How NEP is helping Norway's trotting industry to race ahead with production innovations By George Bevir
Thursday, September 12, 2024 - 14:15
Print This Story
Trotting in Norway is a major industry. With hundreds of racing events and thousands of races every year, the sport has a dedicated audience, many of whom place bets that generate millions of Norwegian kroner annually. Norsk Rikstoto is the company tasked with overseeing horse racing betting and is responsible for delivering coverage to fans.
Supported by NEP Norway, a company that originated as a department within Norsk Rikstoto, the two organisations have worked together to share racing action with viewers - and developed several innovations over the years that are now part of the broader NEP Group.
As well as racing from Norway, Norsk Rikstoto broadcasts races from other territories, including Australia, France, and a bit closer to home, Sweden.
Each day, our afternoon coverage begins from one of the Norwegian tracks. Sometimes even during lunchtime, says Frode Martnes, executive producer at Norsk Rikstoto.
The daily broadcast we service [for the Norwegian races] is between three to five hours, depending on how many races are taking place. And that leads us into the night shift, where we might go back to Australia again, or to the US, depending on the time zone and races available. Due to the regulations in Norway, we deliver the TV pictures for everything you can bet on in Norway.
Norsk Rikstoto's journey to controlling its broadcast operations dates back 25 years when they created their own TV channel, Rikstoto Direkte.
We look after the distribution of the daily competitions along with our betting menu from early in the morning to late in the evening, says Martnes.
The next step in this evolution is Norsk Rikstoto's new OTT platform, expected to launch in early 2026. Martnes acknowledges that they may be a little behind in terms of on-demand offerings, but he emphasises the shift towards direct-to-consumer services.
Frode Martnes, executive producer at Norsk Rikstoto
We realised that we were some years behind, but we're looking forward to our new OTT platform hopefully launching in Q1 2026, he says.
What we lack with today's distribution of a linear channel is that our on-demand offering disappears. So the upsides of having an OTT platform are an important priority for us as a company in terms of attracting tomorrow's customers.
Close relationship
NEP Norway's close relationship with Norsk Rikstoto dates back to its origins as an internal department before it was sold to Mediatec and then to NEP.
It was back in 2015 that we started doing remote production [for Rikstoto] over IP, explains Terje R ijen-Hammer, director of sales at NEP Norway.
And in response to a recent RFP from Norsk Rikstoto, NEP Norway built on that relationship when it developed a connected production ecosystem, modernising the entire setup with new fibre lines and using NEP's Total Facility Control (TFC) system for both production and signal transport.
This year, NEP Norway and Norsk Rikstoto also launched a new connected production ecosystem to support Norsk Rikstoto's operation.
The system includes a Production Control Room (PCR) in the Oslo Broadcast Centre and an OB truck, with all racing venues throughout Norway connected by fibre and routed to the PCR.
This setup supports in the region of 430 productions each year, broadcasting races in real-time with low-latency transmission (one frame of delay from the arena to the broadcast centre)-an essential feature for sports betting, provided by a JPEG XS contribution network from the arena to the broadcast centre delivered by NEP.
NEP's media asset management platform, Mediabank, also plays a crucial role in the system, facilitating both live streaming and archiving. Since 2008, Mediabank has been used to manage Norsk Rikstoto's branded TV channel, Rikstoto Direkte, and has archived over 50,000 races, all tagged with relevant metadata for future access.
Mediabank's role dates back to 2008, when physical storage space for tapes became an issue. We understood we needed to digitise this, so we began utilising Mediabank, and we still use it for trotting, says Rojien-Hammer. It's been a lot of amazing innovation together with this client, where we need to solve issues with solutions that are then used across the globe.
According to R ijen-Hammer, the feedback on the new system has been positive, particularly the choice to partner with a single company that could manage everything from glass to glass -from the cameras in the arena to the broadcast center.
Remote production
Eirik Nakken, NEP Norway's director of technology, highlights the strong relationship developed with Norsk Rikstoto. NEP provides the technical setup, from cameras in the arena to distribution.
It's all remote production, says Nakken. All the arenas are equipped with fixed installed equipment, which means that the crew just shows up in the arena and then starts using the equipment. We only travel OB units when it's a larger production where we add more cameras.
Nakken explains the complexity of the production, which includes full TV production for the main channel and multiple OTT feeds for specific horses or tracks. NEP is also responsible for the playout of the linear TV channel, the OTT channels, and encoding and origin services.
We've had very close cooperation with Lawo on the audio part, Nakken adds. With so many feeds, the audio mixes have been a challenge, but NEP's use of Lawo's crystal panels has helped streamline the process.
Eirik Nakken, NEP Norway's director of technology
NEP is also developing an HTML5 graphics package based on betting data and sports data from Norsk Rikstoto, further enhancing the
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
How NEP is helping Norway's trotting industry to race ahead with production innovations By George Bevir 
