The successful applicant will produce and distribute 45 matches of the Rugby League World Cup 2021. Following news of its broadcast partnership, Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) and International Rugby League (IRL) have released an Invitation To Tender for its Host Broadcast Services for next year’s tournament. The successful organisation will be responsible for […]
Category archives: Production
Promethean TV creates Sports Stats Overlays for mobile streams
The overlays offer insights, sponsored messages and real-time information during a game. Promethean TV has created a Sports Stats Overlay to enable broadcasters to add real-time statistics and information about a game or league to mobile streams. The data includes live scores, league table updates, team line-ups, individual player statistics, head-to-head statistics, polls, sponsored messages […]
Behind-the-scenes: Producing Match of the Day in lockdown
BBC lead executive Steve Rudge goes behind-the-scenes to find Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright putting on their own makeup.Producing Match of the Day during the pandemic has meant new ways of working to meet strict health and safety guidelines for production. “The teams at dock10 and the BBC, and the technical teams behind […]
Salsa Sound brings virtual fans to National Women’s Soccer League
Company behind the virtual crowd noise system says it’s simple enough for non-audio professionals to use. The virtual crowd sound for the National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup is being created by Salsa Sound’s Crowd DJ technology. This creates responsive crowd sound the company says can “easily respond to every event on the field of […]
Albert Sports Consortium launch addresses environmental impact of sports TV
Industry group’s aim is to explore issues around energy use and travel in relation to sports production and broadcast. Environmental sustainability organisation Albert has launched the Albert Sports Consortium, to specifically focus on the impact sports broadcasting has on the environment. The Albert Sports Consortium includes BT Sport, Sky Sports, BBC, ITV, Sunset & Vine, […]
Whisper to produce BBC cricket content as the sport returns on 8 July
Whisper wins BBC contract as cricket returns, and will also create online highlights for the ECB. Whisper has won the contract to produce the BBC’s peak-time cricket highlights, as the broadcaster begins showing cricket again from Wednesday this week (8 July). Whisper has won a multi-year contract with the BBC to produce TV highlights for […]
German sports streamer develops automated production system
AI-driven system will be used to capture and broadcast the majority of the platform’s future sport content. Sports streaming service sporttotal.tv has developed an AI-driven production system that will be used for “almost all” the future sport broadcasts on the platform. The system utilises a weatherproof 180-degree camera and artificial intelligence (AI) created by Berlin-based […]
Rugby League World Cup 2021 to co-pro with International Rugby League
The production and sales of broadcast rights for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be handled jointly between the two organisations. Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) and The International Rugby League (IRL) have agreed to work together on the broadcast production of matches at the tournament, as well as on the sale of […]
BBC to air 12 days of classic Olympics archive material
The content replaces the cancelled 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo. BBC Sport has scheduled 12 days of dedicated Olympics programming, to replace the cancelled 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Badged Olympics Rewind, and starting on 14 July, the content naturally relies heavily on archive material, through a daily highlights show looking back at some of […]
Gran Turismo esports brings in Getty Images for in-game photography
Real-life photography expertise brought in for esports tournaments. Motorsport specialist photographers at Getty Images have been assigned official in-game photographers for Gran Turismo’s online and live World Tour events. The move to bring in Getty Images to capture images from the esports events is an attempt to bridge the gap between the virtual and real […]
F1 offers fans a chance to have their name on the chequered flag
The rest of the F1 season will feature chequered flags emblazoned with the names of fans, to raise money for the #WeRaceAsOne campaign. A charity initiative by the F1, fulfilled by memorabilia platform F1Authentics, provided F1 fans the chance to buy and have their names on the squares on the race-ending chequered flag for this […]
COMMENT: How to create authentic fan sounds for empty stadiums
DAZN’s Andres Veredas Salazar on creating authentic audio for the Bundesliga’s return to live matches. The sounds are pieced together in real-time from an archive of last season’s matches to create realistic soundscapes for each game. Replicating the atmosphere created by 70,000 fans is no easy task but by adapting existing DAZN technology, we felt […]
Cardiff Met and Ball State Uni team up for feature-length sports doc
