SVG Sit-Down: Broadcast Management Group’s Graham Taylor, Dave Weiler on Growing its Sports Division

Taylor recently joined the team to bolster editorial efforts

Broadcast Management Group (BMG) is continuing to expand its efforts in the sports-video–production industry by bringing in fresh new faces. One of its newest additions is Executive Producer, Sports Production, Graham Taylor. The Emmy Award-winning sports and events producer has spent much of the past two decades covering the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. He also worked in international sports as an associate producer for Olympic Broadcasting Services’ multi-clip feed productions for both the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (Beach Volleyball) and 2022 Beijing Winter Games (Ice Hockey). Most recently, he served as clipping bureau producer for the first World Athletics Championships in the U.S.

SVG sat down with Taylor and SVP, Consulting, Dave Weiler to talk about Taylor’s path to the company, how the sports division has changed over the past 12 months, how Taylor will make a positive impact in his new role, and more.

Graham Taylor: “REMI workflow allows us to bring in talent from around the country as we constantly strive to increase the quality of the shows we produce.”

What are some of your favorite production moments from your career?
Taylor: A couple come to the front of my mind right away. The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs opening round producing for the Arizona Coyotes vs the Chicago Blackhawks. The first five games of the series all went to overtime; it had never happened before. And, if you’ve ever watched OT playoff hockey, there is nothing better to watch as a fan and, for a producer, the most fun games to work as well. More recently, working for the Olympic Broadcasting Services at the Tokyo Summer and Beijing Winter Games was eye-opening. Being surrounded by such talented broadcast personnel and being part a group — from the top executives to our entire production crew — all pulling on the same rope was a tremendous learning experience, as well as just plain fun.

How have production technologies and techniques changed over your career?
Taylor: It’s funny, technology has advanced so much — namely the ease of gathering and sharing content and material that is now right at your fingertips. Digitization has added so, so much in the way we can story-tell.

Techniques, on the other hand, sometimes have had to adapt to the priorities of the outlet as well as the technological advancements. Whether it be more sales and promotional integration, more focus on partner content, variance in editorial judgments — sometimes they conflict with putting on the most entertaining show. Production techniques, oftentimes, have to adapt in order to deliver for our audience of fans, while meeting the additional demands. It’s a fine balance.

What are the skills you’re bringing to BMG?
Taylor: When I started freelancing with BMG just two years ago, we were embarking on a brave new plan: decentralizing the production staff in a REMI workflow. It allows us to bring in talent from around the country as we constantly strive to increase the quality of the shows we produce for our network and team partners. I think knowing the workflow and finding the right mix of people to work within our structure are skills I’ll continue to utilize at BMG. And if you’ve ever been a part of a live TV production, you know it can sometimes get intense. So keeping the right temperature for the crew is a skill I’ll continue to rely on.

Can you highlight some of your co-workers within the sports division? How excited are you to work with them?
Taylor: Our sports division is filled with many strong people on both the technical and the creative sides. Plus, we have others within our broader company base that have backgrounds in sports or a desire to be more involved in sports TV. From Dave Weiler’s decades of experience at ESPN to those newer to the sports scene at our BOC in Las Vegas, we have an opportunity to grow from both a company side and the individuals’ professional side. The next generation of technicians evolving in this workspace is exciting to be a part of but not possible without the skills of our core group, who are trailblazing this new technology and integrating it into our workflow.

What is one thing you’re most looking forward to accomplishing with BMG?
Taylor: The one thing I’m most looking forward to accomplishing is growth — a broad word that covers so much ground, I know. To boil it down, I go back to the first sports show I worked on with BMG. We needed to grow; it was obvious. And we did. At the time, as a producer, I just tried to express to our crew the ways we need to get better for the next show, and the next, and the next. We have this incredibly motivated group who use cutting-edge technology, combined with our experience in different areas of production, to find new ways to grow our product. Now I have a better ability to work with our production group to enhance that growth in my new role.

Dave Weiler: “We believe we can continue to grow our sports-packaging business that will bring value to our partners.”

What was your decision on bringing Graham on board?
Weiler: Our Sports Packaging Division has experienced quite a growth spurt over the last 12 months. With many of our clients embracing the centralized technology/decentralized workflow and the cost-efficiencies it creates, we realized we needed to add a leadership role to our team to provide support and guidance to the producers and directors we bring onboard. Since Graham had already produced many high-profile events for us utilizing our REMI workflow, we realized he was the perfect choice.

How have the past 12 months been, and how will Graham make a positive impact?
Weiler: Over the past year, BMG has provided sports-packaging services to a variety of clients covering a variety of sports. This sometimes meant working with producers and directors who had limited experience with REMI workflows and work-from-home operators. Graham was one producer who excelled in this environment and quickly became a resource for our team members — and more important, for our clients — in leading productions. Having Graham on board will allow us to provide guidance and support to the full-time and contract producer/director teams we engage, whether they are producing from home or at our BOC in Las Vegas. We are always looking to raise the level of our game, and having Graham’s focus on these key positions is essential. Bringing Graham’s skill set and experience to our clients’ productions, I think, separates BMG as a packager and service provider.

What is planned in the immediate future for the sports division?
Weiler: We are excited about the coming year. Starting in September, we will be busy with college football and then adding hockey and basketball starting in November. We also have lined up a series of spring sports again. We believe our workflow creates great value for our clients, and, as we grow, we want to work with them to identify opportunities where BMG can support and grow their business.

After this new hire, what direction do you see your group moving?
Weiler: At BMG, we are always looking to create long-term relationships with our clients. There are three areas of focus where we believe we can continue to grow our sports-packaging business that will bring value to our partners.

First, we will look to work with our clients to identify productions where centralized technology and decentralized staffing is most effective. A good example of this was our recent packaging of the Junior Little League World Series. Events that take place over multiple days reap the biggest benefits of BMG’s REMI Production Solution.

Also, BMG will begin to produce original content. Some content will be for specific clients. BMG will also bring original content to market. These projects range from weekly shows to daily productions that feature a sports focus.

We are continuing to build out our REMI fleet capacity to meet our clients’ needs.