Setting up Blackout Tutorial
Goal: Learn how to set up Blackout and apply it to live linear channel programming.
Prerequisites:
Key Steps:
- Create an audience.
- Create a blackout rule.
- Prepare a live channel for blackout.
- Set up a media player.
- Applying 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 will be 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. This blackout zone may then be leveraged when defining how Blackout may be applied to a live linear channel.
Sign in to the CMS.
Navigate to the Audiences page. 
How?
Click + Create Audience.
In the Audience Name option, type "Los Angeles."
Under the Type option, verify that the Single mode has been selected.
Click Create & Edit.
From the Match option, select Any.
Add a DMA by clicking + under the DMAs section.
Type "803." This ID corresponds to the Los Angeles market.
Click Add to add the Los Angeles market to the audience.
Click 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. Blackout must be enabled on a per program or asset basis.
A blackout rule identifies viewers that should be blacked out and the alternate content that will be streamed to them.
Navigate to the Rules page. How?
Click + Create Rule.
In the Rule Name option, type Blackout LA Rule.
Click Create & Edit.
From the Alternate Content Type option, select "slate."
Click + Add Audience to display the Select Audience dialog box.
From the Available Audiences list, select Los Angeles and then click Select.
Click 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.
Click the Blackout tab.
Click + Add Blackout ID.
In the Blackout ID option, type LA-Sports.
In the Description option, type Los Angeles Sports.
From the Rules option, select Blackout LA Rule and then click >.
Click Done.
Click Save to apply your changes to the live channel.
Step 4. Set up a Media Player
The enforcement of Blackout 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:
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:
Step 5. Apply Blackout to Programming
Blackout may only be applied 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=803Sample 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 will force 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.