Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Collaboration, Hybrid Workflows, and a Quiet Beer: How Sky Sports Covered the Premier League Finale on Sunday

28/07/2020

Collaboration, Hybrid Workflows, and a Quiet Beer: How Sky Sports Covered the Premier League Finale on Sunday By Will Strauss, Contributing Editor

Monday, July 27, 2020 - 11:55 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

A mixture of remote production, traditional OB, and a hybrid of both were utilized by Sky Sports for its coverage of the final round of Premier League matches which took place on Sunday, July 26. The pay-TV broadcaster showed eight of the ten games - which all kicked off at 4 pm UK time - live on its channels and acted as the host broadcaster for five of them with BBC Sport producing its coverage of three others.

On the final day of last season, Sky was the host broadcaster at just two games. And it didn't have COVID-19 to deal with. This year's finale is a big undertaking and one that has not been taken lightly.

With Liverpool having already won the title, the editorial focus for the day will be on Champions League qualification and the teams battling against relegation.

Leicester against Manchester United will be produced entirely remotely and there will be two hybrid games: Arsenal vs Watford and Everton vs Bournemouth. These will feature NEP trucks at the Emirates Stadium and Goodison Park respectively, replays done from NEP's base in Salford and the presentation directed from the gallery at Sky.

This is the first time we'll be doing eight games live simultaneously. All the matches will have augmented audio and graphics and everything you'd expect from our live set-up. It's a huge operation.

The Chelsea vs Wolves encounter will have replays on-site with the rest of the production done remotely. While Crystal Palace vs Spurs is the only game being produced in a purely traditional' way, with everything happening in the truck on site.

There will be between 40 and 50 crew on-site at each of the eight games, with a further 80 people working at Sky in Osterley, all socially distanced of course. 90 cameras will be deployed across the matches.

This mammoth logistical exercise has been just over three weeks in the planning but has benefitted from all the work that has been done since the Premier League re-started on 17 June, as Emma Bayliss, Sky's senior production manager for Premier League Football, explained, chatting to SVG Europe on the eve of the final weekend.

We've got used to the fast turnaround of matches over the last six weeks, she says. We'll have covered 64 matches in 40 days [by Sunday]. We got the nod on Wednesday night, confirming the games we would be showing. It's not unusual for [that information] to be this late so we've had plans in place without knowing the actual games.

This is the first time we'll be doing eight games live [simultaneously]. All the matches will have augmented audio and graphics and everything you'd expect from our live set-up. It's a huge operation.

COVID-19 has, of course, had an impact on these plans. Without the pandemic, the set-up might have been very different.

For the secondary games, yes [it would have been different], says senior football producer Billy McGinty. We've conquered remote production over the last six weeks. We've got some hugely talented people but the mileage we've done is important as well. We've got used to how we do it.

The combination of [people and experience], for [the last round of matches], is so valuable. In normal circumstances, no we wouldn't have a gallery directed at Sky, a match cut in a truck outside the Emirates and replays in Salford. We'd just have a truck.

The Leicester game will be the hub of the programming output, with presenter David Jones (pictured below, hosting Monday Night Football) anchoring from Osterley accompanied by pundits Roy Keane and Micah Richards. The build-up to the live matches will be extensive, adds McGinty.

The two stories in our build-up hour are the top four and relegation. Clearly, we're in good shape because [with our live matches] we've got the top four covered, and two of the three relegation games. We'll have 45 minutes on the top four, including down-the-lines from Chelsea and Leicester, all hubbed from Sky Studios. And then part two will be focussed on relegation, with down-the-lines from Arsenal and Everton.

The challenge is to break away from what we've been doing for the past couple of weeks and put some old ways of working back into the system safely.

While elements of the live match coverage will be done remotely, nearly all of the VTs for the build-up programming have been done that way too, as has been the case since the beginning of lockdown.

The team of assistant producers (APs) who have created all the montages, with the help of Sky Production Services editing team, have cut pieces, interviews and montages from their studies, bedrooms, front rooms, explains McGinty.

[They] have all found new ways of working and anyone watching throughout the re-start they wouldn't have noticed the difference between what has been packaged at Sky in years gone by and what has been packaged on a laptop at home. Credit must go to other parts of Sky.

