Harmonic introduced streaming platform updates to help broadcasters and rights holders gain more revenue from live sports content through advertising, security and new viewing features.
The new updates to Harmonic’s live sports streaming platform add capabilities that support fan-facing features, advertising and content security. The changes target broadcasters, streaming services, rights holders and service providers who need to keep pace with growing demand for interactive live sports coverage.
A new server-side multiview tool allows viewers to watch several games or camera angles at once within a single stream. Compatible with all types of end device, the feature supports synchronised playback in HD and UHD with low latency, and can be deployed in a geo-redundant environment - that is, with playout servers in multiple locations. Broadcasters can configure multiview layouts through either an API or a user interface.
Advertising – Contextual Targeting
On the advertising side, Harmonic has partnered with Viant Technology and its contextual intelligence platform IRIS.TV to bring programmatic ad-targeting to live sports. The system automatically identifies scene-level moments – such as the start of a game, score changes or key plays – and activates them as targetable segments within Viant's demand-side platform. The arrangement allows advertisers to bid against specific types of sports content, while publishers can monetise unscripted moments such as overtime in real time.
Programmatic ad-targeting automates buying and selling of digital advertising space in real time, using software and data rather than business negotiation. When a video starts streaming, an automated auction occurs instantly. Advertisers indicate their preferred audience and the system bids on available ad slots that match those criteria. The highest bidder wins, triggering their ad to appear.
Actually, Harmonic and Viant are using contextual targeting. Ads are matched to the content a viewer is watching rather than to his or her personal data. Instead of targeting a fan based on browsing history, an advertiser can bid to appear specifically during moments when attention and emotions are high.
Advertisers gain precision and scale, reaching the right audience at the right moment without manually negotiating with broadcasters. Publishers can monetise their inventory more efficiently, including unpredictable live moments that can’t be sold in advance.
Harmonic has also moved its server-side in-stream advertising capability into production. One of the US regional sports networks now uses it during live NBA and NHL broadcasts. The technology triggers adverts based on game moments without interrupting the viewing experience, and can be applied to multiview channels as well.
Integrated Watermarking
Content protection has been strengthened through integrations with two watermarking specialists. The integration with NAGRA NexGuard, part of NAGRAVISION's streaming security portfolio, enables forensic watermarking as a service with minimal impact on latency. Harmonic has also incorporated TraceMark watermarking from Irdeto, supporting both A/B and distribution-level watermarking.
A/B watermarking embeds a unique identifier into each video stream. This identifier is invisible to the viewer but can be detected by specialised software. The identifier can contain, for instance, the date and time of the recording, source of the recording and other identifying information. It is also able to track video content distribution across multiple platforms.
Together, the two integrations are designed to help rights holders trace and shut down illegal streams quickly.
The updated platform will be on display at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, 19–22 April. www.harmonicinc.com
