Mediatec producing sixth IIHF World Championships
Slovakia: The IIHF World Championships is approaching its climax in Slovakia this weekend and Mediatec’s crew of 82 people is capturing all 56 games for the international television audience for the sixth Championships in a row.
According to the company, 21 cameras are in use at every venue including remote-controlled in-goal cameras. “Together, the 21 cameras cover all different angles of the game, helping to convey depth and variety that creates world class ice-hockey experiences for the audience” says Kenneth Paterson, CEO of the Mediatec Group. It’s the first time the Championships have been totally produced in HD, with the majority of the cameras deployed being Grass Valley LDK-8000s
In total there are 82 staff working for Mediatec in Slovakia during the tournament. About one third are stationed in Bratislava, one third in Kosice and one third are working with Viasat Sport. Mediatec’s HD2 unit is being used to produce the World Feed, while HD3 is working for Viasat. Two digital uplink vehicles are also on site.
During the IIHF World Championships Mediatec Broadcast Sweden AB (a part of the Mediatec Group) is working on behalf of Infront Sport & Media, the commercial partner to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that handles media and marketing rights for the IIHF World Championship. Mediatec is producing, distributing and supervising the tournament administration. In 2006, an agreement was reached between Dream Team Production and Infront before the tournament in Riga. In 2008 the Dream Team became a part of Mediatec.
“The first time we broadcast the IIHF World Championships was in Riga 2006, so there is a lot of experience within Mediatec. Now we have a contract until 2013. Mediatec has been assigned to produce the Championships broadcasts because we are considered a reliable supplier with a high level of competence that enables us to contribute innovative solutions and ensures that the broadcast maintain the highest international standard,” concludes Paterson.