GE 2015: the first truly cross platform experience delivered by The Channel where both digital and broadcast platforms were treated equally for production importance, data delivery.

Many tools were developed for journalists to describe and explain the developing election stories. Key idea around the GE 2015 was focused around single, realtime data service which would deliver in results to all digital and broadcast platforms.

During election debates latest poll results were constantly updated. This gave us ability to cross check and compare results of the polls used later for the purposes of data visualization via online based poll tracker.

Results consistency and speed was crucial with multiple layers of redundancy spread across multiple regions in Europe.

Most of the tools available to journalists were surfaced online for the users to track and experience elections.

This was the first time cloud platforms were heavily utilise across entire election stack during election from Amazon Web Services to host and deliver main election results feeds, election console, realtime query services used during the election night through to Google Cloud Services heavily utilised to deliver Guinness world record visual data of 150 IP streams from key election locations recorded and publicly available on YouTube.

Realtime election service was updated by multiple sources including XML result data from PA using FTP, Sky News Stringers - reporters in Polling stations submitting results as quickly as possible using a web application served by the election service, Sky News Election Team primarily situated in the Sky News HQ who consume un-cached result data and are able to submit and manage results ahead of the official PA results also receive notifications in regards to latest news.

Data was consumed by public web users formed primarily around users of the Sky News website via web experiences and applications feeding of JSON result data with ability to submit lookup queries to the postcode service.

The election service published on-going results automatically to Twitter.

Election results were displayed in realtime via data rich Lower thirds, Full Frames and Walls graphics, results announced by the local councillors were crunched in realtime number by number giving a real feel of on-going changes and importance of the results. Sky News UHD newswall was utilised fully to show latest results and was controlled in realtime by presenters who could at will change and display data to fit the developing story timeline.

Results consistency across all platforms.

Equal speed of delivery across digital product and TV

Real time DOOH consumer experience, which additionally enhanced social analytics.

Real time acquirement of social data and population of digital and on-air templates.

Results which were visible within microseconds of the official announcements (legally, we are not permitted to broadcast before!)

Ease of access via digital platforms and broadcast outputs depending on users’ needs and intended engagement factor from Twitter results feed providing snapshot of the results through online experiences of poll tracker where users could cross check and cross compare multiple polls, web based results centre showing latest results.

Ease of access to the election data via election console, ease of use of the wall graphics meant the journalists, production and presentation teams were able to quickly and easily explain developing election outcome and possible impact.

Sky News was able to display results and make projections seamlessly and consistently ahead of all other channels across all platforms.

Because comprehensive information is available about elections citizens can learn and become engaged in the elections

150 Youtube streams provided live links for the voters to look at live results from their ward or constituency area.