Sport Positive Summit: Greening sport’s broadcast operations
‘Ambition, action and accountability’ is the simple phrase embodying UEFA’s progressive approach to sustainability, the audience at last week’s Sport Positive Summit was told. Many other global sport stakeholders also used the event to showcase and discuss what ambition and progress (over perfection) can look like.
Simply having a climate commitment is no longer sufficient. The emphasis is now on a net zero strategy alongside partnership, communication, adaptation and global solidarity, according to UN Sports for Climate Action lead, Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu.
Despite strong headwinds, there is increasing evidence within sport that sustainable business models are leading to stronger financial returns and long-term business resilience. The growth of women’s sport, illustrated perfectly by the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and Women’s Rugby World Cup, shows how social and environmental progress can lead to increased revenues. Sally Horrox, chief of women’s rugby at World Rugby, described how working with “impactful partners” is key to this success.
Broadcast is a key partner but can be overlooked when federations are considering their broader sustainability plans. Given that broadcast operations’ environmental impact can be significant and should be ideally addressed in partnership for maximum effect, increased collaboration is key. Additionally, sports broadcast is the megaphone through which sustainable best practice can reach fans globally. This influence is often spoken about but rarely capitalised on.
Jeremy Mathieu, head of sustainability at ITV, delved into the importance of collaboration across the value chain while moderating the panel ‘The Hidden Footprint – Greening Sport’s Broadcast Operations’. When a federation and a broadcaster come together with aligned sustainable expectations which are then passed through the supply chain (sometimes contractually, and at other times through regular dialogue), the magic happens, he said.
Robin Matthews, senior broadcast ops manager at the English Football League, spoke of his role sitting between the broadcaster, clubs and a production company. Power infrastructure at EFL grounds varies hugely, and the league was able to identify and prioritise grid power as an area of investment which would help to lower broadcast’s footprint on site.
Remote production continues to be a significant lever to lower emissions, according to Rohan Mitchell, ESG director at Gravity Media. Reduced freight and travel as well as the construction of smaller trucks with lower power requirements onsite all contribute to centralised production’s effectiveness in reducing negative impact. Positive impacts are simultaneously achieved via increased diversity at the remote production hub and the potential viability of televising an increased number of sports and leagues.
The importance of broadcaster/federation involvement was highlighted by Jennie Blackmore, head of production at Sky Sports. Blackmore says that the broadcaster has the leverage to ask federations to ensure that clubs/venues provide what is needed for the OB. Standardisation across sites (for example, power or internet provision) can then lead to more confident investment in kit and new workflows. BAFTA Albert’s Venue Requirement for a Sustainable Broadcast document provides a list of venue requirements, although a more powerful tool would be to include a bespoke list within broadcaster regulations, she said.
This view is mirrored by Angélique Emoul, head of sports rights sales and sport and sustainability lead at European Broadcasting Union, who was in conversation with Riika Rakic from the International Biathlon Union. The pair discussed how they look to embed sustainability in broadcast operations by design, with their north star to embed minimum sustainability obligations within the broadcaster obligations. Their success over 25 years of partnership is a positive example of what can be achieved together.