MSG Networks Partners With LTN For Full IP Migration

LTN, the media technology and video transport solutions company, announced in a press release today its multi-year agreement with media company MSG Networks.

“The collaboration will enable the organization’s complete transition from satellite to terrestrial IP-based distribution by integrating the fully managed, terrestrial IP-based, live video transmission solution LTN Wave,” said LTN’s statement. “The transition is also a key component to enhance the live sports experience on MSG+, a state-of-the-art streaming product this summer, offering access on a direct-to-consumer subscription and authenticated basis.”

LTN will distribute the MSG Networks channels delivering live coverage of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres to fans “while future-proofing the organization’s distribution model and harnessing the full benefits of the LTN Network,” the release said.

The multi-year agreement sees MSG Networks choose LTN for what the company called its own “proven reliability, scalability, and cost-efficient alternative to satellite distribution.”

LTN’s low-latency capabilities with five nines SLA are also critical in today’s live sports broadcasting,” the statement continued. “As a trusted partner, LTN enables MSG to transform its technology roadmap while providing the service layer to drive operational efficiencies and intelligent monetization and distribution capabilities.”

David Schafer, SVP Product, Technology & Operations at MSG Networks, said: “LTN is trusted across the broadcasting and live sports industry. Our partnership with LTN provides us with mission-critical reliability. An IP-first approach to content distribution delivers the foundations for success, with greater business agility and a host of new revenue opportunities. We are truly excited about this next phase of IP-powered content distribution.”

Built on LTN’s multicast-enabled, fully-managed IP transport network, LTN Wave provides a flexible, scalable, and reliable video transport solution that “de-risks satellite migration with end-to-end management and automatic stress-free changeover while supporting next-generation possibilities such as content replacement and custom ad triggers,” said the statement. Its flexibility and efficiency mean Wave can integrate within existing infrastructure while harnessing other solutions such as third-party encoders, decoders, and hardware or software. LTN’s open and agnostic network strategy means customers can acquire content in a single format and deliver in multiple formats, common third protocols, and in and out of public clouds, as needed, said the company.

Through LTN Wave, MSG Networks “benefits from an intelligent, flexible, and cost-efficient content distribution solution,” said LTN.”MSG Networks is best equipped to reliably distribute multiple versions of content to any destination worldwide, enabling it to maximize reach, monetization, and ROI and futureproof its distribution model without technology headaches or heavy CapEx investment.”

“The media industry is steadily moving away from satellite. But mission-critical channels cannot afford to rely on the open internet with billions of dollars in revenue at stake. Customers like MSG Networks need the managed network that LTN offers along with the peace of mind of a 5 nines reliable SLA and a 24/7 TOC,” said Chris Myers, EVP, Chief Revenue Officer, LTN.

“MSG Networks chose LTN because of its industry-leading intelligent and reliable IP network and its managed network services. With LTN Wave, customers can get their content on multiple platforms, opening more pathways than satellite can provide. LTN is thrilled to be working with one of North America’s flagship media companies, empowering it to shift to IP and reach new audiences and revenue streams.”