Modern CTO Building Peacock at Scale with António Vieira, Director of Global Apps Engineering at Sky
Dec 18, 2025
In this engaging conversation, António Vieira, Director of Global Apps Engineering at Sky, shares insights on scaling the Peacock streaming service to handle millions of users. He discusses the complexities of live streaming compared to video on demand, revealing how they manage 30% of internet traffic during major NFL games. António also dives into AI's role in personalizing viewer experiences, from synthetic voice recaps to innovative real-time features like multi-view highlights. His perspectives on leadership and engineering culture are both inspiring and thought-provoking.
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From Four People To A 500-Person Team
- António described starting as a four-person team in Portugal that grew to ~500 people over 13 years.
- The small team joined the Peacock project in early 2019 and built the app globally.
Why Live Streaming Stretches The Internet
- Live streaming is fundamentally different and far harder than VOD because everyone watches the same moment simultaneously.
- António says live events push internet and CDN limits due to simultaneous low-latency delivery needs.
Low Latency Is Critical For Sports
- Low latency matters: viewers expect near-real-time delivery for sports and big moments.
- António targets ~10–20 second latency while serving millions concurrently.