Greening the Game: Industry Leaders, Content Creators Drive Sustainability in Sports Production

Practices include renewable power, energy-efficient operations, remote production

Collaborative efforts by industry stakeholders are vital to sustainability in the sports-video production. Essential to success is awareness of options that embrace sustainable practices and foster a culture of environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, governments are getting more serious about sustainability and corporate entities are increasingly requiring production partners to proactively make a difference.

Technology providers and content creators may have different perspectives on the issue, but they agree that sports production can sustainably deliver quality content. Here’s a look at what companies on both sides are doing.

The Industry’s Effort

Technology is helping the drive toward sustainable sports production by enabling innovative solutions and practices that minimize environmental impact.

Aggreko’s low-emission–technology Greener Power program is designed to help customers support sustainability goals.

Aggreko emphasizes the evolving sustainability landscape within the broadcast space, and adopting innovative technologies and strategies aligns its temporary power solutions with sustainability goals. The company’s low-emission–technology Greener Power program, notes Director, Business Development, Paul Hines, is intended to help customers make choices that support their sustainability goals.

An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) can help broadcasters meet sustainability metrics.

Filmwerks Power focuses on integration of renewable energy sources into production-power solutions, according to Director, Production Power, Aaron Frye. Supporting UPS (uninterrupted power supply) technologies with renewable energy sources, he notes, can ensure a continuous, reliable, and green operation for the production.

Two Ross Video employees inspect new machines on the factory line with a focus on sustainability.

Ross Video’s focus on sustainability encompasses a holistic end-to-end approach, integrating eco-friendly practices from product design all the way to disposal. Chris Lennon, from the Office of the CTO, points out that emphasis on hyperconvergence and sustainable on-premises solutions underscores the company’s commitment to environmentally conscious practices.

EVS aims to embody sustainability in its daily practices and initiatives through three focus areas: planet, people, and governance.

At EVS, the link between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles and EVS’s culture is intrinsic, says CEO Serge Van Herck, noting that EVS has pioneered sustainable practices in technology solutions, influencing the broader media- and entertainment-tech industry. EVS’s award-winning efforts, he adds, have set an example for sustainable innovation.

The Role of Content Creators

Telemundo’s Andrea Berry notes that sustainability is integrated into the company’s sports-production operations.

Telemundo integrates sustainability into its sports-production operations, according to EVP, Operations and Technology, Andrea Berry. Such initiatives as hybrid fleets and deployment of remote-production technologies during events like the World Cup are intended to reduce environmental impact. With sustainability ingrained in its operations, the company’s Miami production facility boasts a range of eco-friendly initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint: from energy-efficient lighting systems to state-of-the-art recycling programs.

Mobile TV Group’s Nick Garvin believes sustainability is key to the company’s future success.

Mobile TV Group prioritizes sustainability in its operations. According to COO Nick Garvin, leveraging cloud-based remote-production technologies and equipping mobile units with eco-friendly technologies are key strategies. These initiatives not only minimize environmental impact but also have a substantive financial impact. For example, he says, by moving more than 5,000 productions to a live remote solution, Mobile TV Group sent fewer people to sites and calculates a saving of more than 15,000 flights for the production staff — a real saving in energy, transportation, and costs.

HBS’s Bart Lucassen says the company offers sustainable solutions tailored to each project.

HBS works closely with sports leagues, teams, and partners to implement sustainable practices, offering solutions tailored to each project. Director, Engineering, Bart Lucassen notes such initiatives as reusing facilities, using bio-diesel for broadcast power, and promoting remote production to limit travel as demonstrating the company’s commitment to driving change within the industry. A focus on data collection and analysis, he says, allows better optimization of sustainable solutions and provides valuable insights to clients. Collaboration through initiatives like the Broadcast Academy further promotes knowledge sharing and skill development, developing the next generation of production leaders committed to sustainability.