Last-minute changes don't ruffle the feathers of Sky Sports' PDC World Darts Championship coverage By Adrian Pennington
Monday, January 4, 2021 - 12:24
Print This Story
Welcome to the Worlds, but not as we know it, says Andy Holmes, senior production manager at Sky Sports, wearing a mask and talking over Zoom from the TV compound and Great Hall of Alexandra Palace in London at the half-way point of the PDC World Darts Championship finals.
In a normal world, Sky Sports would have begun planning the production of the pinnacle of world darts in late August, outlining what, if anything, needed to change from 2019. COVID laid that to rest.
We've had to think on our feet about the other events, not just darts, we were doing at the time, which pushed thoughts of the Worlds back slightly because we didn't know what state production was going to be in, Holmes says.
In all honesty, 27 November to 18 December was a complete blur. But everyone has been brilliant. There have been no prima donna attitudes
Sky Sports' darts production team was also busy producing events like the Grand Slams behind closed doors but with spectator restrictions about to be lifted these plans were scrapped.
At the end of November, the UK government relaxed rules to allow fans into venues. For the Worlds that meant 1000 fans were to be allowed into Alexandra Palace, down from the usual 3000. We met with the PDC [Professional Darts Corporation] and revised our plans accordingly.
Socially distancing and other health regulations were still a priority for Sky Sports and its staff. The biggest change was in the position of the studio.
We couldn't have it anywhere where our crew would interact with the public so we had to relocate it to stage right with a very acute angle looking down to the stage. It was the only position for us to be free of public access and yet enable safe access for our staff.
COVID-19 changes part 1
Traditionally this studio is large enough to comfortably fit one presenter plus three guests along with four production crew. Sky Sports tasked global event contractors Trans-Sport with designing and building a new studio with double the capacity to accommodate one presenter plus two guests and a sound technician. It's an enclosed space with fresh air ventilation incorporated via ducting from the outside world.
The three regular studio cameras were replaced with Aerial Camera Systems-supplied SMARThead 2 remotes with Sony HDC-P50 cameras remotely operated from the OB compound.
Two front of stage cameras were already remote-controlled by a touchscreen. As in previous years, these were Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) SFH-50 IP-controlled pan tilt heads operated backstage. However, a six-speed slo-mo was also converted to an ACS SMARThead 3 system with P50 for remote operation.
The rail-cam didn't need changing since the operator sits backstage and not in the venue, says Holmes.
The only operated camera in the venue was a Jimmy Jib. We worked with the PDC to ensure the operator remained at a safe distance from any fans.
Augmented audio has been the biggest success in terms of creating tension and drama inside what is an empty space
There were two Sony 4300s backstage which would normally work in close proximity. Again, one of these was remoted using an MRMC SFH50 carrying a Sony HDC 4300 and Canon CJ20 lens. This head was controlled using a remote control Panbar head.
Another four locked-off and remote positions were mounted on the truss above the stage. One of these was purely for the spotter' who sits in the OB truck and acts as the eyes and ears of the director, for instance giving an informed opinion as to where the player will throw next and giving a heads-up to the director (who is also vision mixing).
Pre-COVID, the Worlds would have been a 24 camera, 16 camera-person operation, Holmes explains. We went down to 18 cameras and reduced the number of operators to seven.
Some cameras were easy to cull. Even with limited fans, it was decided not to deploy the usual Batcam wired solution for overhead crowd shots. Nor was there deemed to be a need for handheld roving radio cams.
COVID-19 changes part 2
All of this was in place ready for the tournament opening on 15 December . Then the UK government's coronavirus restrictions changed. Overnight, the PDC World Darts Championship went behind closed doors.
Suddenly we had no fans, says Holmes. This meant that our presentation position wouldn't work. There was this huge gap where the audience should be. So, with our directors Sean Randle and Jools Holmes and with the PDC, we went back to the drawing board. We gave Trans-Sport another huge task. Within 24 hours they had loaded up their trucks, driven down here and installed a walkway centre stage for the players to enter the arena - which before and with fans they were not allowed to do.
They installed an LED screen to one site and at the end of the walkway built an open presentation platform. We moved the studio cameras, re-cabled them and re-rigged and had to install extra lighting. Everything was in place for the first session.
Commentary set-up
We would normally use a single 8ft commentary booth with two commentators and comms box each, Holmes explains.
We'd have multiple commentators working in pairs, swapping out after each match. In a COVID world this would not be possible, so to enable us to achieve the same level of commentary safely, Trans-Sport constructed two 8ft booths, adding a Perspex window so commentators could visually interact. Each booth had three comms boxes, lip mics and headsets, so each individual commentator had their own allocated kit.
Normally, the commentary booths would be located in the venue, however, with the event due to have crowds Sky Sports moved the booths into the TV compo
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
Last-minute changes don't ruffle the feathers of Sky Sports' PDC World Darts Championship coverage By Adrian Pennington 
