With the 2026 FIFA World Cup having kicked off in recent weeks, it has proven to be a stark reminder of how much live sport has changed in recent years. While major global sporting events still draw vast audiences, the way fans interact with them has become highly fragmented. What was once a single global feed has given way to a highly flexible system that must be able to adapt to its audience.
Few organisations are more closely attuned to this change than Tata Communications, which powers broadcast and production for 80% of the world’s sporting events, delivering live action to more than two billion viewers across 190+ countries.
“We started with one primary screen in the living room,” says Dhaval Ponda, vice president & global head, media & entertainment business at Tata Communications. “Today, the viewer’s journey has shifted from watching something on a primary screen to engaging across social media, mobile screens and digital platforms. Fans now expect multiple personalised video feeds, social media interaction, and a lot more data.”
While some traditional fans still prefer a main broadcast feed, many now have much higher expectations. This includes alternate commentary tailored to their region, data-rich overlays showing live stats and win probability, tactical camera angles focused on individual players, and social-first highlight clips for mobile platforms.
This reflects a broader shift in how audiences want to experience media, where they demand content shaped by their devices, languages, and geography, as well as their individual preferences.
The infrastructure behind personalised live sport
This shift towards more regional and personalised distribution has made live production much more complex, and broadcasters have quickly had to figure out how to go from serving a single audience to managing multiple highly-segmented viewing experiences in real time. Ponda explains that the technology underpinning the entertainment industry has had to undergo a significant transformation to meet these rising expectations.
Cloud infrastructure, edge computing and remote production are driving this shift by enabling broadcasters to move beyond rigid, one-size-fits-all distribution models.
“Previously, we used to have a lot of crew and equipment sent to a particular event. Now those workflows are cloud-based,” explains Ponda. On the face of it, this requires fewer logistics and fewer people on site, which should simplify operations. However, managing multiple outputs in real time requires much more agility, as broadcasters must coordinate simultaneous versions of the same content without compromising speed or quality.
AI tools are helping deliver more content, in more formats, far more efficiently
This increased reliance on technology means that for major live events, the venue effectively becomes a temporary technology hub, with on-site infrastructure deployed to support production, streaming, and audience engagement for that specific weekend.
In many cases, this involves building what Ponda refers to as a “mini data centre” at the location to handle compute, connectivity, and distribution needs in real time.
Delivering this level of responsiveness requires highly skilled teams on the ground.
Instead of relying on slow approval chains or escalations, which were once standard practice, teams now need to make fast, informed decisions in real time as events unfold. This agility is what allows them to respond immediately to issues and maintain a smooth, uninterrupted broadcast.
How AI is making live sport more scalable
“AI tools are helping deliver more content, in more formats, far more efficiently,” explains Ponda. For example, broadcasters can now use AI to automate editing, generate additional social media clips and add multiple audio tracks or languages to the same piece of content. This means broadcasters and rights holders can tailor coverage for different audiences and reach viewers who may previously have been excluded by language barriers. “That gives global sports franchises hundreds of millions of new viewers who were not able to engage with the sport because of language barriers,” he explains.
Beyond localisation and editing, broadcasters are also using AI in live production environments to identify key moments in live events and generate highlights almost instantly as the action unfolds. This reduces traditional production bottlenecks and shortens the time between live action and distributed content across digital platforms. It means broadcasters can make a much bigger impact by capturing the audience when engagement is highest.
However, Ponda stresses that AI is intended to complement human teams. “We don’t see AI replacing the people who are doing this job,” he says. Rather than removing editorial roles, AI should be seen as a co-pilot that can perform repetitive tasks, allowing production teams to focus on aspects of the job that require creativity and editorial judgement.
Security as a top broadcasting priority
Live sports content is among the most valuable assets in media, as broadcast rights drive global audiences and significant commercial returns. Recent deals for properties such as the National Football League, Premier League, and FIFA World Cup have been worth billions of dollars, reflecting continued global demand. That value also makes it a prime target for cyber threats, as attackers can disrupt live broadcasts for financial and reputational gain, or intercept and redistribute content illegally.
“Every day, attacks are launched on organisations with weak infrastructure,” says Ponda, “Security has to be the first priority. It has to be considered before any transformation that organisations undertake.”
To stay ahead of attackers, security must be embedded across every layer of the system, rather than treated as an add-on. Effective security measures, such as access controls and encrypted distribution, help ensure content is accessed and delivered only by authorised platforms and that live feeds remain intact as they move across complex global networks. This protects the integrity of the broadcast and the value of the rights it carries.
Behind the seamless broadcast
While live sporting events may appear seamless to viewers, they require extensive infrastructure working behind the scenes to make them possible. Delivering a single live event as multiple tailored experiences requires a much more flexible and intelligent approach to broadcasting.
As demand for more personalised and engaging viewing experiences continues to grow, Tata Communications will play a key role in enabling the shift away from traditional one-size-fits-all feeds towards more dynamic, experience-led delivery across global live sport.
Stay ahead of the latest broadcast trends with Tata Communications
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup having kicked off in recent weeks, it has proven to be a stark reminder of how much live sport has changed in recent years. While major global sporting events still draw vast audiences, the way fans interact with them has become highly fragmented. What was once a single global feed has given way to a highly flexible system that must be able to adapt to its audience.
Few organisations are more closely attuned to this change than Tata Communications, which powers broadcast and production for 80% of the world’s sporting events, delivering live action to more than two billion viewers across 190+ countries.
“We started with one primary screen in the living room,” says Dhaval Ponda, vice president & global head, media & entertainment business at Tata Communications. “Today, the viewer's journey has shifted from watching something on a primary screen to engaging across social media, mobile screens and digital platforms. Fans now expect multiple personalised video feeds, social media interaction, and a lot more data.”