The documentary, made by students from the two universities, centres on the role of sport in Welsh life and features interviews with a range of inspiring athletes. Cardiff Metropolitan University has partnered with Indiana’s Ball State University to create a feature-length documentary, Transatlantic Storytelling. The documentary was produced by university students from Ball State’s Emmy […]
Rakuten TV unveils 2010 FIFA World Cup doc with Spanish football team
Documentary will go free-to-air on Rakuten Stories from 9 July. Rakuten TV has launched a documentary, The Secrets of La Roja – World Champions 2010, about the Spanish national football team, La Roja winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The film will be free-to-air on Rakuten TV’s Rakuten Stories channel from 9 July. It follows […]
Today’s Battle of the Brits tennis tournament (Amazon Prime Video) schedule
Today’s games are listed below. The first behind-closed-doors tennis tournament, Battle of the Brits, is being held this week, with Amazon Prime Video streaming the event in the UK and Ireland. The competition sees Andy Murray making his return to the court. He won yesterday to reach the semi-finals. The tournament runs from Tuesday 23 […]
GALLERY: World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji (10-part series)
Extreme race lasts for 11 days and covers 671km of rugged, challenging territory. 10-part doc series, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, is launching on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 14 August. The series is hosted by Bear Grylls and follows an expedition race with 330 competitors in 66 teams of five, from 30 countries, racing […]
COMMENT: How the industry can redefine itself amid the pandemic
Tata Communications global head of media and entertainment services Dhaval Ponda on the future of production post-lockdown. For the last few months, lockdown measures introduced to stem the spread of Covid-19 have had many of us grounded in our homes. As such, most of us have turned to our TV sets and digital platforms for […]
F1 and AWS create six real-time stats providing insight during races
The six on-screen graphics utilise Machine Learning to analyse real-time data gathered from F1 cars. Formula One is adding six real-time racing stats to its 2020 season. The on-screen graphics have been created using a range of Amazon Web Services (AWS) services, including machine learning. The first of the stats – Car Performance Scores – […]
Rakuten TV launches Serge Ibaka basketball doc
Basketball doc will be available on free-to-air from 25 June. Rakuten TV is releasing documentary Anything Is Possible, about global basketball star Serge Ibaka. The film, which will be available for free from 25 June, provides insight into the life of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors player. Anything Is Possible focuses on Ibaka’s life story and […]
Dugout to live stream behind-the-scenes football and esports content
The content provider’s live streams will include pre- and post-match interviews, action from the training ground and off-field activities. Football content specialist Dugout is launching its first live streaming service. The company, which is co-owned by a long list of many of the world’s biggest football clubs, is best known for providing ‘club-safe’ archive, behind-the-scenes […]
Extreme E makes TV debut with Channel 4 documentary
30-minute film will mark the first television appearance of Extreme E. Channel 4 is airing a documentary about futuristic motorsport Extreme E, which sees electric SUVs race off-road in extremely remote parts of the world. The film, titled How to Build a Racing Car, is scheduled for Thursday, 25 June – “right after Celebrity Gogglebox,” […]
Santa Cruz bike ad gets creative during lockdown
A miniature model of Santa Cruz’ new mountain bike, in a back garden in Glasgow, replaces a planned road trip around Greece with Danny MacAskill and Josh Lewis. The advertising campaign for Santa Cruz Bicycles new mountain bike, the 5010, was originally planned to be a road trip through Greece starring Santa Cruz athletes Danny […]
Amazon Prime Video to air women’s tennis doc, Unraveling Athena
Tennis doc to appear on Amazon Prime Video from 13 July. Amazon Prime Video has secured the exclusive rights to premier Kaleidoscope’s tennis documentary Unraveling Athena in selected European countries including the UK on Monday 13 July. The film, directed by Francis Amat, and named after the Greek goddess of tactics and skill, wisdom and […]
UK Flat Track motorcycle racing documentary film in the making
The filmmaker behind a character-based film and mini series about the obscure motorsport and those that take part is currently looking for funding. Johny Mourgue, a director working within commercials, short films and docs (credits include FA Cup with Budweiser, Reebok and Channel 4’s Random Acts), is working on a film about Flat Track motorcycle […]
BBC to air 50 hours of Wimbledon archive programming
Two-weeks of classic Wimbledon coverage will replace Wimbledon 2020 on the BBC. The BBC is to host 50+ hours of classic Wimbledon content from 29 June, to replace the cancelled Wimbledon 2020 tournament. Every weeknight from 8pm, BBC2 will serve up Wimbledon archive material, hosted by Sue Barker. She will be joined by Tim Henman […]
