Live events on linear (LEL) requirements

The Prime Video LEL feature leverages an existing 24/7 live linear feed and creates a landing page specific to the event for live sports. Creating this unique detail page per event makes it easier for customers to discover and watch sports on Prime Video and develops a stronger editorial experience to drive customer engagement with sport-related content.

Prime Video ensures that content partners have the most up-to-date information about capabilities as we continue to innovate. During the scoping process, Prime Video evaluates the specific requirements and works with content partners to confirm the existing product capabilities based on launch details. This topic outlines some of the upfront information we require to start the onboarding process.

To launch a live event, content providers must have completed the Prime Video linear onboarding process for 24/7 linear feeds. Prime Video has a standard process for integrating new content partners delivering live video feeds to our service. For more information, see the Linear Channel Ingest Guide. The linear onboarding process takes approximately 14 weeks, followed by a 6-8 week timeline to begin creating detail pages for sporting events, as outlined below:

• Linear Onboarding (about 14 weeks)
  This is a pre-requisite to onboard live events to the Prime Video platform. During this time, we work with content providers to onboard 24/7 linear feeds. First, Prime Video provides content partners with the linear ingest form to complete. Next, we coordinate technical integration details and work-back plans, and communicate key milestones. When testing is complete and connectivity is established with the source feeds, linear onboarding is complete.
  
• Live Event Onboarding (six weeks to the first event)
  One a feed has been onboarded to linear, Prime Video works directly with the broadcast provider and metadata delivery partner to deliver specific live event landing pages with event details. It’s critical that tech and event specifications (such as a calendar of events) are confirmed prior to onboarding for the first sporting event to ensure there aren’t delays for launch. For the first four weeks after scoping is complete, the team tests the live feeds and mitigates errors by confirming the technical specifications and event information. Following the feed testing, Prime Video conducts event testing for two to three weeks by leveraging test events from the content provider to ensure that there is a seamless customer experience when the live events launch. Please find additional details in the Test event schedule section later in this page.
  

• Launch (one week to the event)
  About one week prior to launch, Prime Video conducts a Go/No-Go meeting with all cross-functional teams to identify any blockers and confirm readiness for launch. When the feed is launched, Prime Video monitors the feed and enters a steady state with upcoming live event launches. If a new station is launched, Prime Video communicates the pre-launch steps.

  To avoid launch delays, it’s critical that Prime Video receives key integration requirements in a timely manner. The following sections provide an outline of what to expect for live event scoping and starting the onboarding process.

To better understand the specifications of the launch, we ask for high-level information related to the channel, and associated technical requirements required to start the launch process. The fields in this form are critical to commit to the launch work-back plan and identify the level of effort required from internal Prime Video teams.

• General content partner requirements, including partner information, station name, territories, whether linear onboarding has been completed, dates of events, and event summary.
• Rights and event details to understand exclusivity terms, timing, and priority events.
• Technical and operational details, including number of feeds required; “Just After Broadcast” (JAB) replay rights; time-shifting during live playback; Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) capability; number of live events; geo-restrictions; audio, video, and subtitle requirements and specifications; frame rate; resolution; and how often the events occur, and whether it’s tournament style or a standalone event. In the US, all broadcast events are required to have closed captioning before air (exclusively streaming/OTT content doesn’t require closed captioning in the U.S.)

To start the event testing process for LEL leading up to launch, Prime Video requires a list of test events to conduct quality assurance (QA). Please provide two to three unique events per station that match genre and station configurations. These should be delivered daily over a two-to-three-week period for event testing. Currently, test events must be submitted to the delivery partner during the testing period 72+ hours prior to the test event. This step is crucial to an on-time launch, and having a list of test events is required before the onboarding phase can begin. The event schedule should be mapped to each event that will be aired on the LEL station. As updates to event schedules are critical, we work with content partners to confirm how event schedule changes are communicated.

