Host Broadcasting – Gravity Media

Interview with Alessandro Curti, Head of Graphics at EMG Italy

EMG Italy and RCS Sport have renewed their partnership for the production of the leading Italian cycling events, with a strong focus on technological innovation, editorial quality and integrated management. Giro d’Italia 2025 will feature advanced systems including live data-driven graphics, drones, artificial intelligence and pixel tracking.

More than 120 professionals are involved, along with a mobile production unit for the international feed and tailored streams for digital platforms. The aim is to deliver an increasingly immersive and technically refined television experience.

“Last year we implemented a number of new graphic solutions, and this year we’ve continued along the same path,” says Alessandro Curti, Head of Boost Graphics in Italy, the international broadcast graphics division of EMG / Gravity Media.

“This year’s project involved advanced technologies, new data collection systems, and a significant expansion of the features dedicated to the live television production of cycling’s flagship event, the Giro d’Italia.”

RCS Sport has entrusted EMG / Gravity Media Italy with the international production and distribution of its cycling events, while all graphics operations are managed by its subsidiary Boost Graphics.

This collaboration allows for early-season trials of new tools during events like the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo, which are then fully developed and deployed at the Giro. Other RCS races follow: Milano-Torino, Gran Piemonte and Il Lombardia. Since last year, new additions include Sanremo Women, Giro Donne and Giro Next Gen, expanding the calendar of covered events.

The Giro represents the culmination of all graphic innovations tested throughout the season.

Among the key developments this year are new solutions that highlight athlete data: in addition to biometric parameters (speed, cadence, power output in watts) previously limited to a few riders, the 2025 edition features a greatly expanded dataset.

Additional information such as weather conditions, cultural content and historical notes on each stage location have also been integrated, some of which are provided directly by the organiser through dedicated tools developed to enhance their graphic representation.

“For biometric data collection,” Curti explains, “we’ve developed a new system in collaboration with VELON, an external partner of RCS. The data are captured by sensors mounted on the bikes, transmitted via mobile networks using transponders, and sent to a central data hub. From there, the information is transferred via API and internet connection to the Boost Graphics operations centre, where it is processed in real time and provided to the main production director.”

Boost Graphics has also developed a custom application for collecting and managing this statistical data.

Almost every bike (within technical limits) is equipped with a transponder, and the transmitted data is processed to create athlete-specific biometric graphics, enabling dynamic comparisons between riders in breakaways, in the peloton or among general classification contenders.

All of this is integrated into the live graphic flow for the international feed. The transponder signals are first received by the VELON hub and then sent via mobile network (which can present challenges in mountainous terrain) to Boost’s graphics hub, where the system processes the data with minimal latency. Graphic operators select the most relevant content in line with the narrative choices of the live director. The data feed is continuous, but only pertinent elements are broadcast, using templates created during the off-season.

Live images are accompanied by informative graphics, from weather and biometric data to group composition and breakaway formations. A single graphics coordinator maintains direct contact with the director to ensure editorial consistency. Three Boost Graphics OB vans are stationed at each stage finish, staffed by personnel managing timing (in partnership with Microplus), intermediate sprints, stage results, secretariat tasks and photo finish.

“One of the key innovations in 2025,” adds Curti, “is the introduction of the ‘Red Bull kilometre’, a new intermediate sprint that required the development of dedicated and branded graphics. We’ve also expanded our technical infrastructure: six OB graphic vehicles in total—three at the finish and three along the course to manage the intermediate sprints. Two additional graphic workstations have been installed on one of the OB vans to reinforce operations.”

The intermediate sprint vans are responsible for collecting and transmitting the sprint standings in real time, including graphics and official statistics.

Personnel are distributed across three intermediate sprint positions, two photo finish stations, one secretariat, one for race radio, one for GPS, one for pixel tracking, and three operators for central graphics—for a total of 13 specialised roles.

The Pixel Tracking system, used exclusively on helicopter footage, allows real-time tracking of rider positions within the race, with dynamic on-screen labels showing name, bib number, and jersey type. One operator is dedicated to this task, and the footage is also used in post-production.

Finally, to integrate with RAI’s graphics, EMG / Gravity Media Italy has assigned a dedicated operator and equipment within RAI’s OB van, ensuring unified and consistent graphic management throughout the race.

“It’s a complex but cohesive team effort,” concludes Curti, “and I would like to thank Antonello Grippo, Cycling Project Manager, in particular. The result is a graphic system that is richer, more precise and more dynamic—one we’re especially proud of, as it truly serves the television storytelling of the Giro d’Italia.”

The Final Eight, the 2025 Italian Basketball Cup, took place in Turin at the Inalpi Arena from 12 to 16 February 2025, with the semi-finals on Saturday, 15 February, and the final on Sunday, 16 February. Won by Dolomiti Energia Trentino, who defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in the final, the Final Eight once again proved to be an event of great spectacle and competition, with an outstanding response from the audience and a record of 46,000 spectators over five days of competition.

Once again this year, all phases of the competition were covered thanks to the well-established TV production by EMG / Gravity Media Italy. However, this edition introduced several innovations, particularly in indoor graphics, as explained by Alessandro Curti, Head of Graphics.

“We have certainly introduced an innovative service,” confirmed Alessandro Curti, “introducing for the first time graphic contributions and statistics on the LED walls inside the arena, for the benefit of the audience and fans present. The content was displayed across three different platforms: the side columns, the central cube—usually reserved for match data—and the LED walls around the court. The generated graphics were not broadcast simultaneously on all platforms but were strategically distributed using a system we specifically developed. Most of the information was displayed on the new large vertical screens at the sides of the arena, almost like visual columns, providing constant updates on team statistics, individual player performances, and comparisons, enhancing the entire dataset we manage.”

These data, collected directly by Boost Graphics through proprietary systems, were provided to LBA (Lega Basket Serie A) as part of a season-long agreement. Additionally, during three key moments defined by the LBA as “dominance”, all graphics were displayed simultaneously on all platforms: side columns, central cube, and LED walls around the court, creating an integrated and dynamic visual experience.

