Sport Production Summit celebrates the successes and achievements of the industry with SVG Europe

SVG Europe’s flagship conference and networking event welcomed more than 550 of Europe’s sports production community to De Hallen Studio’s in Amsterdam for a day of knowledge sharing and networking.

Sports Broadcasting in 2024: What we’ve learnt and what’s next

The event began with Sky Deutschland’s Alessandro Reitano, Chair of the SVG Europe Advisory Board, taking the stage with SVG editorial director Ken Kerschbaumer, to discuss the key production and technology trends that have shaped European sports broadcasting in 2024, provide some context for them, offer up some opinions on why they have come to pass, and then look forward to what this means for next year and beyond.

On where the future of sports broadcasting lay, Reitano said: “To be brutal, on linear we are dead very soon, but with 360 degree view we are very adaptable.” However, he added: “The vendors in the room appreciate we need to produce more with less, especially with editorial; but it’s a mindset change.

“You have to tell the story in a different way,” he went on, referring to the balance between budget and people on the job.

“Every athlete is a broadcaster, every athlete has a story; its not a technical game, it’s access, combining it in the best possible way across different platforms so we get what the fans want, where they want it.”

Scott Young, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, group senior vice president, content, production and business operations, on stage speaking about the broadcaster’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Games

Warner Bros. Discovery Keynote

After opening remarks from Andre Meterian, Panasonic Connect, director – professional video systems business unit, EMEA, the programme moved onto the keynotes with Warner Bros. Discovery’s work on the Olympics.

Scott Young, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, group senior vice president, content, production and business operations, spoke about the broadcaster’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Games.

Young commented on the creation of WBD House: “We wanted it to be immersive. We knew the opportunity of it coming to Paris – albeit next door – would be to tell these stories. So we had to come out of our studios across Europe and come to a single destination at the Olympics.”

Warner Bros. Discovery’s major differentiator at the Games – apart from being the only broadcaster given permission by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee to fly a drone in Paris – was its 420-plus commentators working on the Olympics across Europe for the plethora of markets and languages served by the broadcaster and its constituent channels.

Event Showcase: Paris 2024

Rights-holding broadcasters for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, BBC Sport and NOS, explained next what they did plus how and why they did it, before outlining the challenges faced and overcome, and the lessons learnt.

Monique Hamer, NOS executive producer, sports department and Sally Richardson, BBC Sport, lead director for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, sat down with SVG Europe editor Heather McLean.

Hamer and Richardson spoke about balancing their coverage between home athletes and the blue riband events, and where to focus their efforts. For the BBC, this was key to the decision to place presentation platforms at the athletics and swimming – two events that were responsible for the BBC’s biggest viewing figures, with viewers tuning in to watch

Hamer spoke about the complex public service broadcasting system in the Netherlands, and how NOS went about sharing Olympics coverage with viewers – relying on an online stream to supplement its linear offering.

On last minute changes, Hamer said it’s a key challenge of the job of producing coverage.

Also, Richardson spoke about the need to be agile and flexible. “Every night, just before we would print the running orders, someone would say, ‘we may as well rip it up, not going to stick to it anyway’. But years of experience help you to react, and the team around you helps you as well.”

Romuald Rat, France Télévisions’ head of TechLab and AI and Jean-Christophe Albou, TVU Networks sales director Europe, took to the stage to explore how France Télévisions, in partnership with TVU Networks, embraced bold innovations at the Olympics 2024

The Torch Relay, The Games and Beyond – France.tv cloud innovations contributes to historic 99% audience reach

France Télévisions achieved unprecedented success during the Paris Games, captivating 99% of the French population over 15 years old. With 96 billion minutes viewed and an audience share exceeding 50%, the results were nothing short of historic.

Romuald Rat, France Télévisions’ head of TechLab and AI and Jean-Christophe Albou, TVU Networks sales director Europe, took to the stage to explore how France Télévisions, in partnership with TVU Networks, embraced bold innovations to achieve these milestones. From pioneering the first-ever 24/7 Torch Relay live production entirely in the cloud, over private 5G and Starlink, to launching a cost-effective, dedicated digital channel: france.tv PARIS2024. The 24/7 pop-up channel alone attracted 11.2 million unique viewers during the Games.

The discussion also covered the implementation of a unique cloud-based disaster recovery plan, ensuring uninterrupted coverage in a complex geopolitical landscape.

IBC 2024: What to expect from this year’s show

Mark Smith, Chair of the IBC Council, outlined the new and exciting features we can expect to see at the RAI from the 13 to 16 September at the IBC Show 2024.

He said: “The big news is that Hall 14 is back, which takes us back to pre-pandemic levels. And there’s the new AI zone as well, which will host some really interesting technology and content. And we now have a three day conference, up from two days, about 47 sessions on sport alone.”

On the Accelerators, Smith said there are 11 projects in total, all of which will be showcased at the RAI through demonstrations in Hall 3 and a series of conference panels.

The Road to Berlin: The story behind BBC Sport’s mixed reality Euro 2024 presentation studio

BBC Sport’s LED-based mixed reality presentation studio setup for Euro 2024 has received plaudits from industry and viewers alike, thanks to its creative and technological ingenuity. In this special session, key protagonists who worked on the project share what they did and why they did it, and discuss what they have learnt from it.

