Rai Play Delivers an Enjoyable and Secure Viewing of the Euros with Help from Akamai

Rai Play is an Italian over-the-top, free-with-registration live streaming service and video on-demand service that is part of RAI. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced by RAI, the Italian public broadcasting television company operating 14 television channels and 12 radio stations with the Rai Play Sound service. We are delighted that RAI chose Akamai to broadcast this year’s Euros.

Unmatched scale and reliable delivery

Football fans expect the best-quality streaming experience that allows them to be immersed in the broadcast almost as if they are present at the match. Akamai enabled Rai Play to deliver this and more for Italian viewers. Even though Italy left the tournament before the quarterfinals, traffic continued to be super high for RAI for the duration of the Euros. Akamai delivered instant and uninterrupted access to the video content on any device so that viewers could have a consistent, high-quality viewing experience across all network types. The pristine video kept football fans as close to the action as possible.

Industry-leading security and analytics

At the same time, it was essential to ensure that streaming was safe and secure so that the content could not be pirated. Rai Play used Akamai App & API Protector and Bot Manager to safeguard its infrastructure. This provided the broadcaster with automatic security updates and holistic visibility into traffic and attacks.

Using Akamai Connected Cloud allowed Rai Play to bring core cloud computing and edge computing together, along with industry-leading security — all on the most distributed platform on the planet. This gave them access to enhanced analytics and scalability. They were able to build the stream with the speed, scale, and performance needed to make this an unforgettable Euros viewing experience.

Speaking about the collaboration with Akamai, Tonio di Stefano (Director of Networks and Platforms at RAI) said: “We are delighted with Akamai’s support in delivering the Euros. Akamai went above and beyond to delight our viewers with the best possible broadcast, ensuring a reliable and scalable stream. Their unwavering commitment and support meant I could be confident, knowing that football fans would not miss a moment of this exciting event.”