System and method for synchronizing live video with external data sources

A method for synchronizing video with external data sources on a user device, the video grouped into segment video files having video frames, comprising:

• establishing a persistent connection between the user device and a synchronization server;
• receiving a sync message associated with the beginning of a video segment to be played by the user device, the sync message having at least an initial recording wall clock time stamp corresponding to a first frame of the video segment;
• determining by the user device, using the initial recording wall clock time stamp and a frame rate, a recording wall clock time for each video frame in the video segment;
• downloading the video segment file for playing on the user device;
• receiving by the user device, external data having an event wall clock time stamp;
• and
• synchronizing in realtime by the user device, the external data with the video segment file having the same time stamp.

A method for synchronizing video with external data sources, comprising:

• receiving by a user device streaming encoded video content grouped into segment video files, each segment video file having a plurality of video frames and having an initial recording wall clock time stamp corresponding to a first frame of the video segment;
• downloading to the user device, via a segment delivery connection between the user device and a segment server, a video segment file from the segment server, for playing on the user device;
• extracting from the video segment file the initial recording wall clock time stamp of the video segment;
• calculating, by the user device, a recording wall clock time for each frame in the video segment using the initial recording wall clock time stamp and a frame rate for the video segment;
• receiving by the user device external data having an event wall clock time, the external data for a given event wall clock time stamp being received by the user device before the video segment having a corresponding time stamp;
• and
• displaying on the user device, the external data having the same wall clock time stamp as the wall clock time stamp of the video frame being displayed, thereby providing realtime synchronized video and external data displayed on the user device.