To make this possible, editing, MAM and archive system access has been made available remotely through virtualisation.

Technically, very early in the lockdown, we started virtualising lots of the edit throughout the whole business, interjects Sky Sports technical manager Gordon Roxburgh.

We have really pushed on with that. The number of editors that can now work virtually, plugging into platforms at home, is immense.

Interestingly, the football production team have the Academy Awards to thank, in part, for this being possible, as Roxburgh continues.

We started this journey in February for the Oscars. We had an editor who couldn't get to London so we built a sy
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/07/27/collaboration-hybrid-workflows-...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

14/03/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Emilie Blichfeldt, the Writer-Director of The Ugly Stepsister

By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...

14/03/2025

Bill Simmons Reflects on Five Years of The Ringer

Time flies when you're having fun and we can confidently say that Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and Spotify's Head of Talk Strategy, is having not...

14/03/2025

Call for NFVF Funding Applications To Attend Film Festivals and Markets Taking Place From 14 April 2025 To 31 May 2025.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...

14/03/2025

NAB Show 2025 Exhibitor Insight: Bitcentral

TV Technology: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...

14/03/2025

Dalet welcomes you to NAB Show 2025

The Dalet NAB 2025 showcase will feature its market-leading enterprise News, Media Management and Supply Chain solutions designed for faster deployment and acce...

14/03/2025

IMAX to Unveil Breakthrough Quality Innovation for Premiu...

IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) will debut its latest advancements for premium live streaming at NAB 2025 (booth W1401), introducing new AI-driven technologies d...

14/03/2025

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhance...

TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP media probing, monitoring, visualization, and analytics, and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in...

14/03/2025

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paragua...

Unicanal and Trece TV, two of Paraguay s leading broadcasters, have successfully launched digital TV services in three main cities: Encarnaci n, Ciudad del Este...

14/03/2025

IP Showcase Returns to 2025 NAB Show With a Focus on IPMX...

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced that the IP Showcase ...

14/03/2025

Nebraska Public Media Standardizes on Digital Alert Syste...

Digital Alert Systems, the global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that Nebraska Public Media is deploying the ...

14/03/2025

Comcast Technology Solutions Achieves Enhanced QC Efficie...

Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions for the digital media industry, today announced that Comcast Technology Solutions ...

14/03/2025

Rightsline Unveils New AI Features and Media Workflow Eff...

At the 2025 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, Rightsline will showcase innovations designed to make rights and royalties management smarter, fast...

14/03/2025

PK Sound Launches Tx Series Intelligent Point Source Modu...

PK Sound, the robotic line array company, has formally released the Tx Series of intelligent multi-purpose point source modules, beginning with the ultra-versat...

14/03/2025

Avid Makes Key Additions to Executive Leadership Team to...

Avid today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as Chief Technology ...

14/03/2025

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Featur...

DigitalGlue, a trusted systems integrator and provider of end-to-end media solutions, is redefining storage workflows with its innovative platform, creative.spa...

14/03/2025

CVP Supports Innovative Large Format Short Films Competit...

CVP, one of Europe s leading resellers and providers of professional video and broadcast solutions, is partnering with renowned director and cinematographer Joe...

14/03/2025

Cobalt Announces Plans to Bring Plug and Play ST 2110 Exp...

Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initiative has announ...

14/03/2025

Keepit named Best Cybersecurity Backup Service by Busines...

Keepit, a global provider of a comprehensive cloud backup and recovery platform, announced today its success at the Business Awards UK, 2025 Cybersecurity and R...

14/03/2025

Lightware simplifies complex AV integrations through stra...

Lightware, an industry-leading manufacturer of signal management solutions, has announced its commitment to fostering strong relationships with top technology c...

14/03/2025

Editing and Color Grading Promo Codes

Editing and Color Grading Promo Codes Kasia Jarco March 14, 2025 0 Comments I wanted to share some promo codes for great tools for your video editing ...

14/03/2025

Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity

Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity The artist shared candid insights into his musical evolution, personal challenges, and ...

14/03/2025

Avid appoints new CTO and grows executive leadership team

Three strategic appointments aims to bolster the leadership team at Avid, reinforcing the companys commitment to remain at the forefront of innovation By Matth...