These three key moments were:

Instant replay, the basketball equivalent of VAR in football, used for controversial referee decisions.
Crunch time, the final two minutes of the game.
Time-out calls, during which dedicated graphic effects and team logos of the requesting team were displayed.

“The launch of this new service,” continued Alessandro Curti, “was an absolute first, allowing us to enhance our in-house data management expertise. Thanks to this knowledge, we were able to distribute graphics in real time across multiple platforms—a specialisation that LBA acknowledges and entrusts to us as a highly qualified operator, not only in the management of live broadcast graphics but also in understanding the narrative dynamics and specific characteristics of this sport.”

The project was developed to meet the specific needs of LBA, with EMG / Gravity Media Italy working intensively to achieve the desired results, to the great satisfaction of the client. The public responded positively to this new set of information, further enhanced by the collaboration with the official event speaker, who highlighted key stats.

Particularly in the pre-match phase, curiosities and statistics were shared, enriching the spectator experience and engagement. This collaborative approach between Lega, the graphics content provider, and the live speaker led to excellent results, as during the dominance moments, the entire arena reacted in an immersive atmosphere, amplifying the mood of the situation and enhancing both the graphics and the game environment. For home viewers, the match was enriched with 2D graphics, augmented reality elements, and large screens visible in the broadcast footage.

Virtual Graphics

Following its debut in the previous edition of the Final Eight, the decision was made to continue developing and implementing 3D graphics live, created by the Boost Graphics team. Real elements, such as the trophy or player photos, were integrated into the official LBA look & feel, enhancing statistical data through individual player cards, numerical comparisons, and leaderboards for the top three scorers and rebounders.

The selection and placement of these contents were agreed upon with the LBA, both in editorial and graphic terms, in full coordination with the production team, which further enhanced the 3D elements through carefully planned camera movements. EMG / Gravity Media Italy also utilised the Robycam, a highly manoeuvrable cable camera system capable of executing three-dimensional movements in space.

This system enabled the capture of dynamic aerial shots, perfectly integrated with 3D virtual graphics, delivering a visually striking impact throughout the Final Eight matches. Among the most appreciated graphic elements was the 3D model of the trophy, based on the actual cup won by the victorious team. Great attention was also dedicated to the scoreboard and the award ceremony, which celebrated the values of the winning team.

Additionally, the starting five lineup presentation was enhanced with 3D elements, featuring player photos and individual cards with real-time statistical data and detailed information on the key players, constantly updated. During half-time, the statistical collection of shooting percentages was represented using scenic 3D shot maps.

These maps, structured as three-dimensional steps, recreated the court layout, highlighting each team’s shooting efficiency in different zones: the higher the column, the better the shooting percentage from that area. Some of these aesthetic solutions had already been introduced in the previous edition, but this year, they were expanded with player-to-player comparisons, top three scorer and rebounder leaderboards, and an updated graphic layout in line with this edition’s style.

A Step Forward in On-Site Fan Engagement

“This year,” concluded Alessandro Curti, “the focus was particularly on fan engagement, thanks to the introduction of the described LED screens, where we brought statistics to life with visible and functional elements, going beyond the mere spectacle of the game. The real contribution of Boost Graphics lies precisely in this: transforming data into an accessible experience, offering an innovative visualisation of technical content. These are insights often reserved for TV audiences, but now we have made them available inside the arena as well, with highly positive feedback from both LBA and the fans.”

Supercars Media and EMG / Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today outlined the all-encompassing broadcast and technology partnership that will deliver coverage of this year’s Repco Supercars Championship across Australia and multiple international territories.

EMG / Gravity Media Australia and Supercars Media will travel more than 40,000 kilometres over the next ten months to deliver more than 400 hours of coverage of the Championship on FOX Sports, Kayo, the Seven Network and 7plus and international broadcast platforms.

The first race of this year’s 13 event Repco Supercars Championship sees Supercars race in twilight in Sydney across 21-23 February. The Repco Bathurst 1000 will be run across 9-12 October. Following the Repco Bathurst 1000, racing shifts to the streets of Surfers Paradise in late October. The season ends on the streets of Adelaide for the VAILO Adelaide 500 across 27-30 November.

The Championship is a significant technology and logistics broadcast undertaking accessing EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s state-of-the-art high definition outside broadcast trucks coupled with new cloud-based broadcast technologies. 

The opening round of this year’s Repco Supercars Championship, the upcoming Thrifty Sydney 500, will see EMG / Gravity Media deploy 25 cameras covering every on-track moment.

In addition, each of the 24 Supercars competing in the Championship carry four in-car and on-board EMG / Gravity Media Australia designed and developed specialist cameras.

At the Championship peak, with the Repco Bathurst 1000, EMG / Gravity Media and Supercars Media will access 200 cameras on track, in the pits, in the air, in cars and around the circuit.

Supercars Head of Broadcast, Nathan Prendergast, said:

“It’s great to be working with EMG / Gravity Media again to bring Supercars to fans all over the world. The scale of what we do each season is massive, and having a partner like EMG / Gravity Media, with their technology and expertise, makes all the difference. From in-car cameras to cloud-based production, we’re always looking for new ways to bring fans closer to the action, and this partnership helps us do exactly that.”

Ben Madgwick, Sales Director, EMG / Gravity Media in Australia, said:

“EMG/ Gravity Media is proud to continue its long partnership with Supercars as their preferred supplier for host broadcast, in-car and team radio communications, on-site edit and post production along with Supercars on-track requirements for this year’s Championship.

Following our recent collaboration with Supercars Media for the Bathurst 12 Hour, we are excited to return to Sydney Motorsport Park and the opening round of what will be a terrific Championship.

Our partnership with Supercars signifies a shared passion for delivering cutting-edge, high-quality broadcast experiences as we capture and elevate the experience for fans at the track and watching those watching live on Fox Sports and the Seven Network.”

In addition to its partnership with Supercars Media on the all-screens production, EMG / Gravity Media also provides the technology and systems for Supercars’ team radios, along with 32 channels of isolated camera coverage for the EMG / Gravity Media Australia developed and bespoke Gravity Review System, used by the motorsports judiciary and race control in the management of every on-track moment in the Supercars Championship.

