EMG Italy brings fans closer to the Davis Cup Finals action

From 10-15 September, the city of Bologna hosted the Davis Cup Finals group stage, welcoming Group A, which consisted of Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil and Belgium, to the Unipol Arena.

To ensure a high standard of coverage, EMG Italy was on hand to produce the international feed of this highly anticipated international team tennis tournament.

The television production was jointly managed by EMG Italy and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body of tennis worldwide.

EMG Italy was selected to supply broadcast equipment, specialised personnel and logistics for the entire event coverage, while the ITF integrated the production team with professionals who regularly follow the international tennis circuit.

Nova 150, one of EMG Italy’s largest OB trucks and capable of handling live 4K UHD HDR broadcasts, was on site for the event. On this occasion, it worked in HD and served as the operational hub with a crew of 35 people along with 12 main cameras, plus one dedicated to press conferences.

Among this year’s most notable innovations, camera 8 was mounted on a gimbal and connected via RF, capturing images of players entering the court during team presentations and more generally of the lively Davis Cup audience.

For cameras 10 and 11, two PTZ cameras were positioned behind the players to provide replays and shots of the technical teams supporting players on the court. Two cameras were also dedicated to SuperMotion shots.

The production consisted of around nine hours of live broadcast each day, with three daily matches (two singles and one doubles), along with courtside interviews and final press conferences aired daily.

Graphics and the Hawk-Eye system were provided by external partners and integrated into the central production.

The Davis Cup is a global event, and every match, in every city, must offer the same visual and narrative quality.

For this reason, production began well in advance and, from 4 September, the dedicated teams were working at the Unipol Arena to fine-tune every detail, particularly setting up the technical infrastructure, including power supply and connections. This was followed by a full week of testing and preparations to ensure everything was ready for the first match.

From lighting to audio, graphics and slow-motion replays, everything was designed to offer viewers an immersive and memorable experience.

Maurizio Nacher, COO of EMG Italy, said: “The challenge, as always in major travelling events, is maintaining a very high and uniform standard, comparable to the other venues being used simultaneously for the Davis Cup. We are very proud to be involved in tennis in Italy and in international competitions like this.”

Among the main rights holders, Rai, Sky Italia and SuperTennis broadcast the event nationally.

In addition to live coverage, Rai Sport supplemented the production with its own control truck and a team of around 30 people. It also had a small two-camera studio for on-site analysis and commentary.

Additionally, EMG provided three commentary booths for international coverage, for Sky Italia and SuperTennis.

In addition to Bologna, Davis Cup qualifiers also took place in Valencia, Zhuahi and Manchester ahead of the final event which will be held in Malaga from 19-24 November. The choice of Bologna as one of the Davis Cup group stage venues was no coincidence. The city has a long tennis tradition, and the Davis Cup returned to Bologna in 2022 after an absence of more than 40 years.