MLB NETWORK Digital Content Case Study

MLB NETWORK CAGE COLOCATION, CROSS CONNECTS

MLB Network teams with CoreSite to expand content production capabilities and support growth. MLB NETWORK Digital Content Case Study

HEADED FOR HOME

THE CHALLENGE each of Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks, using the streams to provide Using colocation to bring additional on-air content for live broadcasts, on- baseball content to more viewers demand video, archiving, and storage Major League Baseball has been an for later use. American institution for more than The bandwidth required to process a century. And in 2009, America’s the data and the infrastructure pastime went primetime with the needed to store it soon outstripped launch of MLB Network, a cable TV MLB Network’s capabilities. Given network providing round-the-clock its growing data demands and news, highlights, analysis, and other its limited on-site processing and baseball-related content. storage capacity, the company faced “We had the full force and support of the The launch was an immediate a crossroads: build and manage a entire CoreSite team at our disposal and success, reaching 50 million homes new data center on its own or find the whole experience was flawless.” and debuting with the Emmy Award- an offsite partner capable of meeting winning flagship studio show “MLB the stringent requirements of a Tab Butler, Director of Media Tonight”. But as the network’s live broadcasting operation. Management and Post Production, programming lineup grew, so too did MLB Network Butler knew what it would cost—in the amount of content it needed to time and money—to expand the edit in real time. The resulting spike in network’s data center operations and media traffic put significant strain on manage them internally. But the picture the network’s data infrastructure. for outsourcing it wasn’t as clear. “Our challenge was unique in that we Since its business was built around were dealing with content that needed to rapid processing and distribution of be edited to support live television rather video and audio content, the network than pre-recorded broadcasts,” says Tab needed a low-latency facility capable Butler, Director of Media Management of running in parallel with its on-site and Post Production at MLB Network. operations and supporting its planned “We needed a non-conventional growth. Most importantly, however, approach to expanding our data center MLB Network needed assurances it capabilities without losing any of the could remain on-air without fail, speed and reliability.” requiring comprehensive disaster BIG LEAGUES, BIG DEMANDS recovery capabilities.

MLB Network is a television production “As costly and resource-intensive as environment in the truest sense. The building out a new data center can be, it network brings multiple live feeds from appeared to be our only viable option,”

CoreSite.com +1 866.777.CORE [email protected] Butler says. “In the broadcast industry, services to keep an on-site presence at financially and operationally. Not only the ability to stay on the air no matter the all times, just like in the home office. was the network able to avoid having situation is paramount to our success. To to invest millions of dollars into its meet each of our business requirements, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE own building, but housing operations a vendor partner would have to be local, AND BENEFITS in a top-flight CoreSite facility has also have a dense and scalable network dramatically streamlined and enhanced Service with a smile environment, and be well equipped to MLB Network’s operations while handle all our disaster recovery needs. Even with all the space and industry- fail-proofing its business. That’s a lot to ask.” leading technologies in the data center, it was Butler’s experience interacting “CoreSite’s flexible infrastructure makes THE SOLUTION with the CoreSite account team that it much easier to manage our business left the biggest impression. Unlike on a daily basis and provides a cost- Butler engaged with a number of data effective way to expand our existing center providers near the network’s data center providers that offer pre- network capabilities,” Butler says. “More headquarters. After significant planning, determined services, CoreSite can importantly, it’s also a vast improvement analysis, and comparison, MLB Network customize solutions to meet even the over the disaster recovery technology we opted to house its operations in most unique business demands. previously had and ensures that we’ll be CoreSite’s NY2 data center in order to Specifically, Butler cites the team’s able to stay on the air no matter what.” gain the space and computing power willingness to go above and beyond the company needed to expand its expectations to source additional Given the strength of the relationship broadcast operations and boost its partners and creatively unite the with the account team and the success business continuity capabilities. necessary services and technologies of the network’s first deployment, Butler anticipates CoreSite playing an essential CoreSite’s data center provides the to meet the network’s unique business role in the growth of MLB Network’s IT latest in power, cooling, and networking needs in a manner few others could. environment and expansion of its technologies to efficiently and cost- Butler says the implementation and web-based content in coming years. effectively run the network’s parallel deployment of MLB Network’s new data operations. The data center features center was smooth and effortless.“We “Working with CoreSite has enabled hard-wired cross connections for rapid were able to dovetail the build out of our us to accomplish goals that we did not spin up of new servers that support core infrastructure with the completion of necessarily feel were realistic two years content packaging and is connected the facility itself,” he says. “We had the ago,” he says. “The relationship has with MLB Network’s primary location full force and support of the entire opened a world of new opportunities for us via redundant dark fiber connections CoreSite team at our disposal and the and I can’t overstate how excited we are to for lightning-fast content delivery whole experience was flawless.” continue the partnership in the future.” and failover protection. When they’re not working directly from the cage, BUILDING THE NETWORK Butler’s team can be productive in their OF THE FUTURE spacious private offices rented from CoreSite and rely on Remote Hands Partnering with CoreSite has proven a wise choice for MLB Network, both MLB NETWORK CASE STUDY AT A GLANCE

Challenge Results • Rapidly scale infrastructure to meet growth demands • Reduced potential capital investment requirements with colocation • Enhance disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities • Expanded content production, storage, and archiving operations Solution • Improved network stability and disaster recovery with • Leverage CoreSite Cage Colocation to extend content redundant dark fiber connectivity management operations, increase storage capacity, and deliver redundancy for disaster recovery • Strengthened position for future growth

“Working with CoreSite has enabled us to accomplish goals that we did not necessarily feel were realistic two years ago. The relationship has opened a world of new opportunities for us and I can’t overstate how excited we are to continue the partnership in the future.”

Tab Butler, Director of Media Management and Post Production, MLB Network

ABOUT MLB NETWORK

Launched in 2009, MLB Network reaches approximately 70 million homes with live coverage of more than 150 regular season games, two exclusive League Division Series game telecasts, more than 200 Spring Training games, and other special event game telecasts. MLB Tonight™ airs year-round, including seven days per week during the regular season with live look-ins at games in progress, news, interviews, highlights and analysis.

CoreSite.com +1 866.777.CORE [email protected]