Sony Sports: Scaling Global Sports Technology with UniFi

Background

Sony Sports is a global leader in sports technology, operating three distinct organizations under its umbrella: Hawk-Eye Innovations, Beyond Sports, and KinaTrax. Together, these entities support elite-level sports through innovations in officiating, broadcast, analytics, biomechanics, and fan engagement.

• Hawk-Eye Innovations provides real-time officiating and player tracking technology, powering goal-line decisions, VAR systems, and advanced player metrics.
• Beyond Sports transforms live sports into gamified animated experiences—allowing fans, particularly younger audiences, to experience matches in imaginative formats. It's digital arm, following the integration of Pulselive, delivers platforms such as the Premier League's official website and fantasy football application, alongside digital infrastructures for other major sporting bodies.
• KinaTrax focuses on biomechanics, leveraging tracking data to provide detailed performance analysis for athletes.

With headquarters in Basingstoke, UK, and major presences across America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, Sony Sports operates at the intersection of live broadcast, real-time analytics, and digital fan engagement. Its technologies power global tournaments across football, cricket, tennis, and other professional sports, often in highly visible and mission-critical scenarios.

As the company expanded to 12 sites globally, standardized and centrally managed networking became essential.

Organization Requirements

Sony Sports outlined several core requirements for its global networking solution:

• Centralized, Cloud-First Management: With an IT team based in the UK but a global footprint, the company required a software-defined network (SDN) accessible remotely without dependence on on-site access.
• Cost-Effective Scalability Without Licensing Fees: Avoiding legacy vendor lock-in and recurring licensing costs was critical. Solutions tied to mandatory per-device cloud subscriptions were dismissed.
• Enterprise-Grade Reliability: Networks needed to support both standard office operations and mission-critical real-time remote operations, including Hawk-Eye’s tracking and officiating systems.
• Future-Proofing and Simplicity: The IT team sought a platform that was intuitive to manage, scalable across sites.

Why UniFi

UniFi was selected after evaluation of alternative solutions including Netgear Insight and Fortinet. Only UniFi aligned fully with the company’s strategic IT direction:

• Cloud-first but not cloud-dependent — offering centralized visibility and control without tying operations to mandatory cloud licensing.
• Subscription-free model — removing ongoing licensing costs that would otherwise accumulate rapidly across 12 global offices.
• Proven reliability and intuitive interface — UniFi’s centralized management allowed IT staff to troubleshoot issues “in minutes rather than hours”.
• Hardware breadth and scalability — from enterprise APs to aggregation switches, UniFi provided a consistent stack across all offices and warehouses.

Deployment Experience: From Atlanta to Global Standardization

First Deployment: Atlanta office

The company’s first full UniFi site was in Atlanta, Georgia, replacing legacy networking equipment. Initially supporting under 50 staff, the site grew rapidly to 200–250 staff. UniFi’s deployment supported both standard office users and remote operators managing Hawk-Eye’s real-time servers for live sports broadcasts.

• Initial setup included U6 Enterprise APs, Enterprise Gen 1 switches, a PDU Pro, Cloud Key G2 Plus, and RPS units.
• As operations scaled, the Atlanta Office site expanded & moved location with nine 48-port Pro PoE switches, two Aggregation Pro switches across both IDF’s, and 10 Pro access points, alongside full UniFi Protect, Access and Connect deployments.

This mix provided cost-effective redundancy, resilient power management, and full-stack coverage.

Centralized Management and Visibility

Before UniFi, the IT team relied on Netgear switches, each with its own independent web interface. Troubleshooting required manual login, separate credentials, and lengthy MAC table analysis.

With UniFi:

• Single pane of glass via Cloud Key controllers across all sites.
• Remote diagnostics allow the central IT team in Basingstoke to identify and resolve global issues quickly.
• Features like loop protection and broadcast storm control reduced incidents across the network.

Additional Solutions and Expansion

UniFi Protect

Protect has replaced legacy camera systems across offices and warehouses. Deployments include G5 domes and G5 bullets, with PTZ and LPR cameras planned for expanded coverage. The Atlanta warehouse deployment demonstrated a clear before-and-after improvement in video quality, enhancing physical security.

UniFi Access

Access is now standardized across most sites, with deployments such as seven hubs and eight readers in the Atlanta office. The platform provides simple, scalable door security that integrates seamlessly with UniFi Network and Protect.

UniFi Talk

At the Basingstoke office, UniFi Talk has replaced cumbersome legacy PBX systems with a lightweight, cost-effective phone solution. With five to six phones deployed for finance, IT service desk, logistics, and general office use, the system is simple yet effective.

UniFi Connect

The company is exploring Connect digital signage across offices, with “Welcome to Sony Sports” displays and internal communication boards, driven by Sony BRAVIA Professional displays.

Gateways and SD-WAN

While Fortinet remains in place for firewalls across all sites, Luke Meunier is testing the UXG Pro and evaluating the UXG Enterprise for future deployment. Integration with SD-WAN and site-to-site VPNs remains under consideration, with a view to consolidating all networking infrastructure under UniFi.

Conclusion

Sony Sports has transformed its global IT infrastructure by standardizing on UniFi across 12 global sites. The solution provides: Centralized, subscription-free management across a growing global network.

• Cost-effective scalability with reliable enterprise hardware.
• Integrated full-stack capabilities spanning Network, Protect, Access, Talk, and Connect.
• Support for both office IT operations and real-time, latency-critical remote operations.

By adopting UniFi, Sony Sports has built a networking foundation that scales with its global expansion while simplifying IT operations. For an organization powering world-class sports through Hawk-Eye, Beyond Sports, and KinaTrax, UniFi delivers the scalability, reliability, and visibility required to keep pace with rapid growth and evolving demands.