Gravity Media to deliver Supercars Eseries broadcast

Gravity Media has been chosen to deliver the technical infrastructure and facilities for the Supercars Eseries. Taking place on the iRacing platform from 25 August to 29 September, the Eseries offers fans a mix of Supercars main game drivers and elite sim racers, with teams competing for the top prize of more than $20,000.

Gravity Media’s Production Centres in Melbourne (PCM) and Sydney (PCS) will service all the needs for the Eseries broadcast. PCS will act as the main hub, with a dedicated studio setup housing a 10m x 2.5m LED wall to display various feeds managed from the control room. At PCM, a single camera, commentary kit and 103in Live Screen background will house the two main commentators – with audio embedded onto separate tracks via the camera feed and sent via a direct fibre service to the Sydney facility.

A dedicated IP audio circuit between PCM and PCS will facilitate the live commentary, as well as accommodating production and technical communications between the two facilities.

In addition, due to government lockdowns in New South Wales, Gravity Media will supply communications to the remote support team for the gaming equipment. This will consist of an IP system enabling the remote team to speak directly to the director, producer and onsite operators from within the control room at PCS. For the remote drivers, Gravity Media will integrate cameras via Zoom to allow the producer to select individual drivers during the races and interview them afterwards through communications integrated into PCS via Discord.

The Eseries programme will be sent through to Fox Sports to be integrated on its Foxtel channel, Kayo on its IP sports platform and Network 7 for its IP service 7Plus. Gravity Media will also encode a live stream of the control room for feeds on Facebook, Twitch and YouTube.

“We’re very pleased to be working with Gravity Media on this event. The company’s unparalleled experience and expertise in delivering high-quality broadcast infrastructures made it the perfect choice,” said Nathan Prendergast, general manager – television & content at Supercars Australia. “This project may have thrown up a few unexpected challenges, but we have no doubt this will be a fantastic event that delivers a top-quality experience for our fans.”

“Esports is continuing to grow rapidly, so we’re delighted to be involved in such a high-profile event at this exciting time for the industry,” said Ben Madgwick, director of media services & facilities, Gravity Media Australia. “Although the ongoing complexities of running a production in a COVID world – particularly with recent local lockdowns – presented some challenges to overcome, our team is well versed in adapting to any situation and providing innovative solutions that ensure the best possible delivery.”