
Wimbledon 2024: Sally Richardson on the BBC's complex and comprehensive coverage By George Bevir
Friday, July 12, 2024 - 09:41
Print This Story
Clare Balding, who leads the BBC's mid-afternoon and evening coverage on BBC1, with Marion Bartoli and Annabel Croft (Credit BBC iPlayer)
The BBC is once again providing comprehensive coverage of Wimbledon across BBC1 and BBC2, with all matches shown on iPlayer, plus coverage via radio, online and the broadcaster's app. With a minimum of 175 scheduled hours across both networks during the Championships, it is a considerable - and sometimes complicated - undertaking, as executive producer Sally Richardson explains.
Besides the Olympics, this is one of the most complex operations and it's grown over the years, says Richardson, who is working on her 25th - and final - Wimbledon Championships. Having started as a trainee assistant producer, her role now as director/exec producer is twofold; pre-Championships, she liaised with all external stakeholders including suppliers NEP and Moov, AELTC and WBS. And now, with the tournament underway, Richardson is on-site directing output on BBC1 and BBC2.
We looked at the end of the 2022 Championships and said we need to reinvent this, because we're not getting value for money
I liken what we do at Wimbledon to buying your first starter house, which might be a two up and two down. And then you might have kids, and maybe you get a dog, and then the mother-in-law comes to live with you, and you build an extension, and then maybe a carport, and then you knock through the roof.
And then it gets to the point where you realise you are trying to cram an awful lot in, and you've outgrown the structure. And so, if you were to start from fresh and have a look at providing coverage of Wimbledon for two BBC networks at the same time, you might not start with it this way.
Richardson is referring to working out of one (NEP) OB truck with one presenter, and the complexity of servicing two network channels at the same time with different output.
NEP is here on site for the BBC's domestic operation for over eight weeks, she says. They are the first to arrive on site, five weeks ahead of the Championships. Then, they are here for two weeks during the tournament, and then they've got a week to derig. They know every single cable and every fibre intimately, and touch wood, we have very few technical issues at all. They are absolutely top class, and we couldn't do it without them.
We're so blessed with the crew we have here. They've been doing it for years, and they are the best in the business, whether its sound, cameras, VT. It's really, really complex and without them, it could be even more challenging continuity is really important at an event like this so we always try to go for continuity of staff, and fortunately we do get it, which helps us a great deal.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) signed a new deal with the BBC back in 2021, extending the oldest broadcasting partnership in sport to 2027, by which time it will be a 100-year old relationship.
Says Richardson: We have a very long standing and great relationship with AELTC and latterly WBS. We've got eight presentation positions around the grounds, which is great and gives us real immediacy for our viewers, and the ability to be really in and amongst the action, particularly with the positions that we have behind the nets on No.1 and Centre Court.
Each year, we make sure that those are still maintained, that we're still happy and that the club is still happy for us to go there, and we will explore other positions as well to try and refresh things.
Read more Wimbledon 2024: Whisper expands offering with enhanced access All England feed
Last year, the BBC considered a presentation position on the roof of the new media centre but decided against it because it was a bit too exposed. This year, however, it has added two cantilevered parasols on the Hill Lawn Platform which provides an external wet weather position - vital given the particularly damp conditions of this year's Championships.
We always have the safety of our fabulous VR studio, but we do like to get out and about as well because we're on air for up to 12 hours a day so it's nice to be able to refresh our coverage and provide chapter headings for the viewers.
Online enhancements
While there are no major changes to the BBC's coverage this year, there is greater emphasis on collaborating with multiplatform colleagues and digital teams. Prior to last year, daily highlights programme Today at Wimbledon' was live from Wimbledon, but inclement weather meant matches continued and knocked Today at Wimbledon' off its network slot.
We looked at the end of the 2022 Championships and said we need to reinvent this, because we're not getting value for money having a team here working on Today at Wimbledon' which may not hit the air because of live play, which we obviously must cover, says Richardson.
So last year, it became a tape-based programme with links recorded and edited on site and put together as an entire programme which was then scheduled to go out at 9pm if play was not ongoing.
If we were still on air with live play, it would go on the iPlayer at 9pm instead. What that revealed was a 300% increase in iPlayer viewing, which really confirmed it was the right decision. What's happened this year is that we're still doing the same format, but as ever we are challenged with making financial savings, so the programme is now put together remotely in Salford.
In addition, edits that serve daytime programming are also done remotely in Salford, where the library and graphic design team are also now based, having previously been on site at Wimbledon. That not only helps deli
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...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
14/07/2026
Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...
14/07/2026
Plug-ins for heavy music
Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...
14/07/2026
Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model
IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...
14/07/2026
Registration open until 1 September 2026
The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...
14/07/2026
88-note model completes MK4 range
Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of the Nemotron Labs blog series, which exp...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
14/07/2026
Tuesday 14 July 2026
First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...
14/07/2026
When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...
14/07/2026
Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...
14/07/2026
Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...
14/07/2026
Pilot Project Shows How Retailers Are Prepared for the Next Step in the Evolution of Digital Commerce
Arvato Systems Drives Agentic Commerce Forward
G terslo...
14/07/2026
As part of this commitment, weve joined the SME Climate Hub, publicly pledging to:
measure our greenhouse gas emissions
reduce them in line with a net zero p...
14/07/2026
Power is AI infrastructure's inescapable constraint. How many tokens an AI factory can generate within a fixed power budget determines its revenue and profi...
13/07/2026
The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...
13/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
13/07/2026
Eurovision Sport is making live athletics more accessible to fans than ever befo...
13/07/2026
The Milwaukee Bucks will return to full-season over-the-air television for the 2...
13/07/2026
SMPTE has announced an expanded education pathway for media technology professio...
13/07/2026
Vizrt has announced that its graphics technology was used by broadcast design agency Girraphic for Netflix's debut MVP MMA event, broadcast live from the In...
13/07/2026
ARRI has announced an agreement to sell its global rental activities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America to H2 Equity Partners through a management...
13/07/2026
DAZN has announced a partnership with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring PBC fight nights to DAZN subscribers globally. The partnership begins Saturday, Ju...
13/07/2026
TikTok and WSC Sports have announced a strategic partnership that gives sports r...
13/07/2026
Two new Ross products -Brushback: Full Count and CapGo - are debuting at Citizens Bank Park All-Star festivities...
13/07/2026
MSG Networks' was given exclusive access during the Knicks' unforgettabl...