TVBEurope speaks to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts on why cinematic technology is seeing broader adoption, how it enhances the viewing experience, and how the trend will continue
By Jenny Priestley
Published: September 14, 2023 Updated: September 22, 2023
TVBEurope speaks to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts on why cinematic technology is seeing broader adoption, how it enhances the viewing experience, and how the trend will continue
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
In recent years the use of cinematic lenses and cameras has become more prevalent in live sports broadcasting.
The Super Bowl, La Liga and next year's Olympic Games are among the tier-one sports employing cinematic technology to bring their viewers closer to the action.
But why is the technology seeing broader adoption, how does it enhance the viewing experience, and how will the trend continue? TVBEurope spoke to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts.
The lens manufacturer: Carey Duffy , director of product experience, Cooke Optics Why do you think using cinematic technology has become so important to sports broadcasters in recent years? Cinematic technology of one sort or another has always been present in capturing sports. If the question relates to the quality of the image. My personal opinion is that sporting bodies and broadcasters are understandably trying to enhance their offering. Certain cinematic techniques add a layer of emotion that goes beyond just recording an image. If we are talking about the use of lenses. One has to know about the characteristics of a lens series and how they can add dimensionality and texture to the image, which will have a bearing on the outcome of the images captured. This is what cinematographers spend their working lives trying to perfect for the stories they are employed to capture.
How do you think it enhances the viewing experience? For me that only happens when the correct tech is used sympathetically to enhance the brief. For example in the FIFA World Cup, fast lenses were used at wide open T stop, to separate the players in the tunnel pre-match from the background and add dimensionality. To me the images looked plastic! There was no organic dimensionality because they were using cheap auto-focus photographic lenses that don't have soul or character in them. Obviously the idea was to make it look cinematic, so someone decided that this tech was good enough . That's where using the wrong tech which delivers a poor version of the nuanced look of a cinema lens causes issues.
Cooke's new SP3 range, which can be used to film sport Shallow Depth of Field when used sensitively is a great tool, but used for the sake of using it without craft and technique, is not cinematic. It can even be detrimental to what you are trying to capture, as cutting between shallow depth of field and deep depth of field can be visually off-putting. Also one has to consider the environment you are filming in and how cinematic techniques can enhance the viewing experience. One thing for certain is that people want to look good or have a flattering representation of themselves portrayed on screen this is where our lenses excel.
How do you see this trend continuing? I see sensitive people embracing the technology to do great work, whilst others will use simple tricks to try and attempt to deliver what they see as a cinematic image.
Tell us about your cinematic technology. Cooke lenses are renowned for capturing motion images in an organic and flattering way, especially faces. After all, when someone is speaking we tend to spend our time focusing on their face. In that environment, our lenses offer a unique look. That's the design philosophy we employ in our lens series, it's to lesser or greater degrees depending on the optical design of a series but that's what defines the Cooke Look.
The production company: Martyn Edwards, project director, EMG Why do you think using cinematic technology has become so important to sports broadcasters in recent years? New technological developments make it a possibility now, including RF technology. Shooting on film had its advantages in the old days, such as sharpness, depth of field, and colour gamut, but it also had disadvantages, such as time and cost for development. In the case of live sport, using film was extremely challenging and multi-camera switching was out of the question. With today's cameras and technology we can use cinematic lenses as part of a regular' multicamera environment. In particular we can now use cinematic cameras and lenses for depth of field and so-called bokeh' to create interesting effects.
How do you think it enhances the viewing experience? It enhances the viewing experience with dramatic effects and adds perhaps a little bit of artistry to the world of live sport. Within the last decade producers have tried to push the boundaries of what is possible to achieve a cinematic representation within broadcast. This approach offers a live event the same sense of visual gravitas as a cinematic experience. Surely a live event deserves that attention to detail? Especially when you think of the impact that key moments in sport have had on a fan's life. The shift towards a more cinematic approach enhances the viewer experience and sets milestone moments apart from traditional coverage.
How do you see this trend continuing? Historically technology suppliers have been limited by what is suitable to integrate into the broadcast environment. For us at EMG, a more cinematic method started out in concerts and one-off events, using cameras like the Alexa in a st
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
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...
TVBEurope speaks to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts on why cinematic technology is seeing broader adoption, how it enhances the viewing experience, and how the trend will continue
