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 ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Marshall Electronics, a globally recognized provider of high-performance video solutions for broadcast, streaming, AV and professional production, will exhibit ...
08/10/2026
14-hour package also includes A Remarkable Place to Die season 2 as well as libr...
Wimbledon 2024: Sally Richardson on the BBC's complex and comprehensive coverage By George Bevir 
