Case Study
Starlink – Fully Managed Connectivity
ESPN - Live Sports Broadcasting
ESPN is one of the world’s most prominent sports broadcasters, delivering live sport at significant scale across television, streaming, digital and social platforms. Operating across major sporting events and high-pressure production environments, ESPN relies on connectivity that can support fast, flexible and dependable broadcast workflows wherever coverage is required.
As part of its evaluation of more agile live contribution, ESPN trialled Starlink Mini across South America, using the technology during live soccer broadcasts in Argentina and Brazil, as well as MotoGP in Goiânia. The objective was to assess how a compact, rapidly deployable satellite solution could support live production, reduce reliance on venue infrastructure, and provide greater flexibility across different sporting environments.
What portable satellite contribution changes
70%
Lower cost than traditional OB setups.
90%
Carbon reduction against conventional deployment.
95%
Faster setup time on site.
100%
Coverage in remote locations.
The Challenge
Live sports production places heavy demands on connectivity. Broadcast teams often work in temporary or operationally complex environments where setup time is limited, fixed connectivity may be unavailable or inflexible, and public cellular networks can become unpredictable under event-day load.
For ESPN, the requirement was not simply to establish an internet connection. Any solution needed to integrate cleanly into existing LiveU workflows, support live contribution and production communications, and operate reliably across different venues and event types.
The trial also needed to demonstrate portability and repeatability. Whether operating inside a busy soccer stadium or within a temporary motorsport production environment, ESPN wanted to assess whether the same underlying solution could be deployed quickly, require minimal configuration, and reduce dependency on venue-provided infrastructure.
“The deployment was straightforward and required minimal configuration. Even under constrained conditions, the link remained stable and provided sufficient upstream bandwidth for contribution. “This allowed us to operate in environments where traditional connectivity would have been unpredictable or unavailable.”
ESPN
The Solution
Clarus supported ESPN with a series of Starlink Mini deployments across South America.
For live soccer, the solution was trialled during:
• Lanús vs Flamengo in Argentina
• Botafogo vs Nacional Potosí in Rio de Janeiro
• Flamengo vs Lanús in Rio de Janeiro
The soccer deployments covered a range of real-world conditions, from clear open-sky positioning through to more constrained stadium environments with partial obstruction and adverse weather.
The solution was integrated into ESPN’s existing LiveU workflow and used to support live streaming, commentary contribution and operational communications. It was tested in both standalone and hybrid LEO + 4G configurations, giving the production team flexibility depending on the venue and operational requirement.
ESPN then extended the evaluation to MotoGP in Goiânia, where Starlink Mini was deployed in a fixed Ethernet-based configuration. This demonstrated how the same portable platform could adapt to a different live production environment while retaining a simple and low-footprint operating model.
Across the trial programme, setup was straightforward and usable connectivity could be established quickly, helping reduce the amount of infrastructure and configuration required on site.
The Outcome
The trials demonstrated that portable satellite connectivity could support live sports contribution across very different production environments while remaining simple to deploy and integrate.
Throughout the programme, the solution delivered stable contribution performance and supported live use without material interruption. Even in more constrained stadium conditions, only minor variability was observed, with the connection recovering automatically without the need for manual intervention.
For ESPN, this provided a practical demonstration of how Starlink Mini could sit alongside established broadcast technologies to create a more flexible and resilient production model. Rather than relying entirely on fixed venue connectivity or public cellular networks, production teams could introduce a dedicated satellite path that could be deployed quickly and repeated across multiple event types.
The operational advantages extend beyond connectivity performance alone. A portable, low-footprint contribution model can help reduce setup complexity, limit dependency on venue infrastructure, support hybrid redundancy and create a more scalable approach to remote and distributed production.
Performance Summary
• Trialled across multiple live sports productions in South America
• Proven across both soccer stadium and MotoGP production environments
• Supported live streaming, commentary and production communications
• Integrated directly into ESPN’s existing LiveU workflow
• Operated in both standalone and hybrid LEO + 4G configurations
• Maintained stable contribution during live use
• No material interruption recorded during live contribution
• Automatic recovery from minor performance variability
• Rapid deployment with minimal on-site infrastructure
• Reduced reliance on fixed venue connectivity
Supporting a More Agile Broadcast Model
For broadcasters operating at scale, the value of portable satellite connectivity is increasingly about more than providing an additional connection. It can enable faster deployments, reduce infrastructure dependency, strengthen contribution resilience and give production teams greater freedom to operate from locations where traditional connectivity would otherwise be difficult or unpredictable.
For ESPN, the South America trials demonstrated how Starlink Mini could support that shift — providing a compact, flexible and broadcast-ready connectivity option capable of supporting live production across multiple sports and operating environments.
