Remembering Manolo Romero: A Tribute to the Global Sports Broadcasting Giant

The newly-inducted Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer passed away on December 24

He was one of the great international giants of the sports broadcasting world and his influence is not only still felt today, it has shaped today’s world of broadcasting international events.

Manolo Romero, who was CEO or general director for the host broadcast operations on 10 Olympics beginning in 1992 and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer earlier this month, passed away on Dec. 24 at the age of 81.

As each Olympics production grew in technical complexity as well as helping popularize formats like HDTV or stereo (or even color TV) on a global scale, Romero played a part in turning promise into reality.

Romero’s career was defined by ensuring the host-broadcast feed met the needs of a global sports-distribution and -production community that sometimes has very different capabilities but always has a wide range of budgets. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) was able to sit in the middle and create a rising tide that lifted the quality of Olympics coverage for sports fans everywhere.

Relive his iconic career through this tribute video from his Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame induction on December 13, 2022:

For more on Manolo Romero’s career and influence, visit his page at the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.