Beyond the Repco Supercar Championship and the Repco Bathurst 1000, EMG / Gravity Media’s broadcast facilities and technology collaboration with Supercars Media also includes the global and Australian television coverage of the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour for FIA GT3 cars.

EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s long-term broadcast facilities and technology collaboration with Supercars Media, which produces the global and Australian television coverage of the Repco Supercars Championship, commenced in 2013.

PRESS COVERAGE

Supercars Media and EMG / Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today outlined the broadcast and technology undertakings for the Australian and global all-screens coverage of this year’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, featuring the world’s best GT3 teams and drivers as they tackle Bathurst’s Mount Panorama.

The field, representing world-class brands including Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Lamborghini and McLaren, and featuring drivers including the best endurance drivers from around the globe, the legendary MotoGP Champion turned driver Valentino Rossi, and Supercars stars including 2024 Champion Will Brown, Chaz Mostert, the great Craig Lowndes, Cam Waters, Broc Feeney and many more tackle Australia’s internationally acknowledged endurance race across 31 January – 2 February.

This is the 10th year for EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s broadcast facilities and technology collaboration with Supercars Media which produces the global and Australian television coverage of the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

Across more than 40 in-car cameras and 24 television cameras on and around the track, embedded in concrete kerbs and walls, and accessing state of the art high definition outside broadcast facilities, cellular and cloud-based technologies, 24 kilometres of broadcast cable and a total production crew of more than 100, EMG / Gravity Media and Supercars Media will capture every moment on Fox Sports, Kayo, the Seven Network and 7plus.

In addition, coverage of this year’s race will be broadcast on Sky Sports NZ and around the world on YouTube through SRO’s “GT World” platform and other international streaming partners. Radio Show Ltd, the home of Radio Le Mans, will also carry the international video and audio feed coverage.

Supercars Head of Broadcast, Nathan Prendergast, said:

“It’s fantastic to once again work with EMG / Gravity Media in delivering the broadcast for the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour. Their technology and expertise ensure we can capture all the action and bring this world-class event to life for fans both in Australia and overseas.”

Ben Madgwick, Sales Director, EMG / Gravity Media Australia, said:

“We’re thrilled to once again team up with Supercars Media to deliver world-class broadcast services for Australia’s ultimate endurance race at the iconic Mount Panorama. There’s no better way to kick off the motorsport season than at this legendary event – where drivers push both car and skill to the limit. We’re bringing cutting-edge broadcast facilities and expertise to make this year’s race even more unforgettable.”

In addition to its undertaking for the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, EMG / Gravity Media Australia has a long partnership with Supercars Media in the television production of the Repco Bathurst 1000 and each of the rounds in the Repco Supercars Championship, including EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s acknowledged speciality and in-car camera technologies.

PRESS COVERAGE

EMG / Gravity Media Italy reaffirms its leadership in live sports content production and distribution by taking on the role of Executive and Editorial Producer for the Winter Universiade Torino 2025.

The event, scheduled from 13 to 23 January, includes comprehensive coverage of all competitions, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

Live Production: A Multi-Faceted Commitment

Leveraging extensive experience in winter sports productions, EMG / Gravity Media Italy has deployed a high-level technical and organisational service, ensuring live coverage of all disciplines featured in the official programme of the Torino 2025 Universiade.

The disciplines covered include alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, slopestyle, moguls and aerials, figure skating, speed skating, curling, and ice hockey. Live productions have been concentrated in the competition venues selected by the WUG2025 Committee, with a significant commitment at Pragelato Rua for the biathlon, where the Orion 209 mobile unit has been deployed.

The Orion 209 from EMG / Gravity Media Italy is an advanced mobile unit dedicated to high-definition audiovisual production, designed to meet the demands of complex live events. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, it supports multi-camera production, IP connections, and UHD-HDR broadcasting. Thanks to its modular design and extensive operational capacity, Orion 209 ensures flexibility and quality for sports productions, concerts, and television broadcasts.

The unit stands out for integrating cutting-edge solutions that optimise the management of audio and video signals, both in traditional configurations and remote production (REMI) environments. Additionally, drones have been introduced to enhance footage of the biathlon and the closing ceremony, providing unprecedented and immersive angles.

The Operational Team

“The operational coordination,” explains Davide Furlan, Project Manager for EMG / Gravity Media Italy’s production of the event, “involves a high-profile team comprising six Unit Managers dedicated to the competition venues, coordinated by me at every stage of the project. The team is further strengthened by the involvement of around 220 freelancers, reflecting the logistical and production complexity of an event of this scale.”

“A key aspect of EMG / Gravity Media Italy’s commitment,” Furlan continues, “is the technical and editorial consultancy provided to FISU to optimise the live coverage of competitions. Thanks to our expertise in winter sports disciplines, we have successfully translated FISU’s specific competition requirements into effective and high-quality production solutions.”

International Distribution: A Global Network Supporting FISU TV

Beyond live production, EMG / Gravity Media Italy has also managed the international signal distribution from its MCR in Cologno Monzese, dedicated exclusively to FISU TV. This service, previously tested during the 2023 Winter Games in Lake Placid (USA) and the 2023 Summer Games in Chengdu (China), is a model of efficiency and scalability.

The MCR operates an advanced cloud-based platform capable of managing up to 8 Main + 8 Backup live input feeds, ensuring a potentially unlimited number of output streams. For the Torino 2025 Universiade, nine international broadcasters are involved as takers, highlighting the event’s global appeal.

EMG / Gravity Media Italy’s collaboration with FISU also extended to the management of its International Broadcast Centre (IBC), hosted at the EMG / Gravity Media Italy facility in Cologno. Here, an EVS operator, a technical manager, and a media manager have overseen the control and delivery of content to FISU’s Media Hub.

The FISU production area included:

One coordination and production workstation for FISU’s Head of Production.
Three editing rooms: two for editing and one dedicated to news.
One taker coordinator for managing outgoing signals.

