(28/06/2013) The Queen's Club Championships, now the Aegon Championships, is an annual ATP tournament for male tennis players held on grass at the Queen's Club in West London. As one of only four grass court tournaments staged in the build-up to the Wimbledon Championships it is used by many top players to re-acclimatise to grass. It is arguably the most prestigious of the pre-Wimbledon tournaments and much of that eminence has come from the fact that the BBC, as host broadcaster, has given the tournament extensive TV coverage for the many years.
I walk into the outside broadcast compound at Queen's Club in Baron's Court on a grey June day in 2013. I am met by Engineering Manager John King who ushers me into SIS LIVE's OB 3 outside broadcast vehicle, fully expanded, fired up and a veritable hive of activity. The afternoon's transmissions are just beginning so I sit quietly in the corner of the production area trying not to disturb anyone or accidently pull out any cables. The BBC production team and SIS LIVE technical team appear to be working like a well-oiled machine, with each person somehow following the multiple conversations flying around the room and emanating from the talkback speakers, decoding instructions and pulling together to create a quality output. The inevitable British summertime rain has been falling already today causing matches to stop and start with frustrating frequency.
The BBC is host broadcaster for Queen's Tennis, creating multiple feeds for around 8 hours each day, including international feeds for use by British Eurosport and Eurosport International. It also generates its own domestic broadcast for BBC2, BBC Red Button and online. These are broadcast daily for 5 hours and 8 hours respectively.
John King has huge experience in the technical delivery of Queen's Tennis broadcasts. He explains to me that, as the match currently being played on centre court is somewhat less than enthralling, they are broadcasting a replay of that morning's Hewitt v Dimitrov upset on BBC2, with the live match made available on the Red Button service. Both matches are being edited and broadcast simultaneously from within the same areas inside OB 3. This kind of ambidextrous' way of working is a frequent occurrence and one which the teams take in their stride, pushing the editorial narrative forward and giving the viewer uninterrupted coverage of the tournament despite the unavoidable breaks in play.
copyrighted by liveProduction.tv Stepping outside again I am met by George Bowler, one of SIS LIVE's Vision Supervisors who gives me a brief tour of the rest of the vehicle. OB 3 houses the production area; two VT areas in charge of recording and replaying live and recorded material; an edit suite for creating opening/closing montages and highlights packages; a sound area with one operator working off speakers and one working off headphones to produce dual mixes; and the vision area. Here, three operators tweak the pictures to ensure they are matched and that all circuits are delivered without fault. A fourth operator acts as relief and a vision supervisor sits at the end of the row in direct view of the director. George explains how this is an important design characteristic of SIS LIVE OB trucks that helps massively with communications, particularly when working in a fast-paced environment such as that of a live sport broadcast. If there's an issue or if the director needs confirmation a message has been received it's far simpler to glance left to VT/Vision or right to Sound than to listen for audio confirmation over talkback units.
This year OB 3 replaces Unit 12 which is normally used and this has necessitated a certain amount of planning and preparation. Engineers George Bowler and Colin Lee had worked on the truck at base to ensure that all previous Unit 12 configurations and production preferences have been replicated, ready and waiting for the production team when they arrive on site. This preparatory work is essential to ensure that clients are able to work in familiar environments at any site.
Once the HD programmes are created it is SIS LIVE's responsibility to deliver them to the BBC ready for broadcast on TV. The preferred transmission method for long broadcasts such as these is by terrestrial digital link to BT tower rather than by satellite. With the previously used Crystal Palace masthead no longer an option, antennae have this year been rigged on a hoist to achieve direct line of sight with BT Tower and provide a successful and cost- effective solution. Three circuits BBC2, BBC Red Button and BBC International are delivered in this fashion, facilitated by SIS LIVE's Link 13 vehicle.
copyrighted by liveProduction.tv Stationed next to OB 3, Unit 10 is handling the creation of British Eurosport programming with a SIS LIVE uplink unit transmitting international feeds and receiving incoming feeds. The uplink vehicle has a huge 1.8m DriveForce antenna mounted on it's roof. I'm told that SIS LIVE design, develop and manufacture their own uplink units and satellite antennae which means they are perfectly built for this kind of work and that their engineers get to know the technology from inside out.
Leaving the broadcast compound and, following John King through a warren of secret pathways and passages, I arrive at the back of the south stand overlooking the court. Covers are just being rolled back so that Murray and Mahut can resume their match. The air heavy with excitement and not a little moisture, it looks like this match will be a stop/start affair, challenging the broadcasters to plot a cohesive narrative pathway through the day's events. Three commentary boxes, built and rigged by SIS LIVE, provide homes for Eurosport, BBC TV and BBC Radio 5Live.
In the corner of the ground sits t
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
(28/06/2013) The Queen's Club Championships, now the Aegon Championships, is an annual ATP tournament for male tennis players held on grass at the Queen's Club in West London. As one of only four grass court tournaments staged in the build-up to the Wimbledon Championships it is used by many top players to re-acclimatise to grass. It is arguably the most prestigious of the pre-Wimbledon tournaments and much of that eminence has come from the fact that the BBC, as host broadcaster, has given the tournament extensive TV coverage for the many years.
