Leading Australian Broadcaster Selects Adobe Flash Platform to Deliver Tour de France Live on the Web

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that leading Australian public broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) will stream the 96^th annual Tour de France live online using Adobe® Flash® technology, the No. 1 platform for delivering video on the Web*. Cycling fans throughout Australia will be able to watch the most prestigious and well-known bicycling event in the world, via the SBS Web site at www.sbs.com.au/tdf. The race begins on July 4 and continues through July 27, 2009 with 21 stages, covering a total distance of 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles).

“With the Adobe Flash Platform, broadcasters like SBS are enabling viewers to experience sports live in ways that go beyond the events themselves, incorporating new levels of interactivity and community among fans”

SBS chose the Adobe Flash Platform to stream the race live in high-definition video, and will offer instant messaging capabilities for viewer interaction, text and audio race commentary, and real-time rider tracking complete with elevations, routes, and rider positions.

“With Adobe Flash technology and Akamai's world-class video streaming services, we are offering our viewers a seamless, instant-on Web video experience for watching the Tour de France live on the Internet,” said Toby Forage, executive producer of Sport Online for Special Broadcasting Service. “With extensive interactivity such as the ability to chat live with other fans, we are catering to viewers who want compelling experiences and new ways to engage with their favorite sports.”

Enabling a seamless, instant-on Web experience

Adobe Flash Media Server software is powering the live video streaming for the event, delivered by Adobe Flash Video Streaming Service partner Akamai. Utilizing Adobe’s server software, SBS can deploy consistent, high-quality video as a truly seamless, instant-on Web video experience across all major platforms and browsers.

“With the Adobe Flash Platform, broadcasters like SBS are enabling viewers to experience sports live in ways that go beyond the events themselves, incorporating new levels of interactivity and community among fans,” said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. “Adobe Flash technology supports some of the largest live streaming events with millions of fans engaged online. We’re looking forward to the Tour de France and providing cycling fans with a fun, interactive online experience.”

“The Adobe Flash Platform has been globally adopted to stream live events that want to combine high quality dynamic video and rich interactivity,” said Tim Napoleon, chief strategist for Digital Media for Akamai. “Working with SBS and Adobe, we’re able to take advantage of the power and reach of the Flash Platform and deliver an online video experience that will thrill the global Tour de France fan base.”

The Adobe Flash Platform is a complete system of integrated tools, frameworks, clients and servers for the development of Web applications, content and video that runs consistently across operating systems and devices. Adobe Flash Player is on over 98 percent of connected computers and delivers approximately 80 percent of Web video worldwide. Major broadcasters and media companies including MLB.com, CCTV International Networks and DirecTV, are already using the Adobe Flash Platform for streaming live events and the platform powers social networks sites YouTube and MySpace.

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* April 2009 data from independent research firm comScore

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