New Zealand Rally Championship Livestream 2023
Volt Media's live stream for the New Zealand Rally Championship 2023 elevated rally coverage with high-end equipment and global engagement.
Overview
Volt Media has been producing the New Zealand Rally Championship’s (NZRC) coverage over many years, employing various formats to keep the content engaging and fresh. Our productions have included television highlights, magazine-style programmes, and longer-form internet-based highlights. Recently, the NZRC experimented with live streaming certain stages, which garnered positive audience responses. The goal for 2023 was to elevate this live stream experience to the next level.
Challenge and Opportunity
With rapid advancements in technology, Volt Media saw an opportunity to enhance the live stream coverage significantly. One of the primary challenges of rally events is their remote and rugged locations, often with no internet or cell phone coverage. Despite these obstacles, the success of previous live streams and the immediate audience engagement via Facebook Live presented a clear opportunity to leverage this medium further.
Approach
NZRC were really enthusiastic and supportive about upscaling their live stream. In addition to continuing the television highlights, we committed to live streaming one stage per day.
Our approach included:
High-End Live Stream Kit: Traveling with equipment that supports live graphics, commentary for two people, the ability to include special guests from separate locations, fibre cabling for long distances, up to seven cameras, live replays, and live drone footage.
Mobile Internet Solutions: Utilising a robust mobile internet solution for high-speed internet, ensuring flawless streaming even from the most remote locations.
Purpose-Built Live Stream Van: Introducing a live stream van that allows us to operate efficiently and freely, regardless of location.
Results
The success of the live stream has been exceptional, achieving:
An average of 15,000 views per live stream on Facebook.
Global engagement from viewers in Indonesia, Brisbane, New Caledonia, Vietnam, Belgium, and Australia.
Positive feedback such as, “Thanks for the amazing stream and comments this season,” and “Next level coverage NZRC team! Great work!”
Additionally, the NZRC secured a major new co-sponsor due to the proven success of the live stream coverage. This sponsor has committed to a six-year partnership with considerable financial input, enabling us to increase to two live streams per day.
Testimonial
"We have been working with the team at Volt Media for over 15 years. They know what we need, understand our sport, and are great to deal with. One of the best aspects of our relationship is that we work as a team on events—there is no 'them and us'; we are all focused on the end-game. The team at Volt Media is organized and has great ideas that help us continue innovating in the media space for our sport. I’d recommend them to anyone needing a flexible and professional media team."
Simon Bell
New Zealand Rally Championship Promoter
