Riedel Tech Delivers Groundbreaking America’s Cup Coverage

Riedel’s leading-edge hardware and software technologies are at the core of the 360-degree concept for the coverage of the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA, provided for the event by host broadcast partner circle-o. The concept includes an innovative technology approach combining live TV production, event infrastructure, and race management for the premier sailing event, currently underway in the Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, New Zealand.

Italy’s Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli won the PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series, defeating INEOS Team UK. That team will now face the defender of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, starting on March 6.

Riedel delivers innovative camera solutions, new audio technologies, and sensor technology embedded in a comprehensive technical infrastructure. This is supported by an on-site team of 30 members managing all audio, video, communications, tracking, and data transmission systems, including signals from on-board cameras, chase boats, and helicopters. Since all camera, microphone, and transmission systems must withstand extreme marine conditions, Riedel has provided bespoke equipment aboard each competing yacht.

To achieve this, Riedel has harnessed the combined horsepower of the Riedel family of solution providers, ranging from Pidso’s antennas and radar systems over Igtimi’s GPS tracking technologies to highly specialized nautical know-how from Riedel’s Porto R&D hub. Entrusted with the overarching technology concept for the America’s Cup coverage, Riedel also closely integrated services and technologies from other technology partners into the extensive production infrastructure, including well-respected manufacturers like iXblue, Sennheiser, and Lawo.

In addition to on-site engineers, Riedel also provides extensive remote support from its award-winning Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Wuppertal, Germany. The ROC serves as a monitoring and engineering hub through which operators can remotely access the entire system setup in Auckland, including video, audio, and intercom signals. This enables the ROC team to monitor and control essential parameters of the equipment aboard the racing yachts, including camera control, audio setup, GPS data transmission, and battery management, and support the on-site crew in optimizing system performance.

“We’re thrilled to be playing such a foundational role in this year’s battle for the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting trophy,” said Thomas Riedel, CEO and Founder, Riedel Communications. “Decades of experience in the most demanding production environments now culminate in this very special project with very special challenges. Together with our partner suppliers, all of whom represent the global standard in their fields, our team has created a seamless production infrastructure that is enabling circle-o to take its live coverage to thrilling new levels. Their stunning coverage opens up entirely new perspectives on sailing and perfectly illustrates the great impact technology can have on entertainment formats and the tangibility of sporting events."

Stephen Nuttall, Managing Director, Production and Media Rights, America’s Cup added, “With Riedel’s unified technology approach and industry-leading innovation at the heart of the operation of the 36th America’s Cup, the premier sailing competition, we intend to deliver the best possible experience for established and new fans of the sport of sailing.”

You might also like...

KVM & Multiviewer Systems At NAB 2024

We take a look at what to expect in the world of KVM & Multiviewer systems at the 2024 NAB Show. Expect plenty of innovation in KVM over IP and systems that facilitate remote production, distributed teams and cloud integration.

Wi-Fi Gets Wider With Wi-Fi 7

The last 56k dialup modem I bought in 1998 cost more than double the price of a 28k modem, and the double bandwidth was worth the extra money. New Wi-Fi 7 devices are similarly premium-priced because early adaptation of leading-edge new technology…

NAB Show 2024 BEIT Sessions Part 2: New Broadcast Technologies

The most tightly focused and fresh technical information for TV engineers at the NAB Show will be analyzed, discussed, and explained during the four days of BEIT sessions. It’s the best opportunity on Earth to learn from and question i…

Standards: Part 6 - About The ISO 14496 – MPEG-4 Standard

This article describes the various parts of the MPEG-4 standard and discusses how it is much more than a video codec. MPEG-4 describes a sophisticated interactive multimedia platform for deployment on digital TV and the Internet.

The Big Guide To OTT: Part 9 - Quality Of Experience (QoE)

Part 9 of The Big Guide To OTT features a pair of in-depth articles which discuss how a data driven understanding of the consumer experience is vital and how poor quality streaming loses viewers.