Sports Broadcasting

We are all used to watching sports on television, but ever wondered how the match which is played on the other side of the world, is being live broadcasted on our televisions at homes? Ever wondered how many cameras are being used at the venue or how many components are involved from filming the sport to us watching it on television?

Fundamental challenge in sport broadcasting is to do justice to the efforts of the athletes and precisely show it to the viewers all over the world. Each sport has its own demands how it should be filmed. For sports like Football, Tennis, Badminton it is very important to cover each and every angle to capture every small detail. And with the new regulations and additions of video assistance in sports it is very important to organise all the equipment at the venue. Moreover, some sports are held all around the world so it is important to showcase the venue and blend the surroundings in to the broadcast to give the viewers the best experience. This is especially important in case of mega sporting events such as Olympics and World Cups but also sports like Formula 1, Cricket, Golf, Cycling where venue changes quite often and weather or geographical conditions at each venue might influence the end result. So, it is important to capture the atmosphere, venue, weather, culture, surroundings as well as the fans. If all this is not included in the sport broadcast, the sport might as well be held behind closed door or at the same venue again and again.
There are multiple elements involved in sport broadcasting. Most noticeable are the cameras. There are tens of cameras simultaneously capturing the sport from various angles. Let us look at different sports as case studies to see how the camera equipment is used as per the demands of the sport.

Football

There are multiple cameras placed at specific positions to capture certain aspects of the game. Some are dedicated to cover the play while some are for replays. There are cameras specifically positioned to cover fans, actions of coaches and some are dedicated beauty cameras. There are some pitch side cameras as well to make the viewer feel engrossed in the sport. Now with the emergence of technology and implementation of new regulations there is addition of Video Assistant Referees and Goal line technology, therefore proper equipment is positioned at specific locations.

Formula 1

In case of F1, there are more cameras present on the cars themselves than most of the sports. 20 cars race of the track at the same time each has about 7-8 . For safety reasons and proper implementation of rules and penalties, there are various places where cameras are placed on the car. Typical F1 Circuit is around 5km with 15-20 corners. Every corner is covered by at least one camera. In some cases where the circuit elevates and declines more often there might be multiple cameras at the same corner. Plus, action in the pit lane is as important as on track action so that has to be covered as well. Moreover, to capture the action from sky, opening shots of the race and surroundings of the circuit there is one helicopter also present at each circuit. 

Tennis

There are four major Grand Slams and multiple other Tour events in a tennis calendar. There are 15-20 courts at where matches are played at the same time. Therefore, all of these venues have to be precisely planned to capture the best moments of the sport. Every match is covered with multiple cameras at each venue. There are cameras to capture certain angles, certain plays and certain parts of the court. Plus, the hawk eye system needs its own camera technology and placements.

Now that we know how the cameras are used in sport, what happens next? All the footage which is being captured has to make its way to viewers. Here comes in of the most important elements in sport broadcasting which is the broadcasting centre. It is the central hub through which all the footage of the sport passes through and reaches to our televisions at home via satellites. This broadcast centre includes studios, offices, edit suits and control rooms. The organisation of these broadcasting centres might differ from competition to competition. For example, for a domestic competition like the Premier league, Sky sports the rights holding broadcaster will have their own broadcast centre. In case of mega sporting events such as Olympics and World Cup, the organising committee is responsible for building a broadcast centre for all the rights holding broadcasters at one place which will also house studios, edit suits and control rooms. A broadcast centre can also be divided into, trucks with all the equipment and personnel needed for the broadcast available at different venues and all other components at a central venue. It is also important to recognize involvement of personnel not only like cameramen and presenters but also producers, video editors, directors, speciality camera operators and engineers. These jobs are crucial for the end product and are as important as any job in sports broadcasting. It is up to the cameramen to capture the moments but it is up to the editors, producers and directors to show the viewers the exact moment at the exact time. Therefore, there needs to be excellent coordination between the team members for the best possible experience.

Sport broadcast is not only important to capture every aspect of sport but it also generates majority of the revenue in sport through broadcasting rights. Every sport has its camera placements and ways to film. There are multiple cameras being used to film simultaneously to show viewers the action from every possible angle. Plus, the emergence of new technologies and introduction of new regulations has resulted into more complicated system overall. So that makes it very fascinating to see how broadcasters manage all the elements involved in sport broadcasting from the venue to our homes.

picture credits - gettyimage.com, sportsvideo.org,bbc.co.uk,live-production.tv,f1.com,fifa.com