14/03/2025

Confidence-boosting $215 million funding package announced for Cinesite

Coming at a pivotal time for the sector, the funding underscores Cinesites ambition and confidence in the media and entertainment industry By Matthew Corrigan ...

14/03/2025

Unmissable innovation: previewing NAB Show 2025

Karen Chupka, executive vice president and managing director, NAB Global Connections and Events, gives TVBEurope the lowdown on what visitors can expect at next...

14/03/2025

Avid Appoints New CTO, Adds to Its Executive Leadership Team

BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...

14/03/2025

TVU Networks Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation at 2025 NAB Show

CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...

14/03/2025

Telos Alliance To Demonstrate New Next Generation Audio Features at 2025 NAB Show

Telos Alliance To Demonstrate New Next Generation Audio Features at 2025 NAB Sh...

14/03/2025

Live From THE PLAYERS: RED Cameras Help Cosm Capture Unique Looks for Cosm Venues

Live From THE PLAYERS: RED Cameras Help Cosm Capture Unique Looks for Cosm Venue...

14/03/2025

NWSL Kickoff 2025: League Operations Team Preps for NEP-Driven Remote Productions for CBS, ESPN, ION, NWSL+

NWSL Kickoff 2025: League Operations Team Preps for NEP-Driven Remote Production...

14/03/2025

NWSL Kickoff 2025: Scripps Sports Introduces New On-Air Team for Second Year of Coverage on ION

NWSL Kickoff 2025: Scripps Sports Introduces New On-Air Team for Second Year of ...

14/03/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Marie Margolius on the Thrill of Directing New Prime Video Docuseries For the Win: NWSL

SVG Sit-Down: Marie Margolius on the Thrill of Directing New Prime Video Docuser...

14/03/2025

Live From THE PLAYERS: NBC Sports Tees Up Drone Tracing, Taps Into NEP Compound Connect

Live From THE PLAYERS: NBC Sports Tees Up Drone Tracing, Taps Into NEP Compound ...

14/03/2025

Get a Glimpse of the Epic Battles in First Look at Record of Ragnarok ' Teaser Trailer

Back to All News Get a Glimpse of the Epic Battles in First Look at Record of ...

14/03/2025

Celebrating the Italian Historical Drama Il Gattopardo' Across the Globe

Back to All News Celebrating the Italian Historical Drama Il Gattopardo' Across the Globe The series' creative team speaks at the Rome premiere. Ent...

14/03/2025

The Electric State' Brings Cosmo and The Billbots to Life for a One-of-a-Kind Worldwide Tour

Back to All News The Electric State' Brings Cosmo and The Billbots to Life...

14/03/2025

Thales Delivers the World's First Autonomous Mine Hunting System to the Royal Navy

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales has reached a historic milestone by deliv...

14/03/2025

RT 2FM's fresh weekend lineup goes live this Saturday as a host of new presenters take to the airwaves

2FM's fresh weekend lineup goes live this Saturday as a host of new presente...

13/03/2025

You Will Leave Opus Singing the Original Bops Performed by John Malkovich

(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...

13/03/2025

How Spotify Is Driving Growth, Discovery, and Innovation in the Audiobook Market

Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...

13/03/2025

Spotify Audiobooks Launches a New Publishing Program for Independent Authors

At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...

13/03/2025

Evolving EO/IR Technology For All-Domain Airborne Law Enforcement

Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...

13/03/2025

Craft Interview: Jamie McCombs, Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio

Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...

13/03/2025

Craft Interview: Paul Sandweiss, Production Sound Mixer/Audio Director

On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...

13/03/2025

Riedel To Showcase New StageLink Smart Edge Devices At 2025 NAB Show

WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...

13/03/2025

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring for VOS360 Streaming Workflows at the 2025 NAB Show

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...

13/03/2025

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage Platform that Empowers Video Teams to Scale Effortlessly

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...

13/03/2025

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Life at NAB 2025 Exhibition

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...

13/03/2025

Ajit Pai Appointed President of CTIA

CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...

13/03/2025

NAB: FCC's 60 Minutes Investigation Is Unconstitutional, Invalid

he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...

13/03/2025

CBS Miami to Launch AR Coverage of Weather and Sports for March Madness

MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...