Titans of Olympic Production: OBS’s Romero, BBC’s Davies, and NBC’s Mazza

The London Olympics will be remembered not only for massive viewership numbers and breathtaking storylines but also for the technical and production advances made during the Games, many of which were provided by OBS (Olympic Broadcast Services), the BCC, and NBC.

Last week at the IBC in London, SVG sat down with production and engineering leaders from all three entities — OBS CEO Manolo Romero, BBC Sport Executive Producer Paul Davies, and NBC Olympics SVP of Engineering Dave Mazza — to offer  an inside look at how the gargantuan Olympic undertaking was accomplished in London.

Romero led OBS’s comprehensive HD, 3D, and Ultra HD production efforts in his final year as CEO. He will become vice chairman of OBS come the new year but will remain involved with both OBS and the IOC. CLICK HERE for the full story.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming success of Team GB helped draw record viewership to the BBC, which rolled out a team of more than 700 led by Davies. Watching BBC1’s evening coverage became a national duty during the 17-day event, and the BBC did not disappoint its legions of Olympic viewers. CLICK HERE for the full story.

NBC has been synonymous with Olympics for more than two decades, but the London Games beat even the most optimistic expectations for the Peacock. Thanks to Mazza’s engineering team, NBC was able to deliver thousands of hours of coverage across a variety of platforms during what many are referring to as the first truly Digital Games. CLICK HERE for the full story.

Visit SVG Europe’s Live From London 2012 Blog for the most in-depth coverage of the technology and workflows that went into the Olympic production.