Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Wimbledon 2024: Sally Richardson on the BBC's Complex and Comprehensive Coverage

13/07/2024

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
LINK: https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/wimbledon-2024-sally-richards...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

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

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

02/09/2026

Shotoku To Introduce Aura E2 PTZ Elevator At IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

AJA to Launch New openGear SDI/Fiber Conversion Cards at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

GoPro to Merge with Starman Optical

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

AIMS, EBU Completes Latest IPMX Certification Testing

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

EVS To Showcase New Neuron 4X Processor At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Sony Launches 100+ FAST Channels on Playstation 5 in the U.S.

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Canon Unveils PTZ Camera Firmware Updates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

EverPass Media Expands NFL Offering with Netflix Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Imagine Communications Unveils Latest Control Portfolio A...

Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...

02/09/2026

Friedrichstadt-Palast Relies on Riedel for IP-Centered Pr...

Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, the world's largest theater stage, has modernized its backstage production infrastructure with a comprehensive Riedel solut...

02/09/2026

WiM to Host Reel Forward Production Conference at CSU Los...

Women in Media announces that it will host the two-day Reel/Forward in-person conference devoted to navigating today's production scene. Guests can enjoy pa...

02/09/2026

Teradek and New Media AV Expand Partnership with Full Liv...

The expanded partnership brings Teradek's Live Production solutions to New Media AV's European dealer and integrator network, opening new opportunities ...

02/09/2026

QuickLink Expands StudioEdge With WhatsApp Cisco Webex an...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, announces a major expansion to its award winning Studio...

02/09/2026

Vipe by BCNEXXT Gives Foxtel a New Playout Model for its...

BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that premium entertainment brand Foxtel has selected Vipe to underpin playout for...

02/09/2026

HOT Telecommunications supercharges localisation efficien...

SubtitleNEXT helps HOT Telecom's subtitling team keep a cool head with reliable QC capabilities Profuz Digital, global developer of digital media and local...

02/09/2026

Case Study - Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety w...

Case Study: Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety with Safe-ion As productions become increasingly dependent on battery-powered equipment, the safe storag...

02/09/2026

New design strategy expands nanoparticle vaccine approach to influenza viruses

LA JOLLA, CA-Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutini...

02/09/2026

New AI algorithm could improve detection and prediction of heart diseases

LA JOLLA, CA-Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest ...

02/09/2026

Where milliseconds matter: Scripps Research scientists build new ML model to predict protein movements essential for biological function

LA JOLLA, CA-Proteins may look like rigid molecular structures, but inside our c...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Bridge Technologies Adds Blackmagic IP10 Support to VB440 Production Probe

Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 produc...

01/09/2026

DAZN to Acquire EverPass Media to Expand U.S. Commercial Venue Distribution

DAZN has announced an agreement to acquire EverPass Media, a commercial sports distribution platform serving bars, restaurants, hotels, and other venues in the ...

01/09/2026

Kalshi Named Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open

The USTA and Kalshi have announced a multi-year partnership making Kalshi the Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open, beginning with the 2026 US Open...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: MASV to Showcase Sports Video Transfer Workflows

MASV will exhibit at IBC2026 (Booth 5.B40, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14). CTO Majed Alhajry will appear on a panel session, A Tale of Two Feeds: Automation o...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: FingerWorks Telestrators Partners with Broadcast Rental for European Distribution

FingerWorks Telestrators has announced a partnership with Broadcast Rental to ex...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: FOR-A Expands viztrick AiDi into Two Dedicated Products

FOR-A has announced the expansion of viztrick AiDi into two dedicated products: Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub. Developed by Nippon TV and delivered glob...

01/09/2026

Sony Launches Live TV on PS5 with Free Ad-Supported Streaming in the U.S.

Sony Pictures Television has launched Live TV on PS5, a free ad-supported streaming experience available to PS5 players in the United States. The service is acc...

01/09/2026

Friedrichstadt-Palast Installs Riedel Production Infrastructure

Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin has installed a Riedel production infrastructure spanning video, intercom, control, and I/O across the venue, implemented in col...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Arkona Partners with BFE for Arkona-Branded Control Panels

Arkona technologies GmbH has announced an OEM partnership with BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH to offer arkona-branded control panels for its SDI-IP routing ...

