Sky Sports’ Phil Marshall looks back on 12 months of lockdown’s impact on live sports and how the broadcaster has adapted to the challenges of the pandemic. Friday 13 March 2020, the unlucky date that live sport as we knew it stopped. 365 days on, that date remains etched in my memory. For someone with […]
Category archives: Viewpoint
BBC Sport chief Barbara Slater on women’s sport and female leadership
International Women’s Day: BBC director of sport Barbara Slater on the growth of women’s sport and the shifting attitudes to females both on and off screen during 12 years at the helm of BBC Sport Not many people expected the BBC to appoint a woman as director of sport back in 2009. Men dominated senior […]
COMMENT: Is your business ready for ‘The Great Compression’ of 2021?
Jean-Baptiste Lapeyre, Specialist at Rakuten DX, takes us through the opportunities and potential pitfalls ahead in 2021. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, 2021 is a business opportunity that is simply too big to miss. If you think about it, we’re squeezing two years’ worth of sporting events into one – you could call […]
COMMENT: Engaging fans and boosting revenue through D2C
Dheeraj Ravula, head of product for D2C video solutions, MediaKind, takes us through the growing opportunities in D2C/OTT For sports rights-holders, leagues and teams looking to future proof their business models amid turbulent industry disruption, one thing is clear; having direct relationships with fans is critical. Sports rights-holders now have a renewed opportunity to offer […]
COMMENT: 2021 predictions – The great content migration
Steve Miller-Jones at Limelight Networks on the shift in sports viewing to real-time, data-intensive OTT services; the rollout of 5G; and keeping content secure. 2020 was a dramatic year for OTT content providers and content delivery networks (CDNs). The shift to online living and remote working resulted in a massive surge in demand for content […]
COMMENT: What sports broadcasters have learned in an unprecedented 2020
Greg Burns, head of business development at Arqiva, reveals what sports broadcasters can take on board going into 2021. The sports broadcasting industry was granted a unique opportunity to test and trial new ways of working when producing and distributing content this year as it wrestled with the impact of the global pandemic. It forced […]
COMMENT: Sunset+Vine on producing the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in a pandemic
James Livingston, features producer at Sunset+Vine, reveals the work that went on behind the scenes at the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup With the COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacting all aspects of production in 2020, we knew we had our work cut out for us ahead of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for […]
COMMENT: How esports is leading broadcast innovation amid Covid-19
Nicolas Estrup, director of product and experience at esports organisation Blast on the pioneering ways esports tournaments have used tech to create content during the pandemic. 2020 has been a turbulent year for everyone, none more so than the sports and entertainment world that has been impacted heavily by the limitations surrounding Covid-19. Esports has […]
Sky, BT, and Rise on remote production’s potential for inclusivity
Rise managing director Carrie Wooten, Sky Sports’ Jena Mihalovic, and BT Sport’s Charlotte Winter were speaking at the Broadcast Sport Tech Innovation Forum Remote production could have a big effect on inclusivity in the broadcast industry, according to Rise managing director Carrie Wooten and figures from major broadcasters Sky and BT. The trio spoke at […]
BLOG: Will Carling talks stats for the 2020 Guinness Six Nations championship
The best things come to those who wait. We’ve been waiting a long time for this; the finale of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations Championship. And it didn’t disappoint. In a final round of fixtures that could have seen England, France, Scotland or Ireland emerge victorious, it offered a nail-biting finish to a competition that […]
COMMENT: How sports broadcasters can adapt to opportunities in the new normal
Julien Bertin, head of Infront Productions, France, reveals how broadcasters can adapt to the new normal and take advantage of the opportunities available in sports It seemed over the early summer that everyone in the production industry’s favourite pastime was speculating how we would adapt and return following the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of us participated […]
COMMENT: Infosys on The Virtual Future of Tennis at Roland-Garros
Navin Rammohan, vice president, Infosys on the new graphics-based real-time insights the company brought to Roland-Garros this year Empowerment is not just about bringing you closer to a sport, but making you feel like you are one with the game. When this happens, an experience goes from being something that you use to something that […]
COMMENT: Could this year see big growth for NFL’s UK audience?
Aaron Duckmanton, global head of marketing at Grabyo on why the time is right for the NFL to go large in the UK. The NFL has had a long love affair with the UK dating back to the 80s. Since 2007, the league has hosted at least one of its regular-season fixtures in London, reaching […]
COMMENT: Redefining sports broadcasting in the Covid era
Greg Burns, head of business development solutions, Arqiva, comprehensively examines how the industry will never be the same again. Covid-19 triggered a major setback for sports broadcasters, who faced a huge, daily challenge to offer a premium product that would keep viewers engaged and stop them from unsubscribing. Since then, we’ve watched as both leagues […]
COMMENT: What does the Future of Sport Look Like?