Creative: Champions Hockey League unveils revamped title sequence
Design studio Jump has updated the opening title sequence for the Champions Hockey League 2020/2021 season. The updated titles were commissioned by sports marketing agency Infront and bring the style in line with the broadcast graphics package rolled out by the Champions Hockey League three years ago. These were also designed by Jump. Jump art […]
Celtic FC brings in Sunset+Vine for fan-focused matchday content
Football club creates content for season ticket holders unable to attend games. Celtic Football Club has appointed Sunset+Vine Scotland to create matchday programming as part of a ‘televised ticket offering’ to supporters. With fans unable to attend matches during the pandemic, the club is creating a range of content from each game designed to give […]
Scott Young, F1 head at Sky Sports to lead production at Eurosport
Major appointment will build on Eurosport’s recent tech-led transformation of its production operations. Eurosport has announced another high-profile appointment with the recruitment of Scott Young as senior vice president, production and content. Young has more than 30 years experience across live sports, major event production and on-screen innovation. Young joins from Sky Sports, where he’s […]
Sky Sports and BT Sport unveil ‘watch together’ option to apps
Broadcasters both launch watch together services that will be available in time for the return of the Premier League. Sky Sports and BT Sport are both using the return of the Premier League to unveil new ‘watch together’ services. Sky Sports’ service is called Fanzone (pictured above), and will be available on the Sky Sports […]
LaLiga to use virtual fans and audio to liven up empty stadiums
Stands will “closely resemble how they looked and sounded before the competition was postponed.” LaLiga is to use digitally recreated fan audio and virtualised stands for the rest of the season, and for as long as matches are played behind closed doors. It will also introduce new camera angles. The stands will be filled with […]
BT Sport launches a series of live interactive sports quizzes
The competitions provide an opportunity for fans to take part against BT Sport presenters and sports stars. BT Sport has launched a series of ‘pop up’ live quiz shows around its sports properties, including football, boxing, rugby, WWE and UFC. One of these – an interactive live quiz called The Beautiful Quiz – sees BT […]
Nascar first to use Facebook Venue second-screen live streaming app
App aimed at creating a better, more responsive second-screen experience. Facebook has launched a live streaming iOS and Android app called Venue, which focuses on enhancing fan engagement through the second-screen. It has been developed by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team and aims to bring fans and expert commentators together to “experience live events in […]
Virtual advertising firm Supponor opens Barcelona office
Tech company expands in Spain to support work on virtual advertising for LaLiga and FC Barcelona. Virtual advertising tech company Supponor is opening an office in Barcelona, Spain. It follows the expansion of the company’s agreement to work with Mediapro on virtual advertising boards for live LaLiga games, and a long-term agreement with FC Barcelona […]
Michael Vaughan joins Whisper to grow cricket output
Vaughan has been brought in to build on the company’s cricket coverage. Whisper has added ex-cricketer and cricket broadcaster Michael Vaughan to its advisory board. Vaughan will focus on Whisper’s growing cricket portfolio and other broadcast and branded projects, with a focus on new business. The former England cricket great retired in 2009 and has […]
Arsenal to live stream charity event featuring the club’s legends
The event tomorrow night is being live streamed on a variety of platforms to raise funds for The Arsenal Foundation. Arsenal is live streaming an event called Arsenal Together, which it says is the largest-ever online gathering of Arsenal players, legends and supporters. The event, which kicks off at 7pm tomorrow night (Thursday 4 June), […]
Sky Sports releases promo to celebrate the return of sport
60-second spot went live over the weekend. Sky has released a 60-second spot celebrating the return of live sport. It’s a continuation of its #IAmSport campaign, and was made by its in-house wing, Sky Creative Agency. The Comeback went live over the weekend and is a “rousing message from sport to its fans ahead of […]
BBC Alba to bring live football back to free-to-air TV from Saturday
The Scottish broadcaster is the first free-to-air channel to show live sports since lockdown. Scottish free-to-air channel BBC Alba is to air live coverage of German women’s Bundesliga. It becomes the first UK free-to-air broadcaster to show live sport since lockdown. Its exclusive live coverage of the games will start this Saturday (30 May). BBC […]
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 […]
SailGP launches monthly series about the sport
