Meet Alicia Ortiz

Joined CBS: 2021

Department: CBS Sports Streaming Group

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

WALK US THROUGH YOUR ROLE

Our department is in charge of live streaming CBS Sports ' sporting events. Anything that goes on digital platforms – CBS Sports app, Paramount Plus app, cbssports.com, paramountplus.com – we make sure users can access the content. We reach out to vendors so that we have their feeds. We add thumbnails and descriptions for events, then promote it on the platforms. On game days, we start all the encoders, and once an event goes live, we run it, trigger ads and switch between pregame and postgame studios. To know that you’re contributing to putting the best possible content out there is rewarding.

WHAT GOES INTO RUNNING A LIVE EVENT ON STREAMING?

Before game time, we make sure everything is running and that the correct feed is being routed. Additionally, we ensure ad insertion work as expected, and that the event is clickable and playable. We create the events in our software database and input all the streaming information – titles, descriptions, etc. A couple hours before the event, we start all the encoders, route the feeds, trigger a test ad, put up a slate and communicate with our partners that everything’s been tested. At game time, there’s an operator who will drop slate, trigger the ads and monitor content.

WHICH SPORTS AND EVENTS DO YOU WORK ON?

The Masters, PGA TOUR, PGA Championship, college football, college basketball, Formula E – which is electric car racing – and soccer leagues such as Serie A, UEFA, and NWSL. If you don’t have cable or are on the go, you can access these games via live streaming on the apps. We provide that!

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?

I love sports and how they bring people together, so it’s fulfilling to see all the hard work that goes into the back end. Every day is not the same depending on what we have going on. There’s so much to do and it’s nice to change things up. One day you’re creating the events, the next day you’re running the event. My coworkers are wonderful. It’s awesome to have a strong team that supports each other.

WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT’S SO IMPORTANT TO THE COMPANY?

The future is streaming and it’s amazing to see how we’ve progressed, how we’re getting ahead of things, especially with the Super Bowl coming up. That will be a big deal for us. When I first started as a contractor in 2017, we streamed shows like Fantasy Football Today and the CBS Sports app was mostly to check scores. Since then, there’s been so much growth in the amount of live content available to stream on the app and now there’s something for everyone. But there is always room to grow and I’m excited to see how that happens and how I can contribute to it.