Johnston Press
Entertainment
Hybrid Event
2021
In 2021, The Star, one of Sheffield’s most iconic regional news publications and part of Reach PLC, set out to innovate its media offering by launching its very first live webcast. Designed to re-engage local audiences post-lockdown, and to showcase the city’s cultural strength, the event was built around a special live performance by Reverend and The Makers – one of Sheffield’s most celebrated bands.
To make the vision a reality, The Star partnered with Stream7 to deliver the technical expertise and creative execution behind the scenes. The result was a highly successful hybrid event that blended the intimacy of a live concert with the accessibility of live streaming and on-demand content creation.
The Star had clear goals for this event, both editorial and experiential:
Launch their first-ever live webcast to showcase the power of regional news brands in hosting cultural content.
Celebrate local music and talent, creating a positive, community-driven story after a challenging year.
Transform Sheffield Winter Gardens into a concert venue fit for both a small live audience and a much larger online viewership.
Provide engaging, high-quality concert streaming with a smooth user experience.
Generate digital content for news coverage, social sharing, and post-event promotion.
Stream7 was chosen to provide the technical delivery of the hybrid event, including filming, webcasting, streaming setup, and content creation for social and editorial use.
Sheffield’s Winter Gardens is not a typical concert venue. An iconic public space in the city centre, it’s more commonly associated with community events, botanical exhibitions, and quiet coffee breaks than live gigs.
But for this event, the space was transformed into a makeshift stage, with Reverend and The Makers performing a full live set surrounded by exotic greenery and under glass-panelled ceilings.
With a small, socially distanced audience in attendance, the space felt intimate and unusual – the perfect setting for a concert designed to be broadcast online to a far wider audience.
To bring the event to life on screen, Stream7 designed and delivered a multi-camera live streaming setup that could capture the atmosphere, energy, and storytelling behind the performance.
Multiple high-definition cameras were positioned throughout the venue to give a dynamic, television-quality feel to the webcast. This included:
Static cameras for clean shots of the band
Roving cameras for close-ups and detail
Wide-angle lenses to showcase the grandeur of the Winter Gardens
All camera feeds were sent to a live mixing station, where Stream7’s production team managed real-time cuts, transitions, and overlays. The audio mix, supplied by the band’s engineers, was synced with the video to ensure professional-quality concert streaming output.
The stream was broadcast directly via The Star’s website, using a webcast player embedded within a branded campaign landing page. This platform allowed viewers from anywhere to tune in via mobile, desktop, or tablet, with no need for downloads or subscriptions.
Alongside the live stream, Stream7 produced a full suite of content creation assets for The Star’s editorial and social channels. These included:
A full recording of the performance for replay and future use
Edited highlight reels suitable for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Short-form content with branding overlays to promote post-event stories
Behind-the-scenes footage and crowd reactions
Video snippets to accompany articles and reviews published by The Star
This content helped turn a one-night event into a week-long digital campaign, feeding articles, driving social engagement, and supporting Reach PLC’s regional content strategy.
The webcast exceeded all expectations. With a local band, a unique setting, and a trusted media brand behind the event, the digital response was overwhelming:
The live stream drew record-breaking traffic for The Star’s entertainment section.
Thousands of fans tuned in live, with many more watching the on-demand replay in the following days.
The event was widely praised by viewers, artists, and news readers alike.
It helped position The Star not just as a news source, but as a curator of live culture and local identity.
The response to the event was universally positive. Readers commented on how professional the webcast felt, while musicians praised the production quality and venue transformation.
The Star’s editorial team credited Stream7 with delivering a seamless, engaging live experience – one that reflected the publication’s values of storytelling, community connection, and cultural celebration.
It also demonstrated how hybrid events and concert streaming can be powerful tools for local media outlets, helping them connect with audiences in new and creative ways.
This project wasn’t just about putting on a show – it was about showing how traditional media can embrace modern formats to stay relevant and meaningful.
In a world where audiences are increasingly digital-first, this successful webcast proved that news brands like The Star can evolve into event producers, content creators, and digital broadcasters – all while staying true to their roots.
For Stream7, it was a chance to demonstrate the full scope of our services: from live streaming and event production to content creation and editorial support.
The Star’s first live webcast with Reverend and The Makers marked a turning point in regional news broadcasting. With the help of Stream7, the team delivered a beautifully crafted hybrid event that reached new audiences, supported local talent, and raised the bar for future digital projects.
It showed what’s possible when journalism, entertainment, and technology come together with purpose – and laid the foundation for a new era of community engagement through live digital media.
Stream7 specialises in:
Concert and music event live streaming
Hybrid event production for news, entertainment and community projects
Webcasting platforms with audience engagement features
Content creation for social media, editorial and promotional use
Technical delivery and multi-camera filming anywhere in the UK
Whether you’re a media outlet, event organiser, or venue looking to stream your next show, Stream7 can help you connect with audiences in new, engaging ways.
