Aircast wins Golfweek Tech Lab with sub-second live sports streaming

Reducing in-venue latency is a critical hurdle for live event organizers looking to drive digital engagement without spoiling the live action. Aircast’s ability to hit sub-300ms speeds effectively permits real-time 'second screen' experiences that supplement, rather than distract from, the live field of play. For the broader industry, this white-label approach signals a shift toward embedding advanced video capabilities into existing fan platforms rather than requiring standalone downloads. The market's reception of this technology through integrated sports betting or multi-view highlights will be the key metric to watch as venue-specific media rights evolve.

The push for sub-second latency is becoming a competitive necessity for live sports. Per Streaming Media (April 2026), rights holders are increasingly utilizing technologies such as WebRTC and LL-HLS to differentiate their offerings via synchronized multiview and interactive features. These technical shifts are driven by rising sports rights costs and a concurrent demand for high-quality, real-time digital delivery that matches the speed of traditional broadcast. Other participants in the space, such as SportsBug, recently introduced sub-one-second audio streaming for the New York Mets digital radio broadcasts at Citi Field in March 2026, highlighting a broader industry trend toward eliminating the 'spoiler effect' for fans inside stadiums.

Aircast’s recent success follows its participation in the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator in 2023, where it was selected from nearly 1,000 applicants to refine its proprietary BLAST transport protocol. According to ASTN (March 2024), the company has previously collaborated with organizations like Racing Victoria to provide low-latency HD streaming across dozens of racecourses. This partnership was part of a broader implementation within Telstra’s 2nd Generation HD Video Network, demonstrating the technology's scalability across complex, multi-venue environments. Industry analysts noted as early as 2025 that real-time performance is no longer an optional upgrade but a foundational requirement for sports platforms that include betting or social engagement features.

Furthermore, the move toward 'in-venue' digital rights represents a potential new revenue stream for leagues and clubs. Mediaweek (May 2023) reported that Aircast’s model includes customizable advertising inventory, such as banner ads and squeeze-backs, specifically for the in-stadium audience. This allows rights holders to monetize the digital feed as a distinct product, separate from global broadcast or home-streaming tiers, by catering to the specific contextual needs of fans attending the event in person.