To ensure continuity and precision at every operational stage, the EMG / Gravity Media Italy team assigned to Cologno included a producer/general coordinator, supported by five MCR operators, an MCR supervisor, two technical supervisors, and three IT engineers.

An Innovative and Reliable Production Model

EMG’s integrated approach to the Torino 2025 Universiade highlights the company’s ability to manage complex projects, combining technical expertise, cutting-edge technological solutions, and structured organization. The synergy between live production and international distribution strengthens the relationship of trust with FISU and international partners.

South Australian Tourism Commission and EMG / Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today detailed the significant television production undertaking that sees EMG / Gravity Media Australia create and deliver the Australian and international all-screens coverage of the 2025 Santos Tour Down Under.

South Australia and the Santos Tour Down Under is the first stop for the world’s best male and female cycling teams and riders racing in 2025 and in partnership with Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the opening event of the UCI WorldTour which also includes the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

Nine stages and two classic races brings female and male UCI WorldTour professional cycling teams to race nearly 1200 kilometres over ten days on the streets of Adelaide and across regional South Australia commencing 17 January.

The Santos Tour Down Under is owned by the South Australian Tourism Commission, on behalf of the South Australian Government, with EMG / Gravity Media Australia appointed as the “host” broadcast company for the Santos Tour Down Under.

This year’s Santos Tour Down Under is EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s fifth year as broadcast and production partner for the event. 

EMG / Gravity Media’s technology, logistics and production undertaking sees state-of-the-art high definition outside broadcast trucks and satellite units, more than 25 cameras, including on-board “chase” motorcycles and coverage from the air with a helicopter camera and drone, and a crew of 120 to cover the Santos Tour Down Under as it travels across South Australia. 

Integral to EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s broadcast and production undertaking are specialist broadcast technology and communications services from its Globecam business which is internationally acknowledged for its innovation in the development of world-leading speciality miniature cameras and RF communications solutions.

Beyond delivering broadcast technologies and as “host” broadcast company, EMG / Gravity Media Australia has also been appointed as the television production company for the event, creating, producing, and delivering the complete television production of the Santos Tour Down Under for the world, including 45 hours of live coverage and a daily highlights programme for Australian and international audiences.

EMG / Gravity Media Australia has also been appointed to create and produce the Seven Network’s coverage of the Santos Tour Down Under, accessing EMG / Gravity Media’s SNG fleet and highly mobile cellular and cloud-based technologies linking to the EMG / Gravity Media Production Centre in Sydney for the delivery of Seven’s complete broadcast production.

Hitaf Rasheed, Event Director, the Santos Tour Down Under, said:

“We saw a record broadcast audience last year, up 11 per cent on previous years, proving there is an appetite for elite road race cycling in the country. Bolstered by a strong commentary line up, a fantastic production team in EMG / Gravity Media and broadcast partner in the Seven Network, we are excited to attract more fans to our great race this summer through a high-quality broadcast that will showcase the best that South Australia has to offer.”

Mike Purcell, Head of Production, EMG / Gravity Media Australia, said:

“It’s a pleasure for EMG / Gravity Media to be host broadcaster of the Santos Tour Down Under in its 25th year. The now five year partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission is a very satisfying and collaborative effort to bring the World’s first UCI Tour of the year to television, showcasing Adelaide and this blockbuster international event to Australia and the world.”

PRESS COVERAGE

EMG / Gravity Media in Italy and Infront have recently renewed their contract, representing a strategic agreement that strengthens a long-standing collaboration.

This new deal covers the production of FIS World Cup events for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 seasons, providing Infront Productions—the division of Infront that manages sports event production—with the tools and resources to cover disciplines such as alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, and freestyle & snowboarding in Italy and France.

The agreement represents a significant commitment, both in organisational and production terms, positioning EMG / Gravity Media Italy as a benchmark for technical excellence in the production of winter sports events.

Strategic Partnership with Infront

Claudio Cavallotti, Managing Director of EMG / Gravity Media in Italy, stated: “This contract renewal consolidates the relationship between EMG / Gravity Media Italy and Infront, strengthening a partnership that combines technical expertise and strategic vision. This synergy ensures high production standards and enhances sports events, offering viewers a top-tier visual experience. We rely on cutting-edge technologies and impeccable organisation that merge experience, innovation, and the ability to manage complex operations in challenging environments. Alongside Infront Productions and through this renewed partnership, EMG / Gravity Media Italy reaffirms its central role in the TV production of winter sports events, especially in preparation for the upcoming 2026 Winter Games.”

Organizational Aspects

“As always, the logistical and production commitment is substantial,” Cavallotti continued. “We will produce 27 events in just three months (December, January, and February). Despite this challenge, we aim to ensure consistency and quality across all operational phases.”

The organisation involves a significant number of professionals:

A core internal team of 15 people specialised in winter sports productions.
Nine dedicated unit managers working in the field for the entire season in close collaboration with Infront Productions’ production managers.
Over 200 freelance professionals, many with expertise in the challenging conditions of mountain locations.
More than 60 individuals for just two events, in Dobbiaco and Val di Fiemme

Focus on Key Events

Highlights of the season include the Bormio stages with men’s Downhill and Super G races, and Cortina’s two thrilling women’s speed events, Downhill and Super G. Both locations will also serve as preludes to the Milan Cortina competitions. In addition to these prestigious events, Nordic skiing competitions in the historic Italian locations of Val di Fiemme and Dobbiaco will take place during the Christmas period. Dobbiaco will host four stages, while Val di Fiemme will welcome three, including the spectacular climb to Alpe Cermis, an iconic feature of the Tour de Ski.

Antoine Bulos, Unit Manager for the event, commented: “The Tour de Ski production will be particularly demanding. There are seven races in just one week, spanning New Year’s Day to Epiphany. Advanced technologies will be heavily used, including 33 cameras for the Val di Fiemme stage, as well as RF cameras, steady-cams for complete and exciting coverage, and signals from cable cams, drones, and helicopter-mounted cameras.”