01/09/2026

Cricket Australia Launches Cricket TV Streaming Service on Eluvio Platform

Cricket Australia has launched Cricket TV, a direct-to-consumer streaming service built on Eluvio's Content Fabric platform. The service is currently in ear...

01/09/2026

Eluvio Selected to Power Pasifika+ Streaming Service for Pacific Island Communities

Eluvio has announced it was selected to power Pasifika , a new direct-to-consume...

01/09/2026

Layercake Names Jon Marquard as Director/Chairperson

Layercake, the company behind the intelligent media workflow platform Streamcake, has appointed Jon Marquard as Director and Chairperson. The appointment marks ...

01/09/2026

Gravity Media Extends Powercor Stawell Gift Broadcast Agreement Through 2031

Gravity Media has announced a multi-year renewal of its agreement with Stawell Gift Event Management to produce the complete broadcast of the Powercor Stawell G...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Beam Dynamics Makes Debut with License Intelligence Module

Beam Dynamics will exhibit at IBC2026 for the first time (Stand 14.FT29, Hall 14), introducing License Intelligence, a new module for managing software licenses...

01/09/2026

ZOO Digital Selects Interra Systems BATON for File-Based Quality Control

Interra Systems has announced that ZOO Digital has selected BATON for file-based quality control across its media workflows. ZOO Digital delivers localized ente...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Bridge Technologies Deploys VB330 Monitoring at Sunrise

Bridge Technologies has announced the deployment of its VB330 monitoring probe at Sunrise, supporting the Swiss telecommunications provider's IP-based telev...

01/09/2026

Riedel Expands Coach Communications Partnership with Scottish Rugby Union

Riedel Communications has announced the continued expansion of its managed coach communications partnership with Scottish Rugby Union, now entering its third se...

01/09/2026

Behind The Mic: Football Season Approaches, as Networks Name On Air Talent for NFL, College Broadcasts

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: SMPTE Brings Full-Day Software-Defined Infrastructure Roadshow

SMPTE today detailed the centerpiece of its IBC2026 program: the SMPTE Roadshow: Future of Media Infrastructure, a full-day workshop on Monday, 14 September, th...

01/09/2026

Sound Particles & SOS Webinar: John Warhurst

Inside the Music and Sound of Michael Sound Particles have announced an upcoming webinar with John Warhurst, the Academy Award- and BAFTA-winning supervisin...

01/09/2026

Roland launch FP-40 piano & Piano Sphere app

Piano offers tutorials, lessons & feedback via app Roland have just launched a new digital piano that integrates with a mobile app in an effort to encourage...

01/09/2026

Trinnov Nova goes immersive

Update introduces 7.1.4 support via Dante Trinnov have just announced a software update that will allow Nova units with eight licensed Optimizer channels to...

01/09/2026

SBS secures exclusive rights to FIFA World Cup 2030

SBS secures exclusive rights to FIFA World Cup 2030 1 September, 2026 Media releases Major sports rights deal ensures all Australians will be able to view...

01/09/2026

SBS announces the launch of outcomes-based measurement across its network

SBS announces the launch of outcomes-based measurement across its network 1 September, 2026 Media releases New offer sees national broadcaster put outcomes...

01/09/2026

Revealed: The Booster Economy' how $140bn+ in everyday inheritances' is funding the lifestyles of the next generation

Revealed: The Booster Economy' how $140bn+ in everyday inheritances'...

01/09/2026

SBS census explorer to provide new insights into contemporary Australia

SBS census explorer to provide new insights into contemporary Australia 1 September, 2026 Media releases The 2026 Census Explorer will give marketers new i...

01/09/2026

SBS and oOh!media launch exclusive SBS News content partnership across office, airports and universities

SBS and oOh!media launch exclusive SBS News content partnership across office, a...

01/09/2026

SBS offers marketers greater reach with extension into outdoor, creator economy and retail

SBS offers marketers greater reach with extension into outdoor, creator economy ...