An electrifying championship: Sport Mediaset on track with E-Prix electric cars By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent
Friday, March 15, 2019 - 14:53
Print This Story
SVG Europe sat down with the Sport Mediaset team in charge of the Formula E Championship director Alberto Brandi, producer Fabio Pravettoni and production manager Filippo Molinari. We discussed how the Sport Mediaset team produces the TV coverage for the electric car E-Prix races and what technologies are employed along the way.
As director of Sport Mediaset, can you give us a description of this emerging sport, where it takes place, how many events it includes and if Mediaset follows all the races?
Alberto Brandi: The Formula E World Championship has reached its fifth edition. It is the first, however, with second-generation cars that have greater speed and autonomy. In fact, this year the races have no breaks, whereas last year the races were divided in two parts.
The season started on 15 December in Ryad and will close on 13 and 14 July with the New York races, for a total of 13 E-Prix competitions. This year our presence from venues is extended compared to the previous season: we are present with our maximum coverage in 9 out of 13 events.
The main efforts are directed towards the Rome competition on 13 April which last year was an incredible success: the average share was more than 9%, a figure above all expectations and which we will try to surpass. Returning to external coverage, we will still be present at all stages with at least with one correspondent.
How many professionals do you usually engage in the production of a competition, both in terms of editorial and technical teams?
Alberto Brandi: The journalistic team is led by Luca Budel. In the races that we follow from the venue we send Irene Saderini, conductor; Ronny Mengo, conductor/reporter; Anna Capella, reporter; Nicola Villani, commentator; and Fabiano Vandone, technical commentator. The producer in charge is Fabio Pravettoni, flanked by Annamaria Pagnini and Christian Scarpina. The production manager is Filippo Molinari.
Where are the E-Prix races broadcast on air and on what schedule?
Alberto Brandi: The reference television network is Italy 1, and the timetable varies from time to time depending on the city where the E-Prix is run. For European events, the departure is set between 16 and 18 hours. Overseas we start in the evening and in the East in the morning.
We are planning retransmissions in the afternoon for the E-Prix broadcast in the morning. Everything is also visible streaming on our website Sportmediaset.it, where you can review all the races on demand.
For many TV productions, Mediaset uses proprietary vehicles, while on other occasions the choice is specialised external services. What happens in this case?
Fabio Pravettoni: The director is always Andrea Miglio and the shots are similar to those typical of automobile circuits. In the four races that we follow from Cologno, the production is with our own facilities. We are present with four broadcast vehicles. In total, in the Formula E official TV compound includes the host broadcaster and the other TVs for about 40 international vehicles.
Are links to final broadcast via satellite and/or fibre optic? Who deals with uplink connections?
Filippo Molinari: Connections are made by satellite. The uplink is managed by the different contract suppliers with EiTowers, the Mediaset group company that deals with telecommunications.
The host is curated by FEO TV, the English organisation in charge of the official production of the Formula E which realises the clean feed. Our TV production vehicle that we bring to the site is an integration/unilateral OB van.
An some stages, where we foresee a complex unilateral, we use the 4k OB4 gallery by NVP, a 14-
metre triple-expansion truck that allows you to work comfortably in a space of up to six meters in width. It is a very powerful vehicle that manages up to 28 Grass Valley LDX86N 4K Native cameras; on board it carries the Snell Kahuna Sam 9600 IP-3G Format Fusion 4 Video Mixer with management control and conversion UHD-HDR-SDR.
The video server is EVS XT3 with 10 GB fibre network and multiview system; on board there are hybrid matrix Snell Syrius 840 IP-3G 576 576 completely redundant; Grass Valley Miranda Kaleido multiviewers MX 3G 4K; and other equipment such as the Canon Reference Monitor 4K HDR of DP 2410 and TV Logic 4K; the SPG Tektronix Dual SPG 8000 with Eco 8000 analysers and WFM 8200 Tektronix 3G 4K HDR; and Lawo MC2 56 MKII is the audio mixer with 48 + 16 fader primary surface, and secondary Lawo MC2 56 16 + 16 fader, Lawo Nova 73 audio matrix and Clear-Com Eclipse HX intercom.
We produce a programme in stereo that is converted into Dolby 2.0 from our emissions in Cologno. Radio microphones and audio technicians belong to the RTI production centre. We use Wysicom radio systems.
How many cameras are usually located on the circuits and do the numbers vary depending on the location?
Filippo Molinari: From race to race we decide on the number of TV cameras, obviously depending on the importance of the event. The minimum coverage includes six cameras of which four are radio cameras directly on the circuit and two wired and remote cameras useful for commentators. The cameras are all by Grass Valley.
How long does it take for each setup before each race and can you count on the presence of pre-wired fibres on the circuits?
Filippo Molinari: Since the circuits are based in city centres, there is no fibre pre-wiring. This is provided by our TV service during the set-up phases for the radio cameras and radio microphones. The set-up usually starts on Wednesday morning to be ready for live on Saturday morning.
In the pit lane: (L/R) producer Fabio Pravettoni, former Renault F1 boss Flavio Briatore, Alejando
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...
An electrifying championship: Sport Mediaset on track with E-Prix electric cars By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent 