Each episode focuses on a different SailGP team. SailGP is launching seven-part monthly series, Winning Calls with Oracle, focused on the different teams in the sport. The series provides insight into the strategies of each national team and features SailGP athletes, coaches and data analysts rewatching SailGP’s best action to-date. SailGP presenter Ed Leigh will […]
Report predicts huge growth in sports content on mobiles, paid by DCB
Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) set to become a popular way to pay for sports content on mobile devices. A new report says revenue from Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) for sports content on mobiles, such as instant highlights, streamable matches and behind-the-scenes footage, is set to grow significantly in the coming years. The report, The Future […]
Bundesliga unveils ‘Average Positions’ and ‘Expected Goals’ stats
Stats created using machine learning, through a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Bundesliga has been working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create two new on-screen stats, providing new insight into games. The new ‘Bundesliga Match Facts’ stats are Average Positions and Expected Goals (xGoals). They are created from real-time analysis of data from […]
ITV4 returns to live sport
Championship League snooker tournament to take place in isolation ITV4 is to host the first live free-to-air sport since lockdown with coverage of next month’s Championship League snooker. The tournament is to be played behind closed doors at Milton Keynes’ Marshall Arena, with players, officials and staff staying on-site for the duration of the 11-day tournament. […]
Podcast: Eurosport presenter Orla Chennaoui
Eurosport’s re-runs of London 2012 includes Mo Farah, Bradley Wiggins, Greg Rutherford and many other Team GB athletes recollecting the events over Zoom calls with presenter Orla Chennaoui. She describes how it all happened in this podcast. With TV studios on lockdown, Eurosport presenter Orla Chennaoui turned to Zoom to film interviews with a who’s […]
Otro Studios remotely produces MTV Cribs footballers series
Otro created a bespoke workflow to enable footballers to film themselves at home on iPhones while being directed live by the production team, also at home. MTV has commissioned Otro Studios to create a football-themed edition of MTV Cribs. MTV Cribs: Footballers Stay Home is being produced remotely, with Otro Studios catching up with a […]
Formula 1 agrees deal with Gfinity for production of F1 Esports Series
The deal is for a two-year extension to the relationship between the two companies that began in 2017. Formula 1 has extended its relationship with esports company Gfinity for content production and operational support around the F1 Esports Series in 2020 and 2021, and the 2022 qualifying events. The Gfinity Arena in London will be […]
Podcast: Freelance DoP Graham Howe on making the most of lockdown
With the Covid-19 pandemic triggering the cancellation of future bookings, freelance cameraman Graham Howe chose to use the time to learn useful new production skills. The latest episode of the Broadcast Tech Talks podcast series sees freelance lighting cameraman Graham Howe talking to Broadcast Sport editor Jake Bickerton about what he’s doing to keep busy […]
Amazon Prime unveils four-part series about Spain’s Golden Generation
The series follows the lives of iconic Spanish players living abroad. Amazon Prime Video is airing a four-part Spanish language docu-series, Living Abroad that follows the private lives of four footballers from what was dubbed the Golden Generation. The footballers – Xavi Hernández, David Villa, Javi Martínez and Juan Mata – were part of the […]
M2A Media unveils cloud-based live video platform
The service is described as a user-friendly, cost-effective alternative to satellite and fibre. Cloud-based video specialist M2A Media has launched a new live video cloud distribution platform it describes as “a flexible and cost-effective alternative to satellite and fibre.” M2A Connect enables producers to schedule and automate the global delivery of live feeds, via a […]
Podcast: Sebastian Gray, co-founder, Dugout
Episode #12 of the Broadcast Tech Talks podcast series shines the spotlight on innovative archive football content specialist Dugout. Sebastian Gray, co-founder and SVP of football content platform Dugout talks to Broadcast Sport editor Jake Bickerton about what the company does, how it does it, and the growth in demand for previously undiscovered archive football […]
OZ Sports fills empty stadiums with the sight and sounds of virtual fans
The tech filling empty stadiums with virtual fans. Sports tech company OZ Sports has launched an AR product called OZ Arena to bring fans from home into live broadcasts when football resumes. Fans will appear as personalised avatars, and will make genuine cheers from home via an app. They will even be offered their preferred […]
Behind the scenes: Sunset+Vine reveals how it makes shows during lockdown
Production house reveals the innovative way it is embracing live remote TV production during the Covid-19 crisis. This short video, presented by Sunset+Vine executive producer Stephen Booth, explains in 2m21s exactly how the producer has made remote production with presenters and crew at home the “new normal.”
