REMI Broadcast Workflows: The new pillar of live broadcasting
In recent years — particularly following the pandemic — new methods of television production had to be adopted. Initially, technology would typically evolve in response to cost optimisation needs or equipment obsolescence, as is common in the electronics industry. However, during the pandemic and beyond, many of these methods rapidly evolved and became permanent fixtures. In this article, I want to focus specifically on the rise of remote broadcast productions using the REMI (Remote Integration) model.
Having worked for over 15 years in the broadcast industry for major networks in Latin America and the United States — including Fox Sports, ESPN, and now Univision — I’ve witnessed firsthand how REMI production has evolved to a point where its operational cost savings and system flexibility have made it not just viable but a continuously expanding solution. Combined with the sustained development of IP-based workflows, REMI has become a strategic standard across modern broadcasting.
Inside a Real-World Hybrid REMI Deployment
Last year, among many other productions at Univision, I had the opportunity to serve as the lead broadcast engineer from our Miami facility for Super Bowl 2024 in Las Vegas. For this event, we deployed an OB truck on-site and executed a hybrid REMI production. A full production team was sent to the venue, while the main production was carried out remotely from Univision’s control rooms in Miami. Audio and video signals from the field were transported over IP links using dedicated encoding and decoding equipment, while intercom communications were established through trunked IP-based connections between the truck and the central facility. This REMI configuration was not initially intended to reduce costs, but rather to ensure the robustness and redundancy required for an event of such magnitude.
In contrast, during the Leagues Cup 2024 soccer tournament, we implemented a more cost-optimised and flexible REMI model aimed at supporting multiple simultaneous productions. Remote communication systems were deployed to two separate venues using rented OB units, while a third location was connected via our own mobile production truck. All sites were integrated into our centralised infrastructure in Miami. In this architecture — which I was actively involved in designing — I built two customs “REMI Boxes” that enabled the transport of camera tally signals and full intercom connectivity, linking field crews with the centralised control room.
The system performed flawlessly, allowing a single production control room in Miami to manage back-to-back shows across three different remote locations. Return feeds for tally, comms, and audio/video were transmitted without issue. Notably, the remote locations that used the REMI model experienced a significant reduction in operational costs, validating this modular approach as both technically and economically effective. The outcome was not only rewarding from an engineering perspective but also strategically beneficial for future deployments.
Benefits Beyond Cost
As previously mentioned, one of the key advantages of REMI productions is the ability to deploy smaller crews to remote locations compared to traditional full-scale on-site productions. This results in a significant reduction in operational costs without compromising quality or control.
Beyond cost savings, the REMI model enables back-to-back productions using the same production control room and crew, covering multiple remote locations in succession. This level of efficiency not only optimises personnel and equipment usage, but also expands the broadcaster’s capacity to cover more events within tighter timeframes — all from a centralised facility.
Challenges
While the operational workflow is often straightforward for production crews, the engineering side demands careful planning and technical precision. Engineers must conduct latency and connectivity testing, anticipate failure points, and configure complex systems — often across hybrid IP/SDI environments.
When these elements are addressed with sufficient lead time and preparation, the results are consistently reliable and efficient. As this model becomes more widespread, the need for engineering professionals with hands-on experience in both IP-based and legacy broadcast workflows becomes increasingly critical to ensuring seamless execution.
Conclusion
In my view, the REMI model is no longer just the future of broadcast production — it is the present. What began as a response to logistical and operational challenges has now matured into a reliable, scalable, and efficient production standard. As IP-based infrastructure and cloud technologies continue to advance, REMI workflows will only become more powerful, more accessible, and more deeply integrated into the fabric of modern broadcasting.
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from Univision. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]