The latest articles on Forem by Maddy Quinn (@maddysquinn). https://forem.com/maddysquinn https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F973510%2F3cb97873-19ac-4184-9166-798b5d878eb5.jpeg https://forem.com/maddysquinn en Maddy Quinn Wed, 17 Jan 2024 09:27:12 +0000 https://forem.com/ably/how-nascar-delivers-realtime-racing-data-to-millions-of-fans-around-the-world-1a73 https://forem.com/ably/how-nascar-delivers-realtime-racing-data-to-millions-of-fans-around-the-world-1a73 <p>Playing around with streaming realtime data is one thing, but have you ever wondered how you would handle the challenge of streaming realtime data to millions of racing fans?</p> <p><a href="https://www.nascar.com/drive" rel="noopener noreferrer">NASCAR Drive</a> has built an industry-leading platform that handles the distribution of 1.3TB of telemetry data in a single race, while over 80 million fans immerse themselves in the race from an in-cockpit view that offers a live 360 camera feed and access to the same car telematics as the driver and team.</p> <p><strong>Wondering how they do it?</strong></p> <p>We spoke to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-larter/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chad Larter</a>, Senior Director of Technical Operations for NASCAR, in our webinar on January 31st - and you can now <a href="https://hubs.la/Q02jCxH_0" rel="noopener noreferrer">watch it on demand</a>!</p> <p>Make sure not to miss it if you’re interested to learn:</p> <ul> <li><p>How to stream 1.3TBs of data per race to over 80 million fans - complete with highly detailed stats that update in realtime</p></li> <li><p>Why NASCAR decided to bring this solution in-house – and how they built the technology to achieve it</p></li> <li><p>How NASCAR solved the data surge and streaming challenges</p></li> </ul> <p><iframe width="710" height="399" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zzOY9NdTyI0"> </iframe> </p> <h2> Key takeaways </h2> <p>If you've watched the video, you know there was a lot to take in, so here are some of the key points covered:</p> <ul> <li><p><strong>Scalability:</strong> Tens of thousands of users connect during major races like Daytona 500, with major traffic spikes occurring following in-race events.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Data processing:</strong> Over 100 data points are collected, filtered and downsampled to 2 updates/second for realtime fan consumption, across devices - 1.3 TB per race.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Platform efficiencies:</strong> Only changes in data are broadcasted to clients, using binary deltas, reducing bandwidth consumption.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Long polling vs WebSockets:</strong> In comparison to their previous long-polling solution the use of a WebSockets platform proved much quicker and puts a lot less stress on networks.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Shared insights:</strong> Fans gain access to the same detailed data used by teams and OEMs, providing a deeper understanding of the race.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Fan engagement:</strong> Consumers spend significant time (30 minutes to 3 hours) consuming race data, highlighting the success of delivering an enhanced engagement experience.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Customization:</strong> Fans want to consume data their way, gaining insights on their favourite drivers/cars - not be limited by broadcasters focusing on the leading cars.</p></li> <li><p><strong>More to come:</strong> NASCAR are exploring the use of realtime data for leaderboards, chat and additional content - moving away from polling methods.</p></li> </ul> <p>If you have any questions about how NASCAR uses Ably Pub/Sub, the applications it can power, or how it could work for your use case, please visit our <a href="https://ably.com/fan-engagement" rel="noopener noreferrer">fan engagement page</a> or <a href="https://ably.com/sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign up</a> to get started for free.</p> database dataengineering webdev interview