Prime Video requires an events calendar prior to deal signing, to ensure internal teams can plan for capacity to support a launch. This is separate from a programming schedule, and outlines events forecast through launch. Knowing that rights can change, Prime Video works with content partners to update and refine events and schedules to confirm there is no risk to the launch date.

Depending on who the metadata provider is, it can take between 15 minutes and 24 hours from when a content partner provides data to when it becomes visible in the Prime Video catalog (depending on your metadata delivery partner). When day-of changes are made to event schedules, our pipeline may not allow for these changes to flow through in time for broadcast. Prime Video relies on content partners to provide up-to-date information promptly, to by-pass the latencies in the data pipeline. To support this, we require an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) that serves as a Source of Truth to our operations team.

On a daily basis, Prime Video inspects live programs against the EPG to ensure that the most up-to-date information is applied to the program before it airs. EPGs could be provided via spreadsheet (.csv or .xml) delivered via email or online, or by access to an FTP server. EPGs can be provided daily or weekly. When changes are made to a schedule, it should be reflected on the latest version of the EPG so that operators may apply these changes before broadcast.

• Channel Name (such as FOD1)
• Station (for example, 1, 2, 3, and so on)
• Series Name (such as FOD 2022/2023)
• Title of Event (for example, Real Oviedo - SD Eibar)
• Synopsis/Description (such as World Figure Skating Championship. FOD 2022/23)
• Air Date (such as 01/04/2023)
• Event Start Time (such as 16:15)
• Event End Time (such as 18:10)
• Genre/Sub Genre (like Sport, Awards Show, or Music)
• Live Tag (.such as Live, Replay, Recorded, and so on)

Prime Video has different options for metadata delivery. Depending on which partner is being leveraged, the latency between the content partner, Metadata Provider, and Prime Video could be up to 12-24 hours. While Prime Video works to reduce that latency, we ask content partners to be diligent in content delivery to ensure content testing can happen on time and accurate metadata is being tested for launch. When our team tests the metadata pipeline, we’re testing for event title, event date, start and end time per feed, 16x9 image (minimum), synopsis, and “Live” tag designation. For details of the metadata requirements, see Live event data quality standards.

Prime Video has a collection of standard search terms that apply to all stations. However, content partners can designate up to 4,000 characters of custom English search terms (other languages vary in character length). Prime Video requires custom search terms to be finalized approximately six weeks prior to launch to ensure they are appropriately tested.

Note: Total character count includes the Prime Video standard prefix, which includes {vendorSportGenres}, {stationName}, {channelName}, and {classifications}.

To normalize a stream, we request transcoding all events to the agreed-upon frame rates and aspect ratio types during the scoping process. Normalizing feeds prior to launch lets us transition the feeds to more efficient workflows without reconfiguring the feed. For more information about feed normalization and metadata integration, please refer to Linear metadata requirements.

We align on how content partners want to see the station name in Prime Video (for example, how the title is overlaid on top of each live event tile in the relevant carousel) and confirm the station IDs. Confirming this early in the process helps to ensure there is no risk to the QA procedure downstream and ensures a seamless experience for customers. It’s important to note that a display name can’t exceed specific character counts due to system constraints. Prime Video will share details during the onboarding process.

Prime Video requires a pre-event and post-event slate length for each event to ensure a seamless experience for the customer. Prime Video uses generic slates on our video feeds to inform customers that a live event is unavailable to view at certain points, and asks content partners to provide partner-branded slates for the various scenarios when video isn’t streaming.

There are six use cases that require slating during a live broadcast. Prime Video requires content partners to use at least three slate types (Type 1: Stay tuned, Type 2: Commercial break, and Type 4: Generic) to address these six use cases. Using more slate types delivers a better experience to customers. For the most optimal customer experience, we recommend using a unique slate type for each use case (six slate types in total). Slates must have audio tracks and motion (not a static image).

The six use cases and their recommended slate types are listed in the following table.

Seven possible slate types and recommended text are listed in the following table.

Slate goes through two weeks of QA process (included in the regular soak test).