Cloudbass deploys Calrec Argo M consoles for UK sports broadcasting

The transition to SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67 standards in these units demonstrates the increasing viability of unified IP backbones for high-volume live sports. By consolidating audio and vision traffic onto shared switches, Cloudbass reduces the physical footprint and complexity of field deployments while maintaining the low latency required for 104 annual matches. This shift reflects a broader industry move toward hybrid infrastructure models where hardware consoles must integrate with software-based remote control interfaces. Watch for whether this IP-first approach leads to a reduction in onsite engineering headcount as Assist UI and remote processing become standard in UK sports production.

Calrec has been expanding its Argo M footprint across live production environments in the UK and Europe. In early 2025, Calrec announced that its Argo M console had been selected by Sky Sports for its new IP-based studio production facility, marking one of the highest-profile deployments of the platform in a broadcast network environment. The console's native SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67 support has made it a preferred choice for facilities transitioning away from baseband SDI audio routing, and Cloudbass's OB deployment follows that same pattern of IP-first live sports production. Calrec's parent company Audiotonix has also invested in expanding the Argo M's software ecosystem, including the Assist UI remote control layer that allows engineers to manage console parameters from off-site locations. The broader shift toward IP-based outside broadcasting is being driven by both cost pressures and standards maturation. SMPTE ST 2110 adoption accelerated in 2025 as major European broadcasters including the BBC and ITV committed to IP-native production workflows for live events, reducing the need for dedicated audio and video routing infrastructure. For OB providers like Cloudbass, this means fewer physical cables, lighter truck builds, and the ability to share network switches between audio and vision teams. The commercial case is reinforced by the UK's competitive OB market, where providers are under pressure to reduce per-match costs while maintaining broadcast quality for rights holders including the Premier League and EFL. On the technical side, Calrec's ImPulse1 processing core has been benchmarked for latency in IP audio chains. Calrec published latency measurements showing that ImPulse1-based systems can achieve sub-millisecond audio processing when deployed on ST 2110 networks with PTP synchronization, a figure that meets the tight synchronization requirements of live sports where audio must align with video within a few frames. The RP1 remote processing engine, which handles DSP tasks away from the console surface, enables the kind of distributed architecture that Cloudbass is deploying across its two new OB units. This approach mirrors what dB Broadcast has implemented in other UK OB projects, including IP audio upgrades for BT Sport's coverage operations, where shared IP backbones carry both audio and video signals over common switching fabric. As these workflows evolve, providers are increasingly looking at hybrid SDI/IP gateways to maintain compatibility with legacy equipment during the transition.