• On hand for launch were Seven’s Kurt Burnette and Saul Shtein, NEP’s Soames Treffry
• Current staff of 20 will grow to 1,200 during Gold Coast 2018 Comm Games
The global headquarters of the host broadcaster delivering the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) television broadcast has been officially opened by the Minister for the Commonwealth Games Stirling Hinchliffe.
Led by NEP Australia, with the support of production partners the Seven Network and Sunset+Vine (S+V), the host broadcaster will produce high definition multicamera television coverage across 11 days of sporting competition plus the opening and closing ceremonies (with the opening ceremony also to be produced in 4K Ultra HD) for delivery to rights-holding broadcasters around the world.
The host broadcast team currently numbers 20, comprising the key management group and broadcast training manager, two venue-planning teams and administrative staff. It will expand to 30 members in early 2017, 60 over the course of next year, and reach a Games-time workforce of more than 1,200.
In addition to the Minister, guests at the launch – held at the host broadcaster’s Bundall Road HQ – included Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie and CEO Mark Peters, NEP Australia president Soames Treffry, Seven West Media’s event director – Rio Olympics, Commonwealth Games and chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette and Seven Network’s head of sport Saul Shtein, sports commentator and Olympian Giaan Rooney – who also acted as event MC – plus a number of Queensland university students who will be gaining hands-on work experience through the host broadcast training program.
Hinchliffe said GC2018 would be the biggest televised sporting event in Australia this decade.
“With an expected television audience of 1.5 billion people worldwide, it is vital the broadcast is provided by an organisation with exceptional expertise and experience,” Hinchliffe said.
“I congratulate NEP Australia on the opening of its host broadcast operations on the Gold Coast and welcome the opportunities they will provide, including valuable work-experience and training for university students, and jobs for local industry professionals.
“This is a great example of a unique industry coming to Queensland because of the Games and I am delighted their team will call the Gold Coast home for the next two years.”
NEP Australia’s Treffry said: “As our previous Commonwealth Games experience has shown, detailed forward planning is key to getting a project of this complexity off to a flying start. We hit the ground running, with our core team in place more than two years from the Gold Coast 2018 Opening Ceremony.”
Seven West’s Burnette said: “With sports production and great storytelling in our DNA, Seven is delighted to share our experience and expertise and is proud to be a key partner in delivery of an event of this significance for our country. We are excited to be a part of the team that will deliver world-class coverage, not just to every Australian, but to the world.”
Beyond its partnership with NEP and Sunset+Vine, Seven will also create the most extensive coverage of a Commonwealth Games across its broadcast television platform and on connected devices in the network’s single biggest local sports production commitment in Australia since the Olympic Games in 2000.
Seven’s Shtein said: “Seven is delighted to be joining with NEP and Sunset+Vine in what will be the biggest event to hit our shores since the Olympic Games in Sydney. We are looking forward to being a partner in the production of the global television coverage and bringing these Commonwealth Games to all Australians.”
Photo [L-R]: Seven West Media’s event director – Rio Olympics, Commonwealth Games and chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette; NEP Australia president Soames Treffry; Minister for the Commonwealth Games Stirling Hinchliffe and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie