World first 4K HDR broadcast workflow to feature at Tyson Fury versus Dillian Whyte from BT Sport, EMG UK and Sony

World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title holder Britain’s Tyson Fury poses on the pitch after a press conference at Wembley Stadium in west London on 1 March 2022. Fury is set to have his first bout on home soil in nearly four years when he defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title in an all-British clash against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on 23 April (Photo: Tolga Akmen/AFP)

EMG UK and BT Sport are producing this weekend’s Tyson Fury versus Dillian Whyte fight at Wembley Stadium, London, with a world-first 4K HDR broadcast workflow.

Sony’s new HDC-F5500 live system camera will be used for the first time in Europe in a live sports broadcast scenario as part of the 4K HDR workflow. The camera – which boasts a sensitive Super 35mm frame for achieving an artistic look, on a 4K CMOS global shutter image sensor – will be integrated into the live production operation and workflow in a trial at the heavyweight title clash.

Andy Beale, chief engineer at BT Sport, commented: “When it comes to sporting events, we’re constantly seeking to try out the latest technologies to improve on our existing workflows and deliver a world-class viewing experience. High visibility events like the fight between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte are the perfect setting to trial new cameras in a live context.

The boxing fight will see the HDC-F5500 seamlessly connect into the existing camera infrastructure within an EMG UK OB van, with minimal engineering effort.

The HDCU-5500 will output UHD Slog3 live images into the rest of the production chain. The images will then be transmitted to viewers’ homes through BT Sport’s infrastructure.

Said Martyn Edwards, project director, EMG UK: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Sony and BT Sport on this landmark 4K project. At EMG we have worked with Sony camera systems for many years throughout the group, so it was a straightforward connection into the existing camera infrastructure within our UHD HDR OB facilities.. The HDC-F5500 is an excellent camera and really brings this cinematic and artistic look and feel to the production, thanks to its Super 35mm 4K CMOS sensor.”

Norbert Paquet, head of live production solutions, imaging products and solutions Europe, added: “We’re always excited to see our latest innovations being used in real life conditions. The HDC-F5500 is built in a spirit of continuity with other HDC camera Systems, so it integrates easily into existing live production workflows and operations but it’s also built with a spirit of innovation and with sustainability in mind. The demand for a more artistic look in live production and enhanced operational workflow while working with 4K, HDR, Super 35mm sensors were key drivers in the development of the HDC-F5500, making it an easy fit to any live sports and events productions alongside other HDC camera systems.”