European Athletics

The European Athletics Championships is the most significant athletics event in Europe

Our team was tasked with providing comprehensive technical support throughout the entire event, focusing especially on feature related to the event, such as live results widgets, live streaming, live blog, event-specific news and video content, as well as general support throughout the competition.
Client
European Athletics
Industry
Sports
Visit

www.european-athletics.com

Services
Software development, Performance optimization and Enhanced live support

EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

OVERVIEW

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European Athletics aimed to convey the real-time excitement of the event and ensure information reached a wide audience

Challenges

The European Athletics Championships’ scale presented unique challenges. With multiple competitions over several days, sometimes even up to eight competitions occurring simultaneously, the complexity of delivering timely and accurate information was immense.

The main challenge was to enhance the performance of the website, speed up data delivery for widgets, optimise images, and simplify content management so editors could easily publish updates.

Additionally, integrating various third-party services smoothly and ensuring robust failover systems were in place in case any third-party service failed were critical to providing uninterrupted user experiences.

Our technical team had to manage high traffic and data throughput efficiently during the event. Implementing a middleware over the data sources, caching CMS data to maintain availability, and establishing a comprehensive infrastructure failover plan were key components. The system was designed to handle multiple event simulations to anticipate and correct any potential issues before they occurred.

The project also included extensive load testing, live result testing, continuous monitoring, and rapid intervention capabilities during the event.

Solutions

We developed and deployed a robust digital infrastructure that included live results widgets, streaming services, and dynamic content updates, all optimized for high performance and reliability. Our middleware solution effectively managed data flow, while our caching strategy ensured that even in the event of a CMS failure, data would remain available.

The integration of third-party services was streamlined with failover systems rigorously tested to handle any interruptions seamlessly.

The infrastructure featured advanced backup strategies, data replication, redundancy planning, and comprehensive risk assessments.

Our monitoring and alerting systems were finely tuned to detect and address issues proactively.

By conducting multiple pre-event simulations, we fine-tuned the entire system to ensure flawless execution during the live event, thereby significantly reducing the risk of downtime or data inaccuracy. 

Design challenges

EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

REQUIREMENTS

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(A)Creating an intuitive, user-friendly interface that caters to diverse user groups, including fans, media and member federations.

(B)Also, delivering a consistent, brand-aligned user experience across the website and mobile apps while managing a vast amount of content in a mobile-first approach requires innovative design solutions.

Therefore, we embraced a cloud-only strategy, utilizing SaaS solutions with an emphasis on and platform-agnostic development.

Utilizing Directus for CMS, the project will continue on its cloud infrastructure, supported by a React framework for the front-end, employing a combination of SSG and SSR.

The technical infrastructure is designed to be resilient, with full back-end and front-end deployment chains across Development, Staging, and Production environments, ensuring faultless core operations and high performance.

Innovations

To further enhance engagement, retention, app usage, and revenue streams for the European Athletics platform and app, especially during off-event periods, we are implementing the following innovative feature ideas:

/ A

Interactive Content & Gamification

Integrate interactive quizzes, polls, and games related to athletics history, trivia, and current events to keep users entertained and informed.

/ B

Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

Create AR features that allow users to experience historical event moments, visualize event venues, or even simulate competing against their favorite athletes.

/ C

Membership & Loyalty Program

Develop a membership program offering exclusive content, early access to event tickets, merchandise discounts, and other perks to foster loyalty and recurring visits.

/ D

Sponsor-Driven Challenges and Rewards

Collaborate with sponsors to offer exclusive challenges and rewards within the app, such as winning merchandise, tickets, or experiences for completing certain activities or achievements.

/ E

Athlete-Led Workshops and Webinars

Schedule regular live and on-demand workshops or Q&A sessions with athletes and coaches, focusing on training tips, nutrition, and motivation.

/ F

Fantasy Athletics Leagues

Introduce a fantasy league for upcoming competitions, allowing users to create their teams and score points based on real-life performances.

/ G

Custom Notification & Content Feeds

Utilize AI to curate personalized content feeds and notification alerts for users based on their interests, past interactions, and favorite athletes or events.

/ H

Subscription-based Premium Content

Offer a premium subscription tier featuring exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes footage, detailed athlete training regimens, and advanced analytical insights into competitions and performances.

..and more

EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

PROJECT’S RESULTS

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Results

The implementation of these solutions at the European Athletics Championships resulted in a highly successful event from a technological standpoint

This project not only supported the seamless execution of a major athletics event but also set a new standard for managing large-scale sports events digitally.

• Enhanced User Engagement

Fans experienced real-time updates with minimal delays, keeping them engaged and informed throughout the championships.

• Operational Excellence

The extensive pre-event testing and simulations ensured that all systems functioned as expected, leading to smooth operational performance throughout the event.

• Increased Reliability

The robust failover and redundancy systems ensured continuous service, even in the face of potential third-party failures.

• Positive Feedback

The ease of content management allowed the editorial team to focus on delivering quality content, which was highly appreciated by event attendees and online viewers alike.