Live From the 2023 Ryder Cup: Sky Sports' Virtual Studio in UK Plays Big Role in Remote Production The broadcaster is also sharing an onsite studio with Golf Channel By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Saturday, September 30, 2023 - 3:08 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
It has been a busy run of top golf events for the team at Sky Sports, with this week's Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside Rome following quickly on the heels of last week's Solheim Cup in Spain, the women's equivalent of the men's Ryder Cup.
The components of our Solheim and Ryder Cup coverage are fairly similar, with a world feed plus commentary plus a studio onsite, says Jason Wessely, executive producer, Sky Sports Golf. And there is a gallery and master-control operation at Sky that brings it all together.
Jason Wessely (left), executive producer, Sky Sports Golf, and Katie Harrison, production manager, Sky Sports, in the 2023 Ryder Cup compound
This Ryder Cup marks the first time at any tournament that Sky Sports and Golf Channel have shared a studio location. Located at the first tee, it gives both production teams a chance to leverage the same facility during dayparts that are optimal for their audience back home. Sky is on-air in the morning and during the day; Golf Channel takes over at the end of the day.
Timing-wise, in the U.S., it's much better to use it after the match is finished, notes Wessely. In the morning, we can build up on the first tee with a lovely studio set looking into the crowd and the energy of that crowd.
While Golf Channel is wrapping up the day's action on the studio, Sky Sports switches over to a standup position with an RF camera at the side of the 18th green. Sky also rebroadcasts the Golf Channel Live From show, giving viewers in the UK a bonus two-hour recap.
We'll manage that two hours from a smaller gallery at Sky, Wessely explains, so we can deal with any non-compliant stuff that we want to edit out on the fly. We could also run in our content to replace their content if we feel it's not quite right for our audience, but it is quite light-touch.
Studio operations back home are busy during the Ryder Cup, with a virtual green-screen studio in Osterley Park handling a variety of coverage elements. A camera at the Ryder Cup course shoots backdrops at different times of the day, and those images are dropped into the back-screen projection. The goal is to make the viewer at home feel that that the virtual set is an extension of the real studio set onsite.
Our player avatars, virtual course, and touchscreen are all presented from there, and it's designed to look as though it is here at the course, says Wessely. As soon as the player pairings are known, the team there gets to work building the players and building the editorial. Then they record the head piece in the virtual set and, when the time comes, run that into the program with a throw from the real studio here to the 3D virtual studio.
Building the player avatars began with player recordings last Tuesday and Wednesday. The recording process requires the players to stand on a rotating plank so that cameras can capture them from all angles.
We'll get some still photography, ask a few questions, and have some fun with them. That process is really important to us, adds Wessely. We then map their 3D images, which is crucial to our virtual presentation.
The storytelling rhythm of a Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup is very different from that of a major golf tournament because matches can end prior to 18 holes (and often do). The Ryder Cup, ideally, has very little time between sessions, but, if necessary, on-course RF kits and on-course reporters can do reports or interviews.
Plus, adds Wessely, we have the virtual studio at Sky recording the pairing for the afternoon, and we play that into the break section to reveal to the viewer who was going to play in the afternoon. The time goes by pretty fast.
Next week, the Sky golf team heads to Scotland for another unusual event. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championshi, is played across three courses: Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns.
We choose one course to focus on, Wessely explains, but we have remote OBs at every location for each day. We lean into the celebrity aspect and do interviews with the celebrities playing and have some fun with it because it is a different event.
Key to keeping spirits high for the team is good golf, and that is what it has had for the past couple of months, from the Open in Liverpool to the BMW Championship in Wentworth, the Solheim Cup in Spain, and now the Ryder Cup.
As long as the golf is good, it keeps the spirits going, says Wessely, adding, Weather is the other thing that can dampen the spirit. The trick is keeping the remote team back at Sky motivated, and we find clever ways to get them out to the golf course during the year.
Yes, they can sleep in their own beds, he continues, but it's hard to gauge the event when you're working at home. So a mixture of OBs, remote, and clever ways of getting [the team] to venues is the secret to remote broadcasting because it's here to stay.
North America Stories
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
17/03/2026
As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...
17/03/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...
17/03/2026
Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...
17/03/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
The Multi-platform Remote Gues...
17/03/2026
Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...
17/03/2026
New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...
17/03/2026
Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Fantasy Action Series Agent from Above' Puts Contemporary...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Trailer for the Final Season of Turn of the Tide
Entertainment
17 March 2026
GlobalSpainPortugal
Link copied to clipb...
17/03/2026
As AI native applications scale to more users, agents and devices, the telecommu...
Live From the 2023 Ryder Cup: Sky Sports' Virtual Studio in UK Plays Big Role in Remote Production The broadcaster is also sharing an onsite studio with Golf Channel By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