Festive Period Challenges and Resources

Each year, EMG / Gravity Media Italy involves new professionals in its TV productions, with a focus on young talents. However, producing snow-based competitions remains a substantial operational and organisational challenge. One highlight is the Alpe Cermis event, starting from the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium the day after the Skiathlon competition. This event requires significant technical production, utilising 33 camera feeds along the route. Infront Productions’ camera plan includes specialised setups such as helicopter-mounted cameras, drones, ground micro-cameras, and skidoos, providing comprehensive and dynamic coverage.

RF systems using 4G and 5G backpack technology ensure smooth, high-quality footage of the climb. Signals from the cameras, transmitted via approximately 5 km of dark fiber, are centralised and managed by the Nova 126 mobile control room housed in a garage under the stadium. A support vehicle is also stationed in the underground area near Lago di Tesero for backup. This setup allows for secure operations, minimising difficulties caused by variable mountain weather conditions. Cameras along the course are mostly mounted on low scaffolds, with a few elevated stations located at the steepest sections for better perspectives on the climbs.

Infrastructure Innovation and Preparations

Preparations for the event begin as early as Friday 20th December , with a technical team handling the cabling required for the race taking place on Friday 3rd January . EMG / Gravity Media Italy lays approximately 15 km of fiber optics, working in adverse climatic conditions and often on snowy or icy terrain.

In anticipation, fiber optic infrastructure around Lago di Tesero has been revamped. Pre-existing networks were dismantled, requiring the installation of new dark fiber cables for the upcoming races. Fiber optics on the Alpe Cermis climb are already in place, leaving only cable extensions from terminal stations to camera locations.

Indispensable Support

The local Trentino Fiemme World Cup sports committee offers essential logistical support each year, providing resources such as snowmobiles and snowcats to transport materials to inaccessible areas. For the Alpe Cermis race from 3rd to 5th January, EMG / Gravity Media Italy will also use mobile unit, Nova 209 to oversee the climb to the summit finish line. This vehicle will act as a hub for managing audio, video, data, and intercom signals generated by the 33 cameras used for the event. This configuration ensures efficient coordination and high-quality broadcasts, despite the large number of signals and challenging operational conditions.

News release issued by APL: The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has appointed leading sports production company JAM TV and global media services and facilities provider EMG/Gravity Media as the new production partners of the A-Leagues.

The appointment follows a three-month tender process, and will see JAM TV and EMG/Gravity Media produce all Ninja A-League Women and Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches for the next two seasons for broadcaster Network Ten and Paramount+.

The new partnership delivers the APL, its Clubs and its fans premium match production, additional resources dedicated to the Ninja A-League Women, as well as more content for the APL and Club platforms.

JAM TV is one of Australiaʼs most prolific producers of live sport – producing and delivering more than 300 live broadcasts each year for the NBL, AFLW, State Leagues AFL and Golf. A previous partner of the APL creating and producing the A-Leagues All Access series for two seasons, JAM TV also produces sports programming and content for Australiaʼs major broadcasters and international streamers.

EMG/Gravity Media is a world leader in providing media services and facilities for football broadcasters, federations and clubs globally, and returns to Australian football after being the broadcast provider for the A-Leagues from 2010 to 2016. EMG/Gravity Media also worked on behalf of UEFA delivering advanced workflows for this yearʼs UEFA European Football Championships in Germany, and delivers football production for the EPL, the FA Cup, and FIFA.

JAM TV and EMG/Gravity Media also combined for the successful Host Broadcast of AFC Asian Cup when it was held in Australia in 2015.

Commenting on the appointment, Nick Garcia, A-Leagues Commissioner said:
“We are excited to be partnering with JAM TV and EMG/Gravity Media for the next two seasons, to deliver a premium broadcast of our game, and increase the amount of A-Leaguesʼ content for our fans.ˮ

“This is a highly credentialed combination between one of Australiaʼs most proven creative sports production enterprises in JAM TV and the global football powerhouse of EMG/Gravity Media. Along with the production of over 320 A-Leaguesʼ games through the seasons, this partnership also gives the league and our clubs more content to engage fans and showcase the great stories of our game.ˮ

Commenting on the partnership, Cos Cardone, JAM TV CEO said:
“Our involvement with the APL over the last two seasons gave us great insight into the amazing stories that exist in both menʼs and womenʼs football. This partnership is not only about great match production, but ensuring fans have access to more content than they have had before.ˮ

“Australian football has a great story to tell and great emerging stars to showcase. Our passionate team of creatives at JAM TV is thrilled to be part of the game in this country.ˮ

Commenting on the partnership, John Newton, EMG/Gravity Media Executive Chairman said:
“EMG/Gravity Media is the premier provider of media services and facilities for football broadcasters, federations and clubs globally, and we are extremely excited to be back on the pitch in Australia working collaboratively with JAM TV and the APL for the upcoming A-Leagues seasons.

“At the heart of EMG/Gravity Media is a DNA of delivering high-end content and live production across the full spectrum of world football. We have worked with some of the biggest names in football for decades and are very excited to be providing new broadcast production services to the A-Leagues once again.ˮ

The 20th anniversary season of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men kicks off on October 18 and the Ninja A-League Women start season 2024/25 on November 1, before all clubs descend on Sydney for the second edition of Unite Round on the weekend of November 22-24.

PRESS COVERAGE

Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today confirmed a complete broadcast technology and television production partnership with TEG Sport that will see Gravity Media Australia create and deliver the Australian and global all-screens coverage of a new international football event, the Perth International Football Cup presented by Ninja which will showcase four of the world’s leading women’s football teams.

Gravity Media Australia has been appointed by TEG Sport as the “host” broadcast company for the event.

As part of the partnership with TEG Sport, Gravity Media Australia will access internationally acknowledged camera and broadcast and production technologies designed and developed by Gravity Media.

Beyond providing broadcast technologies and as “host” broadcast company, Gravity Media Australia has also been appointed as the television production company for the Perth International Football Cup presented by Ninja, working in collaboration with Optus Sport and globally with BeIN Sports and the participating Women’s Super League teams’ and Paris Saint-Germain broadcast platforms in creating, producing and delivering the complete television production of the event for audiences in Australia and across the world.