John Murphy, BBC Sport, design director, Chris Izatt, AE Live director of innovation and virtual and Olaf Sperwer, Roe Visual, business development manager for virtual production, took to the stage.

On what research had gone into the LED technology used at the Euros in BBC Sport’s impressive studio, Murphy noted: “We’ve been using green screen and game engines for a while, but this was the first time using extended reality with LED. In terms of creative parts, it wasn’t that much different. But the beauty of it is that talent, who when they walk into a green screen studio are not overly impressed, but when they see this studio for the first time [on screen], they were all really impressed.”

Murphy commented on the BBC’s use of technology for the Euros overall: “We were a little bit new to this; there were moments where we wondered, “will this all work?”, but it did work. It’s about with the tech, just saying it’s time to brave, and just go for it.”

Case study: How sports broadcasters are transforming content production into fan experiences

Sports organisations and broadcasters are driving powerful fan experiences through content production that caters not only to those watching at home but also to the in-stadium audience experience.

David Jorba, Disguise’s VP of business development, broadcast and Alessandro Capitani, Video Progetti, senior marketing consultant, took the stage to talk about using immersive graphics in LED production environments, data-driven storytelling content, and interactive fan activations, sports broadcasters are engaging their viewers and audience further than ever before.

Generational change: Transforming the cost base of sports production with AI

This panel delved into the transformative impact that AI is having – and will continue to have – on sports broadcasting, with a specific focus on the financial benefits, opportunities and implications.

On stage were: Benjamin Stoll, FIS – the International Ski and Snowboard Federation’s – director of digital and innovation, Nima Malekmanesh, Evertz’ director of business development for live media solutions, Olivier Barnich, EVS, head of innovation and architecture, Ian Fletcher, Grass Valley’s CTO and chair Johannes Franken, HBS’ director of digital,

AI-powered sports monetisation with Veritone

From clips and content to real value and revenue, Veritone transforms every piece of media you own – from B-roll footage and outtakes to clips, highlights, live broadcasts, and even decades of sports archives – into active revenue streams powered by intelligent technologies and services to unlock new growth and maximize returns from your most valuable investment—your content. Peter Leeb, Veritone, VP of business development and partnerships told all.

Reuters Imagen: Telling the story behind the story

Karina Schumacher Villasante, head of accounts, EMEA at Imagen, and Andrew Edgington, Reuters, VP of special technology services came together to speak about how they are delivering the stories and the content at the biggest sporting events across the globe.

From Paris 2024 to the Premier League and beyond, they discussed how Reuters and Imagen technology amplifies content from creation and management to distribution, and gave a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes too.

Trendspotting: Understanding European Sports Broadcasting

In a special presentation, Rebecca Jackson from Caretta Research offered up a data-driven insight into sports broadcasting technology trends, covering industry shifts, audience behaviours, and technological advancements. Her talk concluded with actionable recommendations that delegates can use to help them navigate the challenges and embrace the opportunities in the sector.

Buying Power: Where to spend your tech budget (and why)

A panel of senior production, broadcasting and distribution experts – Matt McDonald, Warner Bros. Discovery, group SVP EMEA broadcast services, Tom Giles, IMG’s director of engineering, and John Guntenaar, NEP Europe CTO – highlighted the technology, financial and operational challenges that are focussing their attention (and the attention of the wider industry), shed some light on how this will impact on their purchasing decisions, and give an insight into what they hope (and expect) to find at IBC Show 2024.

McDonald commented: “We’re doing a lot of remote today. With the host broadcasting thing, we’re looking to see how far we can push it. I think IBC with all this tech, it’s all moving in right direction, but we’re not there yet so it will be interesting to see how far we can get.”

Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting: Sally Richardson

The Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting honours someone who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the European sports broadcasting industry, recognising an individual who has had a positive impact on the way sports content is produced and/or shared.

The recipient this year is Sally Richardson, BBC Sport executive producer – Wimbledon and The Boat Race – and lead director for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

From starting out at the BBC as a clerk, to six years later working on Grandstand as a trainee assistant producer, then onto directing the show, Richardson had a fast and spectacular rise at the broadcaster. Her first time directing Grandstand was a standout moment in her career, as was London 2012 where she directed the rowing and was able to see her friend, the athlete and presenter Katherine Grainger, win gold on home territory.

On being calm on set, Richardson said: “You have to be as the director. If the strings and the orchestra are looking at you, you have to be.”

Called “the best of the best” my friend and presenter, Sue Barker, Richardson also called out for more diversity in sports broadcasting, saying that although it was improving, there was still a long time to go.

The 2024 Sport Production Summit was made possible by:
Title Sponsor:
Panasonic Connect

Registration Sponsor:
LTN

Case Study Sponsors:
Disguise
TVU Networks
Imagen

Contributing Sponsors:
EVS
Evertz
Grass Valley

Networking Sponsor:
Tata Communications

Session sponsors:
ARRI
Lawo

Associate Sponsors
Shure
Zero Density
NEP
Arqiva

Tabletop Sponsors:
Eluvio
Qvest
GlobalM
Telstra
LucidLink
Cobalt Digital

Video Advert Sponsors:
Quidich
Veritone

Supporting Sponsor – Sustainability roundtable:

EMG/Gravity Media