EMG / Gravity Media and its partner In Touch Production took on the challenge of developing an innovative remote production workflow for the sport’s governing body, England Netball, during its regular season rounds. This successful collaboration aimed to expand the sport's reach through a cost-effective and sustainable remote workflow by leveraging advanced technology to deliver high-quality broadcasts on platforms such as BBC iPlayer and live streaming specialist Netball Pass.

The Challenge

England Netball, just like many other sports that aren’t normally broadcast, faced the challenge of producing high-quality live streaming. The goal was to create a cost-effective and sustainable production workflow that maintained broadcast standards while enabling rapid turnaround times between matches. 

Throughout this process, several challenges needed to be solved by the EMG / Gravity Media and In Touch team to tell the story of a match effectively to the viewer, while making the workflow as efficient as possible. 

One of those challenges was keeping the game time clock graphic, an essential component of any match, as accurate as possible. The team decided that the simplest and most accurate way of presenting this to the viewers was using a locked off additional camera and transmitter pointed at the match clock courtside. The graphics operator then tracked this at the Production Hub to make sure the on-screen clock was always in sync.

Another challenge the team had to rapidly find a solution to was around the speed of the game, which left little time for dedicated replays. They found the best way to work around it was by using Vizrt’s TriCaster, which gave the team the ability to run replays in an onscreen dedicated box, allowing action to be analysed without interrupting the flow of the game. 

The ingenuity of the team has been extended to other areas of the production as well, with presenters previewing the matches live in-vision using in-ear monitors for talkback rather than as a pre-recorded segment, giving greater fluidity and excitement to the coverage.

The Solution

To support these and more challenges, this remote production workflow, developed and refined across various sports, was the perfect solution for England Netball. The workflow developed by EMG / Gravity Media and In Touch Productions involved strategically placing two Panasonic HPX3100 ENG cameras on the gantry and a third camera in a court corner for dynamic coverage. Commentary positions and pre-recorded interviews added depth to the broadcasts.

All video and audio feeds were sent to Haivision Encoders, then transmitted via 4G to the EMG / Gravity Media Production Centre in High Wycombe. It was there where the feeds were decoded and assembled in the gallery using Vizrt’s TriCaster. The Director could seamlessly integrate HTML5 Graphics (VIZ FLOWICS), replays, editorial content (SimplyLive), and mix audio components.

The Outcome

The net result is a production that punches far above its weight and, because of the compact kit used and the fact that the production team splits both on-site and in the gallery, it delivers the triple benefits of increased sustainability, high quality production values, and cost effectiveness. This setup allowed rapid match turnaround times, with as little as 60 minutes between games, enabling multiple productions from various locations.

The innovative approach also received positive feedback on social media for the broadcast quality, effectively engaging both existing and new audiences, and showing the M&E industry how remote production can be a viable and adaptable solution for other niche or Tier 2 sports, expanding sports diversity. 

Mark Foster, CCO at England Netball says:

“EMG and In Touch have been fantastic to work with and the fans and the BBC have loved the live product we have broadcast.  We were clear from the start that our budgets were small, and the challenges were big for a live broadcast from an indoor arena, most of which was not set up for the live broadcast of elite level netball.  EMG / Gravity Media and In Touch Production’s creativity, adaptability and professionalism has meant that the live broadcast has delivered beyond our expectations with the basics (though difficult to deliver) always being met with live domestic & overseas feeds never going down, clock & score being accurate, replays in such a fast moving sport as well as innovation for the league being introduced with elements such as live stats all delivered on a small budget. And their level of professionalism meant that we were able to use top quality on screen talent knowing that they would enjoy their experience, particularly important when we used industry pros such as Kath Merry & Lindsay Chapman as well as introducing the Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby to our productions which has helped to take them to another level.”

Jess Thirlby, Head Coach of England Netball adds:

“Working with EMG / Gravity Media and In Touch Productions was part of the ground-breaking new partnership with England Netball. Week on week to engage with a production team who wanted to help drive the sport forward and show it in its best light was a joy and they continued to push the boundaries. For a team new to our sport, you’d be impressed with the passion shown and it was a privilege to work with and alongside such a credible production. We couldn’t have asked for a better champion of our sport and they’ve helped us to reach both our existing and new audience ahead of an exciting time in our sports journey.”