AE Lives Jodie Butcher reveals how she went from PE teacher to working on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, and why she would advise anyone looking to enter the media tech industry to own your lack of knowledge
By Contributor
Published: July 5, 2022 Updated: July 6, 2022
AE Live's Jodie Butcher reveals how she went from PE teacher to working on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, and why she would advise anyone looking to enter the media tech industry to own your lack of knowledge
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Jodie Butcher, sports broadcast graphics operator, AE Live Talk us through an average day in your role: Working across various sports means every day is different. However a typical few days would involve being on an OB, rigging cables and potentially problem solving any technical issues with vision and sound departments. I would then prepare all the graphics needed for the event using Viz and take part in the FACS check to ensure everything is working the way it should. The most exciting day is TX day where I work alongside the rest of the production team and operate the graphics live on air.
How did you get started in the media industry?
It happened by chance really, I volunteered for a few weeks at the World Athletics Championships in London 2007 and was placed in the media team. There I got to experience what goes on behind the scenes for the in-stadium entertainment and I was given the chance to operate the big screen graphics. After the event finished, I reluctantly went back to my old job but soon realised I wanted to work in TV. I applied for a job as a graphics operator at AE Live and I have been there ever since.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
Apart from my two weeks work experience at the World Champs I had no other training or experience before entering the industry. Prior to volunteering, I studied PE teaching at University and worked as a PE teacher before deciding I wanted a change of career. I've always had a huge passion for sport and still wanted to work in the sporting industry, but I wanted a career where I could travel the world and not work the typical 9-5. It was daunting starting in the industry as a total TV newbie but I soon realised that my lack of experience/training wouldn't hold me back and that to become a good graphics operator you don't need years of industry experience.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? I absolutely love the fact that every day is so different and no job is ever the same. There are no set working hours or days of the week, I thrive off of having no routine to abide by and rarely ever have the dreaded Sunday blues. The social side of the industry is great, I love meeting new people as well as seeing familiar faces in countries all over the world. The travel is by far my favourite aspect of the job, it can be tiring and does take it out of you at times but having the opportunity to visit so many countries and watch sport for a living makes it all worth it. I feel very lucky to say that this is my job!
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? Have the confidence to enter the industry even if you have no prior experience in the TV industry. If you have a passion for sport, are switched on, enjoy working as part of a team and are happy to work hard then graphics is a great place to begin a career in sports TV. Before I worked at AE I had no idea that all these roles behind the scenes even existed, if you have the chance explore as many of the departments as possible as it really helps with understanding the bigger picture of how TV production works. It can be daunting entering the industry with no idea how it works, but it is actually totally normal and everyone else started in the same boat as you. So my advice would be to own your lack of knowledge and use it in a constructive way to learn as much as possible from people you meet and to open your eyes to all the different roles that are out there.
Europe Stories
18/12/2025
Canada's largest indoor arena has transformed its live production capabilities with a full ST 2110 infrastructure and Calrec's compact Argo S console. S...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
18/12/2025
18 Dec 2025
VEON Upgraded to Nasdaq Global Select Market, Enhancing Investor Visibility Dubai, December 18, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital o...
18/12/2025
Thursday 18 December 2025
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the Masters ...
18/12/2025
Using the additive process of 3D printing, layer after layer gets printed until an object is as close to the final shape needed as possible. Historically, machi...
18/12/2025
In 2025, RT proudly supported 185 arts and cultural events across the island of Ireland, reflecting significant growth since the scheme was re-launched in 2014...
18/12/2025
RT Sports Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
18/12/2025
RT lyric fm presents a very special Winter Solstice edition of Ambient Orbit, l...
18/12/2025
At 7.45pm on 1st January 1926, the precursor to RT , then 2RN, delivered the fledgling new Irish state's first public radio transmission. From those first c...
18/12/2025
December 18 2025, 05:30 (PST) The Movie Experience SLO Becomes First U.S. Exhib...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Wuppertal December 17, 2025
Riedel Builds Global Communication and Commentary ...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
11 Dec 2025
VEON's Banglalink Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch Digita...
11/12/2025
Thursday 11 December 2025
Sky Arts paints a picture of Britain's beauty as ...
11/12/2025
It's not every day we're asked to create a website for a classical musician!
So, we were delighted to help pianist Georgina Duncan as she embarks on he...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
11/12/2025
Sash is ready to samba as Fair City star Stephanie Kelly is revealed as the late...
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
10/12/2025
For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON's Rising Capital Markets Profile Strengthened by Inclusion...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON Recognized for JazzCash, Kyivstar and Jazz at the World Commun...
AE Lives Jodie Butcher reveals how she went from PE teacher to working on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, and why she would advise anyone looking to enter the media tech industry to own your lack of knowledge