Australians will see some of the biggest clubs and names in women’s football live on Optus Sport, when the Perth International Football Cup presented by Ninja gets underway on Wednesday, 28 August.

Fans in Australia will be able to watch all four matches for free by simply creating an Optus Sport account. Along with exclusive live coverage, Optus Sport will provide extensive on-demand options including highlights and mini matches for tournament.

The tournament features Barclays Women’s Super League sides West Ham United (home to Katrina Gorry), Manchester City (featuring Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy) and Leicester City (including Courtney Nevin) battle it out alongside French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The event will see two semi-finals at HBF Park, with the opening game between Manchester City and Leicester City on 28 August. West Ham United will take on Paris Saint-Germain on 29 August. The winners of the semi-finals will take on each other on 1 September, with the other two teams playing beforehand in a 3rd place playoff.

In a significant logistics and production undertaking, Gravity Media will deploy 11 cameras, state-of-the-art high definition outside broadcast truck technology and a crew of 40 to cover the event in Perth, coupled with cellular and cloud-based technologies linking to the Gravity Media Production Centre in Sydney to streamline and enhance the efficient delivery of the complete broadcast production to a global audience across multiple international broadcast and content delivery platforms.

Gravity Media Australia is also delivering the complete live production and post-production for the coverage including creating the opening video sequences and on-screen graphics outcomes.

Gravity Media Australia Head of Production Mike Purcell said “Gravity Media is thrilled to be appointed by and work closely with TEG Sport in providing a turnkey solution. Football is in our production and broadcast DNA. We look forward to delivering an engaging and exciting worldwide broadcast of the Perth International Football Cup.”

Gravity Media Australia Business Development Manager, Nigel Naseby said: “Gravity Media looks forward to the Perth International Cup and playing a major role in taking this new event to a global audience.”

TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones said “TEG Sport is delighted to appoint Gravity Media as the Broadcast Partner for the Perth International Football Cup presented by Ninja.

“We look forward to working with them to bring football fans a state-of-the-art viewing experience from the comfort of home. I encourage all fans to tune into Optus Sport for what is sure to be an exciting match”.

The partnership with TEG Sport in delivering the Australian and international coverage of the Perth International Football Cup presented by Ninja builds on Gravity Media Australia’s acknowledged broadcast technology and production partnerships across major sports in Australia include the Australian Open and the Summer of Tennis, the Melbourne Cup and all major horse racing events in Australia, the Bathurst 1000 and the Repco Supercars Championship, the Bathurst 12 Hour, the ESL Intel Extreme Masters Sydney, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, the Tour Down Under, Cadel Evans Road Race, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Stawell Gift, the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Melbourne, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the Adelaide Equestrian Festival, Crankworx Cairns, the UCI MTB World Championships, the UCI BMX Racing World Cup, the FIM World Supercross Championship in Melbourne, the BMX Racing World Cup in Brisbane, a partnership with Cricket Australia for the coverage of multiple cricket competitions in Australia and the delivery of broadcast and production technology requirements for coverage of the rapidly expanding and developing AFLW. 

Through its studios, production, post-production, outside broadcast facilities and specialist camera technologies, Gravity Media Australia is currently involved with major production companies, television networks and pay television and streaming platforms in Australia across projects including The Voice, Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars, The Masked Singer, Australia’s Got Talent, Would I Lie to You?, The 1% Club and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Gravity Media Australia post-production centre, Gravity House, plays a key role in the production of major international television productions across broadcast, subscription and streaming platforms, as well as movies from the Marvel Universe and projects from multiple US and international studios, and many of Australia’s leading independent films.

PRESS COVERAGE

The EuroLeague basketball, known as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, represents the primary club basketball competition in Europe. This prestigious league includes 18 top-level teams from various European nations. The tournament unfolds in three phases: the regular season, where points are accumulated through round-robin matches, the playoffs, where the top eight teams compete, and four winners advance to the final phase, the highly anticipated Final Four to determine the EuroLeague champion. After the NBA in the United States, the EuroLeague is undoubtedly considered the second most prestigious and spectacular club basketball competition globally, attracting some of the most talented teams and players outside the United States.

EMG Italy plays an essential role in the television production of 17 EuroLeague games, ensuring high-quality TV coverage. For the third consecutive year, EMG Italy produces the home games of one of the two Italian teams in the EuroLeague, Virtus Bologna, in collaboration with SKY Italy; the second team being Olimpia Milano. Virtus production involves 14 specialized cameras, each with a specific role.

A summary of the camera layout

For each match, a total of 14 specialized cameras are strategically placed to capture all aspects of the games. The main cameras for the game are 10, covering the on-court actions and the overall gameplay. The primary camera, 1 main, provides a comprehensive view of the entire court.

The 2nd camera captures close-up shots, detailing on-court actions, bench reactions, and the crowd. Cameras positioned under the hoops and operated from the shoulder are 3 and 4, offering a close-up perspective of the actions under the basket, with one of them in Super Slow Motion. The 5th camera in a central position from the center court provides a wide and low-angle view.

The “beauty” camera, number 6, placed strategically, offers a total and spectacular view of the entire arena and is often used as a background for graphics. Cameras 7 and 8 are micro-cameras placed on the hoops to provide unique angles. Camera 9 in a reverse position captures actions from the opposite perspective and reactions of the key figures.

Camera 10, the “clock,” is aimed at the scoreboard and is used to monitor the game’s timer and clock. It serves as an official tool for referees and a backup for the TV production. Camera 11, positioned on a hi-lo, records in Supermotion 3x, equipped with a long-range lens, and its replays are the most detailed and emotional. Camera 12 is located in the flash area and is used for pre and post-game interviews. Camera 13 handles press conferences held in a dedicated room known as the press conference room. Camera 14, on the other hand, is an aerial drone camera used to capture aerial shots and exterior views of the arena. All these cameras contribute to creating comprehensive and engaging TV coverage of EuroLeague games.

Two Mobile Units in One

The mobile production unit used by EMG Italy to manage all the aforementioned cameras is the flagship OB Truck “NOVA 150,” with triple expansion capabilities, ensuring a comfortable workspace for the onboard crew.