BT Sport launches Champions League goals archive show
Broadcaster brings back ‘retro’ version of the UEFA Champions League Goals Show. BT Sport has recreated what it says is one of its most popular shows by creating the UEFA Champions League Goals Show: Retro. Beginning on Sunday (17 May), James Richardson takes a look back at the most iconic Champions League games from the […]
Verizon Media and Dugout partner on ads and football content deal
The deal provides Yahoo Sports with a huge archive of football clips, and Dugout with a new revenue stream. Verizon Media and Dugout have partnered up to provide Dugout’s 60,000+ archive football-related clips to an embedded player in Yahoo Sports. It also makes it possible for Verizon Media’s advertisers to reach Dugout’s audience of 60+ […]
COMMENT: Live streaming – Understanding the Legal Frameworks
Gregor Pryor, co-chair, entertainment and media industry group at Reed Smith LLP offers advice on navigating the legal issues around live streaming. While live streaming is not a new phenomenon, the recent lockdown has shone a spotlight on this activity, as sporting events are postponed or cancelled, and companies turn to live streaming to reach […]
Behind the scenes: Matze Knop’s Home Office (Sky Sports News Deutschland HD)
Marius Fischer, the editor on Sky Sports News Deutschland HD daily sports-focused comedy series, Matze Knop’s Home Office, explains how it’s being put together during lockdown. With top flight schedules at a standstill, sports broadcasters are working around the clock to produce content that not only fills the gaps, but offers positivity and support during […]
Tennis Channel broadcasts live tennis tournament from Florida
The three-day event went out live over the weekend. The channel’s next live tennis is scheduled for later this month. LA-based Tennis Channel has broadcast live coverage of the three-day men’s tennis event, UTR Pro Match Series, which took place over the weekend. The tournament, staged in West Palm Beach, Florida, featured two top-10 ranked […]
BT Sport kick starts first of series of esports formats in partnership with Gfinity
BT Sport FIFA Challenge is the first in a series of esports formats BT Sport hopes will continue after the pandemic. BT Sport has unveiled a celebrity-led esports series, in partnership with Gfinity. The BT Sport FIFA Challenge series includes Robbie Savage, Joe Cole and Ugo Monye captaining teams with rugby and football stars. There’s […]
LaLiga launches new series in advance of the league’s re-start
Production provides news and views as the Spanish football season prepares to resume. Movistar has launched a new weekly LaLiga series, leading up to the start of the competition after lockdown. The programme – El Partidazo #VolverEsGanar – kicked off yesterday (Sunday 10 May) at 10pm and included a live interview with LaLiga president, Javier […]
Eurosport to show classic stages from Giro D’Italia in new interactive show
90-minute daily live and on-demand show includes quizzes and polls. Eurosport has unveiled a 90-minute live and on-demand interactive daily show re-running the most memorable stages of Giro d’Italia from the last seven years. As part of a collaboration with Global Cycling Network (GCN), Eurosport is launching Giro d’Italia Classic Stages on Saturday 9 May […]
K League to work with Grabyo as season kicks off again
Cloud-based platform will enable remote production of live matches on social media. The season opening return of K League tomorrow (Friday, 8 May) is being produced for social media remotely using Grabyo. The match – between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings – is being broadcast on K League’s YouTube and Twitter channels at […]
Jamie and Harry Redknapp get their own at-home chat show on Sky
