HBS MEMORIES 2012: MULTIPLEX MADNESS - 21/12/2012 Charles Mautin will remember the evening of Saturday 11 August 2012 for a long time and for a number of reasons. Although one match had been played on the previous evening, this was the true kick-off to the French Ligue 1 football season, with eight matches being played simultaneously across the country in what the French term a Multiplex. As HBS' envoy to the SERTE, the Paris-based nerve centre for all incoming and outgoing feeds from Ligue 1 (and Ligue 2) matches, Charles was in charge of quality and editorial control of all eight.
We had three feeds coming in from each match and both Ligue 1 broadcasters (beIN Sport and Canal+) showing matches at once, Charles recalled. It was the first big matchday of HBS' new contract with the LFP [Ligue de Football Professionnel, organisers of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 competitions], so it was important to get things off to a good start, and the LFP had sent a representative to observe our operations and keep an eye out for any problems And Francis [Tellier, HBS CEO] was there too, doing the same thing. Put it this way: it wasn't the least pressure I've ever felt
Meanwhile, in the next room over and with the doors wide open, French public television staff were loudly commenting on the London Olympics for their 3D channel stuff like the Women's High Jump, Diving and Taekwondo. I'm as big a sports fan as anyone, but I was just trying to do my job, and it was more than a little distracting. Almost immediately everything started to fall apart the incoming feeds went buggy, the graphics didn't match the official look, there was a glitch with the switching It was a real nightmare scenario not to mention PSG!
PSG, or Paris Saint-Germain, are the club of Charles' heart and were playing Lorient at home in one of the eight matches on screen. Following their newsmaking summer signing of Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club's ambitions had never been higher. But despite Charles' professional attention to all eight matches, he could not help but notice that the team were losing 0-2 to Lorient at home in what was looking increasingly like Charles' worst-ever day on the job.
But then, piece by piece, the evening got back on track.
I managed to get things sorted out with the feeds and the switching. Francis and the LFP representative not only helped me take notes on the various issues but to my relief remained cheerful and even-tempered. The quality of the coverage picked up a lot, and by the second half everything was running pretty smoothly.
As things started to settle down and I was able to relax a bit, the Olympics moved on from Diving to the Men's 4x100m Final and I got to hear the live commentary about Usain Bolt and the Jamaican relay team catching the Americans on the last leg and setting a world record, like it was my own private radio feed. Almost simultaneously, Ibrahimovic got his first-ever goal for PSG to make it 1-2.
The Swede wound up tying the game with an injury-time penalty kick, just as Charles was tracking the final whistles being blown on the various matches across the land.
In the end the first matchday wound up being a win-win-win: the LFP was pleased with our performance, they gained new appreciation for what we do in terms of quality control and Ibrahimovic got his first two goals for PSG. It was a great evening.
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HBS MEMORIES 2012: MULTIPLEX MADNESS - 21/12/2012 Charles Mautin will remember the evening of Saturday 11 August 2012 for a long time and for a number of reasons. Although one match had been played on the previous evening, this was the true kick-off to the French Ligue 1 football season, with eight matches being played simultaneously across the country in what the French term a Multiplex. As HBS' envoy to the SERTE, the Paris-based nerve centre for all incoming and outgoing feeds from Ligue 1 (and Ligue 2) matches, Charles was in charge of quality and editorial control of all eight. 