Introduced in 2020, the Nova 150 outside broadcast vehicle is a highly flexible and state-of-the-art structure capable of comfortably accommodating up to 34 workstations. It represents an ideal solution for productions that require up to 24 UHD cameras. The OB Nova 150 truck is highly versatile and perfectly capable of handling two concurrent productions, thanks to two completely separate control rooms and access points, ensuring comprehensive coverage of games for both the international main feed and the national customization for SKY Italy.

The preparation process for the mobile unit starts in advance, the day before, with pre-setup. Then it moves to the match venue on the day of the game and is engaged in long hours of work, from early morning until late at night, to ensure flawless transmission. The production team responsible for filming EuroLeague games for Virtus comprises around thirty professionals, significantly dedicated to capturing and delivering every aspect of the game and the event to the audience.

Virtus Arena

The home of Virtus is the Virtus Arena, a modern space inside a Bologna trade fair pavilion, the venue for most games. The fiber-optic-wired installation, provided and installed by EMG Italy, is in use throughout the year.

EMG Italy serves as the host broadcaster, producing a complete main feed with graphics and advertisements as an international signal for broadcasters worldwide holding the rights. It often handles national integration for SKY Italy as well, leveraging the mobile unit’s ability to manage two concurrent productions through two entirely separate control rooms on the same vehicle, thereby optimizing resources.

Eurocup

EMG Italy, also for SKY for three years now, is responsible for the television production of Eurocup games, the second-most prestigious European competition after EuroLeague. In terms of typology, the media adventure is quite similar to what has been described for EuroLeague, except that there are slightly fewer cameras used here.

Three fewer cameras are employed, and even though the same mobile production unit is used, a slightly lower use of technology is applied, with two EVS machines instead of three. It is still an excellent television production with 12 cameras capturing a significant competition in the European basketball landscape, offering teams and players the opportunity to compete at an international level and demonstrate their skills. Notably, the team that wins the Eurocup advances to EuroLeague the following year, considered the pinnacle of European basketball competitions.

Supercars Media and Gravity Media, the world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today confirmed details for the all-encompassing all-screens coverage of this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000.

Across more than 175 television cameras on-track, in-car, in the pits, around the track, embedded in concrete kerbs and walls, in the air and across sections of the track on a wire, and accessing four state of the art high definition outside broadcast trucks, speciality in-car camera technology designed and developed by Gravity Media Australia, 52 kilometres of broadcast cable and a total production crew of more than 250, Gravity Media Australia and Supercars Media will capture every moment on Fox Sports and the Seven Network across 5-8 October.

In addition, coverage of this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast around the world via Supercars’ international broadcast partners.

This is the eleventh year for Gravity Media Australia’s broadcast facilities and technology collaboration with Supercars Media which produces the global and Australian television coverage of The Great Race.

This year is the 60^th anniversary of The Great Race at Bathurst.

Coverage of the Repco Bathurst 1000 has expanded dramatically over the years. The first race saw three television cameras cover the event in 1963. The first “live” in-car camera coverage was delivered in 1979.

Key production details for television coverage of the Repco Bathurst 1000:

Ten production trucks, including four high definition outside broadcast trucks driving the overall television production
More than 175 cameras across the track, in the pits, in and across cars, on driver helmets, mounted in race walls and track kerbs, including portable and speciality extreme super slo-mo cameras, live helicopter coverage and a “DACTYL CAM” camera on a wire covering 700 metres across Conrod Straight and The Chase
52+ kilometres of television production cable and fibre, enough to lap the circuit more than eight times
Broadcast and production team circa 250+ across Gravity Media and Supercars Media

Gravity Media also has a long partnership with Supercars Media in the television production of each of the rounds in the Repco Supercars Championship, including Gravity Media’s acknowledged speciality and in-car camera technologies.

In addition to this partnership with Supercars Media, Gravity Media also provides the technology and systems for Supercars’ team radios, along with isolated camera coverage for the Gravity Media Australia developed and bespoke Gravity Review System, used by the motorsports judiciary and race control in the management of every on-track moment in the Repco Bathurst 1000 and across every race in the Repco Supercars Championship.

David Tunnicliffe – Supercars Head of Broadcast:

“We are excited to continue our relationship with Gravity Media Australia into its 11^th year. The Repco Bathurst 1000 is the biggest broadcast event of our year and one of the most prestigious events in Australian sport, and we are eagerly looking forward to working with our partners in Gravity Media Australia once again at the 60^th anniversary of the Repco Bathurst 1000.”

Ben Madgwick – Director, Media Services and Facilities at Gravity Media:

“Gravity Media Australia is once again pleased to be working with Supercars Media as the technical partner for the Repco Bathurst 1000.

“This year marks the eleventh anniversary of Gravity Media Australia’s journey to Mount Panorama and we look forward to working once again with Supercars Media in delivering one of the world’s great motorsports events to a global audience.

“We take great pride in our relationship with Supercars.

“Gravity Media Australia is a leader in specialised broadcast services and Supercars is driven by innovation. We are both committed to ongoing developments in the coverage of Supercars and the Bathurst 1000, and how we continue to evolve and develop our broadcast technologies and production capabilities that take audiences closer to the action.”

Gravity Media Australia In-Car Camera Technology:

Gravity Media Australia’s Globecam unit is renowned for creating ground-breaking, high-definition digital miniature live broadcast devices that entertain and engage viewers all over the world with footage captured from exciting new angles and perspectives.

Globecam is behind a number of world-first innovations, including speciality in-car camera technologies for the Supercars Championship in Australia, HelmetCam and UmpireCam which are now a key component of cricket coverage, the NetCam tennis solution which has been used at all four Grand Slams since its launch in 2018, and the Live JockeyCam which has been beaming horse racing images around Australia since 2019.

Globecam sporting applications now span tennis, cricket, rugby, motorsport, cycling, horse racing, golf, athletics and sailing.

