4 - FIFA/CIES International University Network

DAN ATKINS
GENERAL MANAGER,
IGNITE MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
THE SPORTBUSINESS DEBATE
“The possibility to integrate
graphics and statistics adds a new
dimension. Add the drama of
the lighting and audio effects to
the live event mix and given the
choice, there is no way you would
want to watch at home.”
WITH THE INCREASE of sports events being held
at modern stadiums and in entertainment venues,
such as the O2 Arena in London, long gone are
the days where it is acceptable for the in-stadium
‘screens’ mix to be an afterthought, with lower
production values than one would expect to see
on television.
New technologies have developed alongside
high-definition (HD) television such as super
slow-motion replays and tiny HD mini-cameras
that provide ‘point-of-view’ coverage. These shots
can be used to enhance the audience experience
during breaks in play.
The possibility to integrate graphics and
statistics such as Hawk-Eye and win/loss/
accuracy information also adds a new dimension
for the live event viewer that was previously only
available to the broadcaster. Add the drama of the
lighting and audio effects to the live event mix and
given the choice, there is no way you would want
to watch at home.
At ignite we believe the in-stadium audiovisual
presentation is of paramount importance
to the live audience. At the Barclays ATP World
Tour Finals event (see page 27), we use multicamera
television directors to ‘call’ the screens,
lighting, presenter and music cues, as if it were
a live television show. In order to do this, we
work closely with the Association of Tennis
Professionals and their live broadcast television
director in the lead up to the event.
Having complete integration with the live
broadcast team, sharing control of cameras and
replays, and not working in isolation, it is now
very possible to bring television production values
to the live event audience and allow spectators
to share in aspects of sports coverage that were
previously only seen at home.
“How will HD TV, 3D TV and other
technologies which enhance the
quality of the television sports
experience impact on the live
events sector, and what needs to
be done to ensure that the
in-stadium experience matches
that offered by broadcasters?”
The 2010 FIFA World Cup marked a significant development in the
evolution of live 3D sports coverage.
And while the broadcast sector learned many lessons about what works
and what doesn’t from a technical perspective, the wider implications of
yet another enhancement to the armchair/couch sports experience are
worthy of discussion.
The media-delivered sports experience has never been richer. That’s not
simply the result of the quality of the pictures but the way broadcasters are
able to tell the story of an event. In just about every respect, the armchair
becomes the best seat in the house. What’s the incentive to pay big money
for tickets, travel and catering when you can relax at home or with friends at
a bar for the fraction of the cost and potential inconvenience?
It is an issue that should be taxing not only for the people who sell tickets
to live events, but also to broadcasters themselves. It can be argued that sport
is a four-dimensional experience and that the fourth dimension is the crowd.
The crowd provides the vibrant colourful background and spontaneous
ever-changing soundtrack to live broadcasts. Try watching with the sound
turned down or, as in the case of the World Cup, the natural sound drowned
out by the buzz of vuvuzelas - and the product becomes poorer.
So if sport needs a crowd, what can be done to ensure that fans will
still pack stadiums when there are other less expensive and more
comfortable options? Is ensuring that stadia remain full an issue of
pricing - once again the FIFA World Cup indicates this is an important
factor - or is there more to it than that?
Are we simply burying our heads in the sand if we continue to believe
that the status of the live sport event will remain unchanged during a time
when household budgets are under strain and when there is no shortage of
entertainment opportunities?
That’s the question we put to our panel of experts this month.
80 SportBusiness International • No. 160 • 09.10