New lockdown format will feature the Redknapps and sports and entertainment stars getting together at the Redknapps’ home. Sky One has launched new lockdown-friendly chat show/entertainment format Redknapp’s Home Fixture, featuring Jamie and Harry Redknapp. The six-part series, from Expectation Entertainment, sees the Redknapps invite sports and entertainment stars to join them (and comedian Tom […]
Matchroom Sport launches OTT platform with free-to-air archive content
The new Matchroom Live platform will provide both live streams of tournaments (to subscribers) and free archive sports content. Matchroom Sport has teamed up with sports streaming specialist StreamAMG to create new OTT platform, Matchroom Live, which provides fans worldwide access to its portfolio of events. Matchroom Live will host live streams of Matchroom Sports […]
World’s Strongest Man turns to DIY ‘Home Edition’ format for Snapchat
The strongmen will use heavy household objects, including their own cars, for the lockdown format. The World’s Strongest Man organisation has launched a Snapchat spin-off during lockdown, called the World’s Strongest Man: Home Edition. It runs on Snapchat’s Discover page every Monday for the next 11 weeks, with eight of the world’s strongmen lifting ‘imaginative’ […]
COMMENT: How to handle archives of sports content
Nick Pearce-Tomenius, sales and marketing director, Object Matrix explains how and why it pays to make archives accessible. When COVID-19 restrictions started being introduced, the cancellation of sports fixtures was greeted with respect from fans who fully understood that the health of the community was the priority. But sports broadcasting hasn’t been easy to replace. […]
SailGP reschedules 2020 season to 2021, voids 2020 Sydney race
High octane catamaran race tournament ditches 2020 season due to the pandemic. SailGP, the race series featuring supercharged F50 catamarans, has suspended this year’s season, rescheduling all races to 2021. The results from the 2020 Sydney race – the first and only completed SailGP event of the year – will be null and void. The […]
BBC Sport preps summer of presenter-led archive re-runs
Contingency plan couples magazine formats with archive classics. BBC Sport has begun prepping for when the worst of the current Covid-19 restrictions are lifted as it readies magazine formats to accompany archive classics over the summer. Head of TV sport Phillip Bernie is drawing up contingency plans for how to film formats in a semi-lockdown […]
AWS teams up with F1 on ‘deep learning’ autonomous race
The race tournament is based on machine-learning and those taking part include F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has teamed up with Formula 1 to create an autonomous racing tournament, the AWS DeepRacer ProAm Race. Those taking part build models in machine-learning platform Amazon SageMaker then train, test, and iterate these models using […]
Sky Sports unveils new brand promo, produced in lockdown
Ad campaign celebrates the power of sports and centres on content posted on the social accounts of sports stars. Sky’s in-house ad agency, Sky Creative Agency has created a new brand spot for Sky Sports, which focuses on the positive aspects of sport for both fans and sports stars. The spot, I Am Sport, sets […]
Eurosport to screen Zwift Tour for All exhibition cycle eracing series
5-day tournament features some of the world’s best cyclists and mass-participation stages. Eurosport is broadcasting the Zwift Tour for All exhibition racing series, a pro racing tour on the Zwift virtual platform. The tour will be held over five stages on 4-8 May, and will feature teams from both the men’s and women’s World Tours. […]
Noah Media Group to rep international sales for Steven Gerrard doc
Doc producer Noah Media Group expands the range of films it represents through its distribution wing, NoahX. Sports doc maker Noah Media Group has picked up international sales rights to Lorton Entertainment’s Make Us Dream and HBO’s Bleed Out, for the company’s distribution wing, NoahX. Make Us Dream is the story of Liverpool and England […]