Gravity Media Australia:

Gravity Media Australia’s acknowledged broadcast technology and production partnerships across major sports in Australia include the Australian Open and the Summer of Tennis, the Melbourne Cup and all major horse racing events in Australia, the Bathurst 1000 and the Repco Supercars Championship, the Bathurst 12 Hour, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, the Tour Down Under, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Stawell Gift, the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Melbourne, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Crankworx Cairns, the FIM World Supercross Championship at Marvel Stadium, a partnership with Cricket Australia for the coverage of multiple cricket competitions in Australia and the delivery of broadcast and production technology requirements for coverage of the rapidly expanding and developing AFLW.

PRESS COVERAGE

Once again this year the Serie A basketball championship ended with the playoffs between the strongest teams of the season and with the best-of-seven championship final formula. The final clash, between Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna, saw the Milan team triumph only in the last match, held at the Assago Forum on 23 June in a very spectacular way, both from a sporting point of view and from a tv filming point of view .

EMG Italy, which has been collaborating with the LBA for broadcast services for about 6 years, in the last season took care of the TV production of the major basketball championship, with particular attention to the filming of the Playoff matches, broadcast free to air on channel Nove, on pay-TV on Eurosport and, in streaming, on the Eleven Sports and Dazn platforms.

Production methods

“For EMG Italy I follow basketball, Serie C, volleyball and youth football and coordinate a series of producers who deal directly with the various championships”, says Paolo Sassano, Sports Production Coordinator of EMG Italy. “I can say that the whole LBA basketball championship this year was exciting and the final was “very tight” and decisive, also because it went all the way to the last match, with a “3 to 3” on game 7, the race that was supposed to award the title”.

This season was managed in a hybrid mode, partly with mobile vehicles on site in the various arenas and partly in remote production for a certain number of matches.

Paolo Sassano says: “This season we have redesigned the basketball production set-up, trying to standardize the final product as much as possible for the user and, in agreement with the LBA, we have chosen to produce two or three games remotely out of the eight played every weekend”.

The EMG Italy Broadcast Center in Cologno Monzese, unique of its kind in terms of reception and distribution capacity, has already had an operational and technical structure for the remote production of many sports for some time and from this year, thanks to new investments, it was also expanded into basketball.

An Instant Replay Center dedicated to the LBA has also been created here, with 8 stations connected to the pitches, which allows the instant replay service to be centralized: upon request, the referees can review dubious game actions from different angles, at reduced speed, frame by frame or zoom.

Regular Season and Finals

EMG Italy has also created the host feed of all matches, eight rounds for thirty rounds in the Regular Season, for a total of 240 matches. To these were added another thirty play-off matches, to reach 270 games this season alone.

For the finals, which were all produced on site, some innovations were introduced to make the game on the pitch even more spectacular. The most important change concerned the refereeing, since for the first time the referees allowed to broadcast their audio commentary of the instant replay analyses.

The audio of these particular moments was recorded by a dedicated sound engineer, equipped with a microphone boom who accompanied the operator with a shoulder camera during the game. In the event of an instant replay call, the sound engineer was therefore able to hear the audio of the two referees on the pitch, their arguments and requests to the instant replay operator.

The same sound engineer-operator pair was also busy capturing the images and audio of the coaches during the time out.

Ten cameras

The camera plan of the finals was particularly accurate, as the EMG director Max Ceriani supervised the positioning, together with LBA, with new proposals based on a higher number of cameras, precisely to improve the spectacularity of the images. The layout was therefore composed of ten cameras: the main one which followed the game with a total from the terraces of the stands above, flanked by camera 2 which covered the details and narrow pitches of the game.

The setup also included three shoulder cameras, one central and two positioned under the basket as well as 2 remote micro-cameras high up on the basket backboards. A 13-metre jimmi-jib positioned behind one of the baskets (based on the available space and escape routes) created new and dynamic shots, following the entire match and creating horizontal and vertical movements.

A reverse camera filmed the benches, close-ups of the referees and close-ups of the VIPs in the opposite grandstand. Finally, a further handheld camera with cinematic optics, mounted on a gimbal support with an RF system was free to move around the court and in the stands to capture filler shots and as many details as possible.

The TV Compound

All television production was entrusted to EMG Italy, whileand Infront, a partner of Lega Basket Serie A, was responsible for distributing the signals abroad by adding a commentary in English created in the production center in via Deruta in Milan.

The main direction of EMG Italy equipped with 4K HDR cameras created, in this case, an HD feed. In addition to the host signal, an integration was also produced for the Warner Bros. Discovery group channels (Eurosport and Nove). The TV compound also included another truck as a support means, a generator set and the integration mobile van for Warner Bros. Discovery. The graphics, created by EMG BOOST Graphics division, provided for a station located on the long side of the field, and developed a new presentation of the starting quintet of the players before the start of the game with the line-up on the field.

“The personnel of these productions”, continues Paolo Sassano, “usually are engaged in the setup from the day before the match. However, we often find ourselves creating a setup that would require eight hours of work less than four, because the arenas are always busy. On average, we usually need at least six hours of setup with a 25-person crew.”

Anna Pasculli Sales Manager of EMG Italy: “It was certainly a year of great success and great changes for basketball TV production, where we introduced several important variations. For the first time in Italy, on a sport other than football, we launched the centralized and remote service with the Instant Replay Center in Cologno Monzese. It is extraordinary, because from a centralized location it is possible to supervise everything that is managed by the on-site referees. Just as the main international broadcasters around the world are exploiting cloud-based remote production every day for high-value content – centralized and in real time – also EMG Italy, thanks to our remote production hub in Cologno, is today a consolidated reality.

We started with the “remi” from the lower standard to then extend it to basketball in standard A and we are confident that we will continue to carry out this project which will allow us to control and manage all the productions from the courts. The idea of the “remote” for EMG Italy is precisely this, to have centralized control and a much greater fluidity of the processes. These are tangible advantages that translate into greater uniformity of productions, greater standardization and therefore a less artisanal and more complete product possible, usable for the passionate television audience.

In this way it is possible to create a “running order” which is respected on all lots: there is a global vision and the customer, being comfortable in the production center, is able to see all the fields and if necessary can make changes, when and where necessary, while we can supervise the product and meet continuity expectations”.