From aspiring DJ to Sky Sports: A1 mixer Alex Judd on being at the forefront of audio change By Heather McLean, Editor
Monday, September 20, 2021 - 14:49
Print This Story
Sky Sports' Alex Judd, hard at work programming a Calrec console
I've worked in five different audio-related positions whilst being at Sky, says Alex Judd, technical specialist and A1 at Sky Sports. Throughout that time, I've mixed chat shows for Channel 5, live music productions, boom operated on dramas, guaranteed, managed staff and freelance teams for seven years, designed and planned multiple audio installs, and mixed over 20,000 hours of live audio for broadcast.
My biggest career progressions have been when I have been trusted to perform at a high level, where there are either lots of viewers, or big stakes in project timelines.
However, Judd adds it has not always been a career progression without bumps in the road: I think the most defining moment was when a show I tried to supervise when first starting out went horribly wrong. I questioned whether I wanted to continue doing this as a career. Fortunately, I just went back and gave it another go.
It's not an easy job to develop in without mentors and the support of others. There's so much to learn, and you need guidance on what is important to know and what to ignore when first staring out, he adds.
Forefront of change
Judd looks back at the challenges he has faced over the course of his career: Technology changing was quite an interesting one. Before we built Sky Studio in 2009, I recall myself and a colleague naively thinking we'd cracked it. All of the studios had different quirks as they had been built at different times with different tech, so understanding all the local knowledge was crucial to getting shows to air. Then we moved into Sky Studios and started all over again. At that point I realised this would happen multiple times through my career.
Now I'm on the forefront of that change, he continues. It looks like there are not that many staff jobs out in the industry, so Sky is special in that way. There are multiple directions to move in a company this size, but it's important to focus on the value and skills you bring to any current role you are seeking employment in.
The hardest thing can be to stay abreast of all of the often evolving requirements of the project, especially when managing multiple projects. You need to have a clear overview of the interdependent technologies deployed to make the different jobs work. Joining all the bits of the puzzle together is the challenge, but its' also a big part of the attraction
Sports broadcasting audio is an exciting area that gives Judd a buzz: The initial draw for me, working in sports broadcasting audio, was mixing live shows. The buzz of planning and executing the details of a big production came later on, but it was all intertwined with the thrill of live mixing, and also setting up communications. There's an art in all of it, especially when it goes well.
The draw for me now is in understanding larger scale systems and tech which can be used to facilitate live productions from an audio perspective. I have always been into technology and had fun being creative with how to use it. Once you start to understand how systems connect together it almost becomes like puzzle to solve.
Alex Judd, technical specialist and A1 at Sky Sports
An objective ear
Today, Judd's job is all about looking at the big picture for audio at Sky Sports. He notes: My role is currently solely focused on technology, innovation and Sky Sports audio output on a macro level. I'm focussed less on firefighting issues brought on by COVID, and now engage the industry manufacturers with new tech plans and ideas that we are rolling into our cloud based virtual production suites. I also work with our sound team and production teams to help enhance our production sound by introducing new tech, workflows, and by pushing for sound to be at the forefront of what we do for live broadcast. We are pushing immersive 5.1.4 audio to be on all our top tier sports.
He adds: I enjoy the creativity of high-level thinking, and when a project or design is implemented well. I also enjoy learning from mistakes and challenging the way things are done in order to innovate. Some things I've tried have worked really well after bedding in.
He goes on: My current role is a culmination of hours spent thinking about and listening to sound with an objective ear, and with a commercial thought process to deliver projects tailored to their specific use. Getting the job was really about positioning, timing and having the backing and trust of many different managers and stakeholders to lead in this position.
On the difficulties of his current role, Judd notes: Initially what was hard was just trying to understand the architecture of how all of the systems joined together, along with all the new people and their differing roles. It was like a whole new world from live production, but at the same time totally connected due to the technology.
The hardest thing can be to stay abreast of all of the often evolving requirements of the project, especially when managing multiple projects. You need to have a clear overview of the interdependent technologies deployed to make the different jobs work. Joining all the bits of the puzzle together is the challenge, but its' also a big part of the attraction.
On what are the most challenging aspects of working in live sport audio today, Judd comments: It depends on which angle, or which hat I'm wearing. As a sound supervisor, it's the sheer volume of circuits, and aggregation of comms and audio combined with production demand. From a technical engineering perspective, a lot of the systems aren't intelligent networks so
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
From aspiring DJ to Sky Sports: A1 mixer Alex Judd on being at the forefront of audio change By Heather McLean, Editor 
