Henley Regatta Builds International Audience With Stylish Production on YouTube, BT Sport

Henley Regatta builds international audience with stylish production for YouTube and BT Sport By David Fox

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 10:20

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The Henley Royal Regatta is one of the grandest events in the English social calendar. A place to see and be seen - but, for 50 years, not by TV viewers. That was until five years ago when the Regatta brought in Sunset Vine and started streaming every single race on YouTube. That partnership has now been extended for another five years.

The uptick in entries has been dramatic because of the broadcast coverage, with more races as a consequence, said Sir Matthew Pinsent, four-time Olympic gold medallist and Henley Steward.

We've always had entries from Europe, America and Canada, but now we're getting people coming from Australia and New Zealand in numbers that we have never had before and I think part of its to do with the broadcast initiative, and streaming it worldwide is key for that. The digital numbers aren't huge, but they are significant because rowing is a small but passionate audience. Our average watch time yesterday on YouTube was over 20 minutes, which for YouTube is mad, compared to a more usual 50 seconds average, he said.

The digital numbers are significant because rowing is a small but passionate audience. Our average watch time yesterday on YouTube was over 20 minutes, which for YouTube is mad.

The YouTube coverage is available each day, from early morning until the last race (about 19.45), and was the initiative of Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, chairman of the Regatta's Committee of Management, when he took over running the regatta. Sunset Vine then brought in BT Sport in the second year as it works with the broadcaster on football, rugby and cricket. BT Sport takes the last three days of the event and has signed up to broadcast it again in 2020.

It's been popular with the rowing community, which is what is important to the organisers, said Andrew Preece, executive director, Sunset Vine. There are some 350 races over the five days, with about 90 races on each of the first three days starting at five-minute intervals. Every single race is streamed live on YouTube, and is clipped and available as an individual package within 20 minutes of the race.

Preece feels that Henley is a unique event. It is not just about sport, there is a lot more colour than normal races, and because it is a knockout competition there is a lot of emotion.

One challenge for Sunset Vine has been to protect the traditional view of Henley, uncluttered by

The gyro-stabilised Cineflex on the umpire boat Artemisia

cameras, and broadcast it without affecting the enjoyment of the annual 300,000 visitors to the Regatta, said Sarah Greene, Henley world feed executive producer (and head of women's sport at Sunset Vine). Although the Henley committee want to take the event forward, they are adamant that broadcasting it mustn't interfere with the atmosphere and ethos of the Regatta.

Part of Henley's charm is that it is a very traditionally-led regatta, from a competition point of view. There is no data coming off that course. It's all manual, she said. We have to be very mindful of that, and that is part of the USP of Henley, but we also have to keep pushing forward those quite surprising coverage moments we've been managing to get so far.

Being on YouTube has been a very definite and strategic decision, and I think, actually, they've been very lucky that they can play that long game. They will build organically from that and they will be in a much stronger position, added Greene. The success of the coverage in increasing entrants from around the world, particularly from China, means that Henley is considering extending to a sixth day of racing, and Sunset Vine is committed to covering it if they do.

The colour and excitement of the Regatta was enhanced this year with the King's Cup, which Greene called an amazing story . This was only the second time it was rowed since its inception 100 years ago, and it won't be rowed for another 100 years. The nations that competed in the original Peace Regatta came back, with the addition of military eights from Germany and the Netherlands, and Henley created a new King's Cup using silverware from each nation (bits of boats or old trophies). It was also the first time mixed (male/female) eights took part in the Regatta. It was won by the US Naval Academy.

Depth of experience

There were two OB trucks at Henley - one doing the race coverage and the other the BT Sport presentation. This is the only rowing Sunset Vine is currently doing. It did the Power8 Sprints last year in Bristol, but that hasn't yet been taken further due to lack of sponsorship.

Even so, we like to call ourselves the most experienced rowing production team in the world, thanks to the sheer volume of races they have covered 1,539 match-ups over the five years, said Greene. We have had the same team, on the cameras, in the back room, in the truck, working on this regatta since we started.

It has eight or nine race cameras, plus a roving reporter cam, and three cabled cameras for the BT Sport presentation. It is not a huge camera plan, but it does give us pretty comprehensive coverage, said Preece.

The first year they used all RF links, but now the three cameras near the finish line are on fibre. However, it is still a pretty big RF operation, linking back to receiver antennae by the finish.

We wanted to create some variety, so that not every camera was panning from left to right, he added. So, they spent a lot of time planning where to put camera gantries and other camera positions. It is quite an interesting camera plan. It is quite varied. The event is still being covered in HD, but UHD is on the agenda for what's next.

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