Well-oiled machine in the Formula 1 circus
Broadcast Rental feels at home on Circuit Zandvoort From 2016 Broadcast Rental company has had strong ties with the Formula 1 circus, where, behind the scenes - or when it comes to Zandvoort: behind the dunes - it functions like a well-oiled machine, to use an appropriate term. Frank Steenbeek describes a pretty complex operation.
As Chief Operating Officer (COO), he calls himself a bit of a jack-of-all-trades , especially when it comes to the global car racing spectacle where Broadcast Rental has such a strong presence. I make sure everyone is able to do their job with the right tools, says Steenbeek, who has been with the company since 2017. I needed a little time to master the expertise we have - there is a huge technological development and it can be tricky, especially when it comes to wireless - but at some point our Formula 1 operation was pretty transparent, so I could get focus on the frequency issue.
That part of Steenbeek's job is as crucial as it is, perhaps, underestimated. At the beginning of the year, I create a framework with agreements that we made about who goes where and what frequencies we use where. Our tower of strength, Laura de Leeuw, then organises all the flights, hotels and local car rental. After that we just need to stay on top of new developments. The operation then basically runs itself. It may sound a bit arrogant, but we rarely have any issues with our systems, because we are deeply embedded in the FOM organisation (Formula One Management, the Formula One Group's operational organisation that manages broadcasting rights, red.) and are able to switch gears very quickly. It also helps that Jeroen Klaver and Bastiaan Woering, our dedicated Formula 1 crew, are present at each race and are able to manage or solve everything by themselves.
We are essentially the biggest supplier of unilateral facilities at the circuit, even though we are only a small operation.
Seven-strong team
That strong dedicated crew and the fact that we can upscale the local infrastructure with a relatively small amount of people is our unique selling point, Steenbeek realises. So, for Broadcast Rental The Dutch GP at Zandvoort is really business as usual, except on a much larger scale, since for Ziggo Sport this is a home race.
That is why we have a seven-strong team present. Bastiaan is the regular technician for commentator Olav Mol and reporter Jack Plooij, and there are two people to man the four extra wireless cameras that are used during the studio programme on location. On top of that, through Faber, the organisation requested two systems that have to cover the entire circuit, we supply Radio 538 with a fan zone system, and we are also active for MTV 3 Finland, BBC Radio and de NENT Group. I perform a kind of twin role, in which I offer production support to Ziggo/Southfields and act as a point of contact for all parties involved.
Complex triangle
The frequency allocation was also a bit more complicated this time, states Steenbeek, All requests were collected via the Formula 1 organisation, with Audio Electronics Mattijsen coordinating everything and the Agentschap Telecom then allocating the systems. It is a complex triangle, but it does mean everything runs smoothly on the day. The AT checks the equipment before we can actually use it. This takes time, so we try and get our turn as early in the week as possible. Of course, everyone else wants the same thing, so it will be a bit of a struggle to arrange this with mutual respect
Normally, production companies or TV stations have to put in their own request for these frequencies with the Formula 1 organisation, but for half the races we do this on their behalf, because we have knowledge of the equipment that often leads to specific questions. The rest of the time, you put your requests directly to the local telecom agencies'. In Italy you get in touch with the ministry, and in Brazil it is a commercial party.
We are essentially the biggest supplier of unilateral facilities at the circuit, even though we are only a small operation. Formula 1 has its own system and of course there are lots more other foreign parties that all have their own wireless equipment. That all has to fit into the spectrum and it can lead to strange situations. In Bahrein, military installations can suddenly be switched on, and in Brazil we need a mile-long cable, because of the huge distances. We know most circuits like the back of our hand, but we don't have those kinds of details about Zandvoort yet. But I'm not at all worried that we'll go off track there
No-brainer
NENT Group has acquired the rights to Formula 1 for the next three years. You are already doing business with them, so is Broadcast Rental still assured of this amazing job?
First of all, it is still unclear how NENT will be approaching this. The fact is that the GP races will be shown on their Viaplay platform and that six of them will probably be shown on an open channel. I can't predict how NENT will be rolling out the studio and connectivity in The Netherlands, but they have indicated that they are very satisfied with the services that we have delivered over the years. I don't want to call it a no-brainer, but we hope to reach an agreement about delivering systems for multiple countries and in multiple languages. We can easily draw on our current activities.
We get in touch every week to discuss the coming race: how are we doing, what are the plans? Apart from unilateral issues that can be dealt with on the spot, we can also take care of connectivity from the circuit to the different countries. That happens through our own MCR in Hilversum. Whether it is Australia or Belgium, the signals arrive with us through a fibre-optic connection and we do all the checks, both with the
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
Well-oiled machine in the Formula 1 circus 
