ESPN Premier League coverage scores with Sony
Sony Professional will play a key role in ESPN’s coverage of the 2011/2012 Premier League football season following the HD upgrade of IMG’s Mediahouse Studio facilities in West London. Mediahouse, a unit of IMG worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, chose Sony Professional’s technology after witnessing increased demand from customers for HD production capabilities.
This most recent investment, which includes 10 Sony HXC-100 HD system cameras and two MVS-8000X switchers to serve its three new HD studios, follows the successful opening of Mediahouse’s first HD studio last year and completes the creation of a portfolio of four studio spaces.
IMG’s Shane Warden says, “Live sports production is highly challenging and has been a catalyst for technological development in recent years, so it’s essential that our studios are fitted with the most up to date equipment. The Sony Professional cameras and switchers mean we can deliver HD productions, as well as the option of working in 3G 1080p and stereoscopic 3D.”
“Sony has long been at the forefront of live production and sports broadcasting technology, and the solution we have delivered for IMG not only completes the HD studio upgrade at Mediahouse, but also ensures it can offer its clients the most advanced production solutions,” adds Andy Hotten, Sony Professional’s product specialist for live production. “HD capabilities have become a standard requirement for broadcasters, and studios are now looking to future proof their facilities. With the ability to cater for 3D and 1080p production, IMG Mediahouse has one of the most advanced studio facilities in the UK.”
Sony Professional’s heritage in delivering state-of-the-art studio installations, live sports production, and developing market-leading HD and 3D solutions, meant it was the perfect fit for IMG as its Mediahouse facility in west London geared up for the start of the football season.
Since its launch at NAB 2010, The MVS-8000X has established itself as the switcher of choice for both live and studio production. Providing a bridge from 2D 720P and 1080i high-definition production and addressing for the growing need for 1080P 3Gbps and 3D stereoscopic production, the MVS-8000X offers the flexibility and scalability to cater for smaller budgets as well as complex high-end productions.