

Traditional CDNs store content in large, centralised data centres, but they often struggle with the demands of fast, high-quality live streaming. Edge-based CDNs, however, place servers closer to viewers - within internet service provider (ISP) networks - reducing buffering and improving reliability. For fans watching live sports or major events, even a short delay can ruin the experience, so by keeping data traffic local, networks can reduce strain on central servers, optimise bandwidth use and lower operational costs.

In addition to the buffering challenge, edge-based CDNs are helping to counter ‘latency drift’ where some viewers experience significant variations in delay times. Phenix’s Super Bowl study found that streaming delay varied by over 133 seconds among users on the same platform. A properly architected edge network reduces such inconsistencies, ensuring all viewers receive the most real-time experience possible. The Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) has recently established an Edge Working Group to create best practices for integrating edge resources within streaming workflows.

On the horizon

In truth, streaming services need to consider going beyond replicating the linear broadcast experience. We’re already seeing second screen integration, but increasingly, AI-powered highlights and other immersive features that drive deeper fan engagement. As Netflix demonstrated during its streaming of the NFL Christmas Day games, rapid content repurposing - such as making halftime performances or key game moments immediately available as standalone content - is an expectation among streaming viewers.

All streaming giants must address the lingering challenges of live event delivery at scale and push ahead toward a truly dynamic, immersive future. The shift to edge-based content delivery isn’t just about keeping up with demand - it’s about setting new standards for reliability, innovation, and fan engagement.

Stephen Ahaszuk is head of solutions, content providers, at Qwilt