Luke Gaydon, Business Development Sports, Accedo investigates the options for broadcasters aiming to pump atmosphere into fan-free sports broadcasts. In these uncertain times, there are two key questions that sports clubs, leagues, and content providers are asking: How do we get fans back into stadiums safely?; And until then, how do we deal with a […]
COMMENT: Understanding why sports fans break the rules
Simon Brydon, senior director, sports rights anti-piracy, Synamedia, on why piracy of sports broadcasts remains a problem and what can be done about it. From spying on an opponent’s training session ahead of a crunch fixture to sandpapering the cricket ball, the dubious ways rules have been bent and broken to give sports teams an […]
The return of sports brings with it the return of streaming pirates
Carlos Rocha Gonçalves at Jscrambler on what’s being done to try to keep the pirates at bay. At last, sport is slowly but surely returning — albeit looking very different to what we all remembered. The global lockdown has seen OTT streaming services soar in popularity and usage, and the return of the sports we […]
COMMENT: Esports and broadcast – The legal issues of partnership
Hayley Brady, partner and UK head of media and digital, Herbert Smith Freehills (pictured below) on the potential legal pitfalls to overcome when broadcasting esports events. The Covid-19 pandemic has stripped global television schedules of traditional content, with sports broadcasters instead sourcing a great deal of fresh content from esports. Well-publicised examples include Sky’s multi-day […]
COMMENT: What we can do to enhance behind-closed-doors events for fans
Peer Seitz, head of Infront Productions, discusses some of the operational challenges and opportunities broadcasters face with behind-closed-doors events. While some fans might have found solace in sports archive footage over the last two months, the majority are keen to see a return to live sport under the right circumstances. The focus for sport event […]
Alternative thrills: Why esports is like punk rock
Ross Video esports business development manager Cameron Reed on the anti-establishment appeal of esports. In the 1970s punk music offered a new home to young people looking for an alternative to the established norms; it represented a rebellion against a mainstream culture that its followers saw as conservative, traditional and saccharine. I think you can […]
The tech that could breathe life into an unattended game
Rosh Singh, managing director at ‘innovation production studio’ Unit9 (pictured below) reveals the tech innovations that could breathe life and energy into the broadcast of an unattended game. VR is a terrible medium for watching sports. Even ignoring the fact that the distribution of headsets is too far too low for it to be meaningful, […]
Viewpoint: The appeal and thrill of esports
Amanda Lawson, global head of content at esports company Gfinity on the thrill of the game. Having spent 20 years working in sport, from football through combat sports and more recently in esports, I thought I had seen everything. I am sitting in our broadcast gallery in Fulham, sitting in a different room to my […]
Viewpoint: Encouraging diversity in production
Words: Anna Ward, head of production for Premier League Productions, IMG Stockley Park is not only home to the much talked about VAR, it’s also the base for IMG’s Studios production outfit. We employ over 600 technical and production staff with a client and programming portfolio of many of the world’s top sports federations and […]
COVID-19’s effect on football: Spotlight on the Women’s Game
Rebecca Smith, global director of the women’s game, Copa90 gives her opinion on how the coronavirus crisis could impact the growth of women’s football. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic is being felt across the globe and the consequences for football and in particular women’s football are multifaceted and complex. The recent announcements that the […]
The emerging world of AI-driven solutions in sports broadcasting
Paul Cramer, managing director, enterprise broadcast solutions, Veritone, reveals how the latest in AI technology can help sport broadcasters with advertising and more It’s nothing short of astounding how much – and how quickly – artificial intelligence is transforming our world. Today’s most innovative AI solutions are the ones that amplify human effectiveness, taking people […]
Sports Content Summit: How the FA integrated esports into its digital channels
FA senior content innovations manager, Damien Cullen, explained how the governing body has revolutionised its digital output, at the Broadcast Sport Content Summit The FA has seen its online output grow in popularity and quality in recent years, and this has been in part thanks to its tie in with esports competitions. Speaking at the […]
Sports Content Summit: Liverpool FC on how to design digital content as a club
The club has seen major growth online with through its social media channels Speaking at the Broadcast Sport Content Summit this month, Liverpool FC head of social media, Adam Hulme, and head of digital video, Mark Volante, revealed how the club thinks when designing content for fans. The club has seen major growth in followers […]
Figures across esports eye opportunity during and after coronavirus crisis
The industry is aiming to take advantage of the postponements in traditional sports Several esports figures are looking at the cancellation of traditional sports events worldwide as an opportunity for the industry. With high profile live sport on hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, a sport that can largely be played online is one of very […]
Producers hail idea-first sports commissioning
Heather Fallon, of Broadcast Intelligence, reports on sports programme commissioning insights from the Broadcast Sport Content Summit Speaking at last week’s Broadcast Sport Content Summit, producers Dale Templar and Jordan Laird discussed how they got their sports programmes commissioned. Laird is series director of A View From The Terrace, which is produced by Studio Something […]
Innovating for the modern sports fan
The average sports fan is smarter than ever. Not only with how they watch an event, but also with the information imparted to them while doing so. And while that insight is ultimately used to drive the conversation across social rather than the household or pubs like it once used to do, it is important […]
Could we be seeing the end of pay-tv packages?
