Low Latency, High Stakes: Why Sports Broadcasters Are Betting on SRT

Traditional broadcast infrastructure like satellite uplinks, dedicated fibre connections, expensive hardware decoders have dominated the industry for decades. But as content demands accelerate, audiences develop and partners change, it’s the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol that is going from strength to strength because of its flexible, scalable and cost-efficient benefits for live video workflows. Haivision usage reports grew from 68% in 2024 to 77% in 2025 among broadcast and media professionals. The main drivers of which were a desire for greater efficiency, scalability, and benefits like lower latency and higher bandwidth. 

What is the SRT protocol? 

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is an open-source video transport protocol that utilizes the UDP transport protocol. It was originally developed by Haivision and is now maintained by the SRT Alliance, which includes over 600 members such as AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Sony, and other industry leaders. 

What Makes SRT Different? 

SRT combines the best of both worlds: the low latency of UDP (User Datagram Protocol) with the reliability of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). Originally developed by Haivision and now maintained by the SRT Alliance which includes industry giants like AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Sony, SRT has rapidly become the gold standard for internet-based live video delivery. 

Here's why it matters: 

• Low Latency Performance: SRT maintains sub-second latency, making it ideal for live sports, news, and events where speed is critical. 

• Adaptive Reliability: The protocol detects and adapts to real-time network conditions, compensating for jitter and bandwidth fluctuations. It can withstand packet loss with no visible degradation to the stream. 

• Security: With 128/192/256-bit AES encryption, SRT ensures your valuable content is protected end-to-end from contribution to distribution. 

• Firewall Friendly: Unlike protocols that require permanent exterior ports, SRT's handshaking process supports outbound connections without compromising network security. 

• Content Agnostic: Because SRT operates at the network transport level, it can transport any video format, codec, resolution, or frame rate. 

Source: Haivision SRT Documentation, GitHub - Haivision/srt, Wikipedia - Secure Reliable Transport. Haivision 2025 report.  

Traditional broadcast workflows typically involve H.264 satellite delivery at 18Mbps for a single feed, or J2K fiber connectivity at 1GB for seven feeds (or 10GB for 70 feeds). These solutions work, but they come with astronomical costs, complex logistics, and significant environmental impact. 

SRT changes the equation. By delivering video over standard internet connections, organizations can: 

• Eliminate expensive satellite systems and decoder hardware 

• Bypass costly dedicated fiber connections 

• Scale operations dynamically without capital expenditure 

• Reduce carbon footprint significantly compared to traditional infrastructure 

The cost reductions are substantial enough to make previously unviable content strategies suddenly economically feasible. This is where Live Connect from Imagen comes in and can unlock new opportunities for live content. 

'Haivision SRT usage reports grew from 68% in 2024 to 77% in 2025 among broadcast and media professionals. The main drivers of which were a desire for greater efficiency, scalability, and benefits like lower latency and higher bandwidth.'

Imagen Live Connect 

1. Cost-Effective Live Coverage Enhancement

Imagine you're covering a major sports tournament. Your primary broadcast infrastructure is locked in, satellite capacity booked, production facilities contracted. But what if you want to add six supplementary venue feeds for digital distribution? Or provide tactical camera angles that coaching teams can access in real-time? 

With SRT-based workflows, you can enhance your live coverage as an alternative, addition, or backup to satellite and fiber workflows, without the prohibitive costs. Add tactical cameras, behind-the-scenes content, training ground feeds, or interview room coverage, all delivered over venue internet connections. 

2. Monetize More with Near-Live Content

Speed is revenue. When partners can receive event highlights while the action is still happening and audiences are still engaged, you unlock entirely new monetization opportunities. 

Near-live ingest, clipping, and collections capabilities mean officials can review plays immediately, coaching teams can analyse tactics between halves, and digital platforms can publish highlights before the match ends. Sponsors can activate campaigns while viewers are still watching. This speed advantage creates business opportunities that simply weren't economically viable with traditional post-event workflows. 

3. Cloud-Based Scalability Without Infrastructure Investment

Traditional broadcast infrastructure requires planning months in advance. Adding capacity means purchasing equipment, booking satellite time, or installing fibre connections. 

Cloud-based SRT workflows let you scale instantly. Covering 5 events this month and 50 next month? No problem. Adding 10 new media partners for a specific tournament? Done in minutes. All with secure role-based access controls ensuring the right stakeholders see the right content. This elasticity is especially powerful for organizations with seasonal programming, growing rights portfolios, or experimental content initiatives. You pay for what you use, when you use it. 

4. Secure, Reliable Streaming Over Unpredictable Networks

Here's the remarkable part: SRT delivers stable, encrypted content even when network conditions fluctuate. With automatic error correction, the system compensates for jitter, packet loss, and bandwidth variations in real-time. 

For mission-critical content, whether that's a broadcaster paying premium rights fees, officials making time-sensitive decisions, or sponsors expecting contractual deliverables, reliability isn't just a technical feature. It's a business requirement that protects revenue and reputation. 

5. One Integrated Platform for Live and Archive

Traditional workflows often create silos: broadcast content lives in one system, archive content in another, supplementary content somewhere else entirely. 

Modern SRT-based platforms unify everything. Schedule events, monitor live feeds, create clips, manage collections, and access archives, all from one interface with consistent metadata, search functionality, and access controls. Teams work in one familiar environment whether they're accessing today's live feed or last season's archive. 

This operational simplicity translates directly to reduced training time, fewer errors, lower staffing requirements, and faster time-to-value. 

6. Flexible Service Tiers to Match Your Needs

Not every organization has the same operational capabilities or requirements. That's why modern SRT solutions offer flexible service tiers: 

• Self-Service: Full control for in-house teams with operational autonomy and cost efficiency 

• Managed Service: Expert management with expert oversight for scheduling and configuration 

• White-Glove Operations: Premium support with continuous monitoring, data enrichment, and picture quality control 

You choose the level of support that matches your team's capabilities and your event's importance. 

7. Sustainable Solution for ESG Goals

Sustainability is not optional, it's a priority and increasingly a requirement from sponsors, partners, and governing bodies. Cloud-based SRT workflows use significantly less power than traditional satellite systems, on-premise servers, and dedicated facilities. But now, you don't have to choose between sustainability and performance. You get both. Demonstrate measurable progress toward ESG goals while improving your content capabilities. 

The bottom line 

SRT Enables New Business Models and this is crucial: SRT isn't just about replacing old technology with new technology. It's about unlocking business models that weren't economically viable before. 

When you combine near-live speed, dramatic cost reduction, operational simplicity, infinite scalability, guaranteed reliability, flexible service options, and sustainability credentials, you create something transformative: 

• Serve audiences you couldn't reach before 

• Monetize content that was previously too expensive to distribute 

• Respond to market opportunities in real-time 

• Scale operations without capital expenditure 

• Meet ESG commitments while improving performance 

Traditional broadcast workflows will continue to serve their core purpose for primary distribution. But SRT-based solutions provide the growth layer, the flexible, cost-effective complement that captures everything else: supplementary feeds, niche audiences, near-live use cases, digital-first content. 

Ready to Transform Your Live Workflows? 

The future of live video is IP-based, cloud-native, and SRT-powered. Organizations that embrace this shift now will have a significant competitive advantage in content monetization, audience engagement, and operational efficiency.  

Want to learn more about how SRT-based live workflows can transform your content operations? Contact us to discuss your specific requirements and explore how modern live video solutions can unlock new revenue streams while reducing costs and environmental impact. 

To manage all your live and archive content in one place, book a demo.