Set Up Blackout Tutorial

Tutorial

Learn how to set up Blackout and apply it to live linear channel programming.

Prerequisites:

Live Slicer
Live linear channel (CMS)

Key Steps:

Create an audience.
Create a blackout rule.
Prepare a live channel for blackout.
Set up a media player.
Apply Blackout to programming.

Introduction

Blackout is designed to limit the distribution of restricted content, such as sporting events, movies, and other types of licensed content. Instead of the regularly scheduled program, content from an alternate source is broadcast to blacked-out viewers.

This functionality is handled on the server, eliminating the need for special client-side code or SDKs.

Blackout provides the means to:

Replace restricted content as needed.
Tailor the set of blacked-out viewers to meet your business needs.
Easily define alternate programming for blacked-out viewers.

Step 1: Create an Audience

A blackout zone defines a region by zip code, market (DMA), or IP address/subnet. You can then leverage this blackout zone when defining how Blackout is applied to a live linear channel.

Sign in to the CMS.
Navigate to the Audiences page (Live Channels > Audiences).
Select + Create Audience.
In the Audience Name option, enter "Los Angeles."
Under the Type option, verify that the Single mode has been selected.
Select Create & Edit.
From the Match option, select Any.
Add a DMA by selecting + under the DMAs section.
Enter "803." This ID corresponds to the Los Angeles market.
Select Add to add the Los Angeles market to the audience.
Select Save to update the audience configuration with these changes.

Step 2: Define a Blackout Rule

Defining a blackout rule does not automatically apply Blackout to a live linear channel. You must enable blackout on a per-program or asset basis.

A blackout rule identifies viewers that should be blacked out and the alternate content streamed to them.

Navigate to the Rules page (Live Channels > Rules).
Select + Create Rule.
In the Rule Name option, enter Blackout LA Rule.
Select Create & Edit.
From the Alternate Content Type option, select "slate."
Select + Add Audience to display the Select Audience dialog box.
From the Available Audiences list, select "Los Angeles" and then select Select.
Select Save to apply your changes to the blackout rule.

Step 3: Prepare a Live Channel for Blackout

Setting up Blackout on a live channel requires defining when and how blackout is applied by assigning it a blackout ID and rule.

Navigate to the Live Channels page.
Select the desired live channel.
Select the Blackout tab.
Select + Add Blackout ID.
In the Blackout ID option, enter LA-Sports.
In the Description option, enter Los Angeles Sports.
From the Rules option, select Blackout LA Rule and then select >.
Select Done.
Select Save to apply your changes to the live channel.

Step 4: Set up a Media Player

Blackout enforcement is only possible when a media player loads the Blackout replacement plugin. Load this plugin by adding "repl=aboi" as a query string to the playback URL.

Example:

The following sample URL corresponds to a test player:

https://content.uplynk.com/player5/6ZpnSRiEmjj3fMdnzDaV00sc.html?repl=aboi

Test players are solely meant to provide an easy way to demo content or test playback. They should not be used for production traffic.

Modify the playback URL defined within your media player to include the following query string parameter: repl=aboi

Step 5: Apply Blackout to Programming

You can only apply blackout to live linear channel programming that has been assigned a blackout rule ID. One method for assigning a blackout rule ID is to set the blackout_id metadata field to the desired blackout ID. This tutorial leverages the content_start method to start a new program in the live linear channel and apply this metadata field to it.

Submit the following curl request to assign the "LA-Sports" blackout rule to a new program called "Los Angeles Home Game":
```
curl --data '{"meta":{"blackout_id":"LA-Sports"},"title":"Los Angeles Home Game"}'
      http://localhost:65009/content_start
```
Verify that the Live Slicer is now generating a new asset by performing the following steps:
- From the Content tab, verify that the asset currently being generated is called "Los Angeles Home Game" and then select it.
- Verify that this asset contains a blackout_id metadata field set to LA-Sports.
Verify that Blackout is currently being applied to the live linear channel.
- DMA Override: If you are not testing from Los Angeles, override the test player's DMA to the Los Angeles market by appending the following query string parameter to the playback URL launched in the Step 4: Setting up a Media Player section: repl.cbdma=803
  - Sample playback URL:
    https://content.uplynk.com/player5/6ZpnSRiEmjj3fMdnzDaV00sc.html?repl=aboi&repl.cbdma=803
- Wait 30 to 60 seconds and then verify that the media player now streams slate.

Finished!

You have successfully applied Blackout to specific programming within a live linear channel. This configuration forces viewers in Los Angeles to view slate during each time slot for which the asset defined in step 5 has been scheduled in that live linear channel.