Tomos Jones, senior associate at Reed Smith, takes a look at the future of sports broadcasting models What can we learn from recent developments in the pay television sector? Everything from Disney’s deal with Sky to place the new Disney+ service on Sky’s top boxes, to BT’s new packaging structure and the recent news that […]
How the Coronavirus is affecting major sport events
The Six Nations’ Italy v Ireland has already had to be postponed This week the Six Nations match between Italy and Ireland was postponed as a precaution after the Coronavirus outbreak. The last occasion a similar situation happened was back in 2001, when foot and mouth disease saw Ireland play its final three tests in […]
Will Carling Six Nations blog #4: Drawing the battle lines with ruck insights
Will Carling’s fourth exclusive blog for Broadcast Sport, covering the new on-screen graphics unveiled for the Six Nations tournament. This week, Carling discusses the analysis of rucks and turnovers. We’re now over the half way mark in the 2020 Guinness Six Nations Championship, and the action is really starting to heat up. While Italy took […]
Esports and broadcast: A match made in heaven or not a match at all?
From the duration of the game to capturing the atmosphere and considering a change in format, Chris Wood, CTO at Spicy Mango, looks at the challenges broadcasters need to consider before they take the leap into the world of esports. The world of esports is growing rapidly. In fact, it is estimated that esports revenues […]
Game on: the ever-growing production values of esports events
Head of marketing & communications at live production specialists EVS, Sebastien Verlaine, gives a view into the world of esports production Across online and TV it is estimated that more than 500 million people around the world are watching other people play video games. Yet, as esports continue to grow in popularity, tournament producers are […]
Will Carling Six Nations blog #3: Big hits, big Insights
Will Carling’s third exclusive blog for Broadcast Sport, covering the new on-screen graphics unveiled for the Six Nations tournament. This week Carling discusses the analysis of dominant tackles. The second weekend of matches was certainly one to remember, set against the backdrop of dramatic gale force winds and heavy rain caused by Storm Ciara. Scotland […]
Will Carling blog: Six Nations graphics (Visits to 22) explained
Will Carling explains how the Visits to 22 graphic provided added insight during England’s opening game of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations The 2020 Guinness Six Nations has arrived. The opening weekend offered up three huge clashes among the finest teams that Northern Hemisphere rugby has to offer. The pick of the fixtures for me […]
Will Carling: How technology is changing our experience of rugby
The first in a series of six weekly blogs from rugby legend Will Carling, written exclusively for Broadcast Sport Last year, for the very first time during the 2019 Guinness Six Nations Championship, fans had access to never-before-seen insights into the great game of rugby through new on-screen dynamic stats powered by Amazon Web Services […]
Top tips for producing sports in 4K and 8K UHD HDR
Insight TV executive producer Frank le Mair provides an assortment of tips for creating content in 4K and 8K UHD HDR There is significant impact to the production process when creating a 4K UHD HDR programme. First and foremost, producers must have access to, and be using the right equipment to shoot in 4K UHD […]
Straightforward guide to low-latency streaming
Kyle Goodwin of Vecima Networks explores, in layman’s terms, how the industry is preparing to tackle low-latency streaming During the 2018 World Cup, media measurement company Conviva recorded 75.8 million attempts to stream the quarter-final games. More than 15% of those attempts failed – that’s more than 11 million unsuccessful attempts. Those delivering OTT services are […]
Explaining the appeal and continued growth of esports
Gravity Media Group sales manager Edward Dowdall, explains the growing appeal of esports As we head fast towards the end of 2019, esports continues to expediently grow in momentum with more global events. Tier 1 sponsors and media attention is being drawn to what is ultimately simply a form of live entertainment. Examples include the […]
The journey from YouTuber to global sports superstar
COPA90 chief business officer James Kirkham on how modern sports fans are turning social media influencers into world-dominating sports stars Modern sports fans are the new bastions of power. They’re the reason a YouTuber will star in the biggest pay-per-view boxing event of the year. Where once our sports viewing schedule was dictated by men in […]
5G technology: A revolution is on the way
The arrival of 5G has the potential to completely change the way sporting events are produced and watched, says Matt Stagg Ask any sport fan about their preference for viewing the game and the answer is likely to be either in the stadium, in the pub with friends, or at home in front of the […]