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
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
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
