Comcast’s Sky unit has announced that it plans to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment from ITV plc for roughly 1.6 billion pounds ($2.14 billion), comprising 1.2 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) in cash, Love Productions, and up to 0.2 billion pounds ($0.27 billion) in performance-related earnout.

The announcement comes just a week after Comcast set plans to spin off its NBCUniversal and Sky operations into a separate company.

The proposed deal would create a U.K. media powerhouse and create the scale the companies say they need to compete effectively with global streaming players.

ITV already reaches around 40 million people every week and serves more than 16.5 million monthly digital users. Combined with Sky, the business would account for around 20% of all in-home viewing in the U.K.—second to the BBC and ahead of YouTube—and create a British commercial streaming champion.

But analysts point out that the combination would also control about 70% of the U.K. TV ad business and that the proposed deal will face extensive regulatory review.

The deal combines ITV’s ad-supported, free-to-air broadcast platform with Sky’s portfolio of pay TV, streaming, broadband, mobile and business services. Comcast and ITV said the combined entity’s diverse revenue streams would provide a resilient and durable business model.

“This is a defining moment for British media and an opportunity to build a stronger future for two of the U.K.’s most loved and trusted brands,” Sky Group CEO Dana Strong said. “We have huge respect for the transformation the ITV team has delivered, particularly its successful move into streaming through ITVX, which has brought fantastic British content to millions of viewers across the UK.

“Bringing Sky and ITV Media & Entertainment together combines the very best of free-to-air television, pay TV and streaming, ensuring viewers across the U.K. continue to enjoy outstanding British programming in a rapidly changing world,“ she added. “ITV will remain a public-service broadcaster at the heart of British life, and we’re excited about the future we can build together.”

The ITV channels and ITVX will remain free-to-air and will continue to meet their public-service broadcasting commitments, Sky said, with ITV’s entertainment and national and regional news programs remaining intact. ITV News and Sky News will also remain as distinct editorial voices, Sky said.

Sky also struck a five-year, 2.1 billion-pound ($2.8 billion) content supply deal with ITV Studios, effective upon the deal’s completion.

“ITV has successfully evolved in a rapidly changing media landscape—launching and scaling ITVX and developing ITV Studios into a major force in the global content market,” ITV plc CEO Carolyn McCall said. “This transaction builds on that momentum to deliver clear, tangible value for shareholders. At the same time, through the commitments made by Sky, the combined ITV M&E / Sky business will continue to deliver everything about ITV that our viewers and advertisers love and value and our people are hugely proud of—making programs that reflect and shape society, bringing people together for shared experiences and having the quality, diversity and plurality that are the hallmarks of our contribution to the U.K,’s creative industries. In addition, all of ITV’s PSB commitments, including regional and national news, are safeguarded under the terms of the Channel 3 Licences until 2034, which Sky is acquiring as part of the transaction.”

LONDON & MILAN—The edge video delivery network, MainStreaming, has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, ITV’s streaming service for premium on-demand, linear and live content in the UK.

As part of a push to become a more digital business, ITVX is an important part of the broadcaster’s long-term, streaming-first growth strategy. With nearly 10 billion streams delivered between December 2022 to December 2025, ITV realized that it needed to diversify its large-scale video delivery model to keep pace with shifting audience behavior and future consumption patterns.

As part of that decision, ITV has added MainStreaming to its multi-CDN strategy, recognizing the need for a more controllable approach to video delivery that enables greater visibility, optimization and performance management at scale.

MainStreaming will support the delivery of ITVX’s core catalogue, including flagship programs, news and live content, leveraging its distributed Edge architecture to deliver high Quality of Experience (QoE) while optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO).

“ITVX is a strategic platform for ITV, and our delivery architecture needs to be ready not just for today, but for where streaming will be in the next ten years,” explained Mark Ison, director of engineering at ITV. “MainStreaming’s video-first, capacity-based approach helps us enhance our platform as our expected demand evolves, and its proven ISP partnerships - including BT - give us confidence we can address quality, scalability and efficiency for a significant portion of our audience, while continuing to build on our already world-class streaming platform.”

A critical advantage, and a key factor in ITV’s decision to select the vendor was MainStreaming’s ability to integrate deeply within ISP networks, strengthened by its recent strategic partnership with BT, the UK’s leading connectivity provider.

With the largest fixed network and best‑performing mobile network, BT’s converged infrastructure is critical to enabling high‑quality, distributed video delivery. With BT customers making up a significant share of ITV’s audience, this collaboration creates powerful opportunities to further enhance streaming performance as ITVX continues to scale.

“ITV's decision reflects a broader shift in the streaming industry,” Antonio G. Corrado, founder and CEO of MainStreaming, added. “As audiences continue to grow and viewing increasingly moves towards streaming, broadcasters need new delivery infrastructures and technologies that provide greater control, scalability and efficiency. We are proud to support ITVX in this evolution and to help demonstrate how closer collaboration between broadcasters, ISPs and technology partners can deliver a higher-quality streaming experience at national scale.”

On Air, a 26-hour global live broadcast will take place on Oct. 16 2025, delivering a continuous stream of original and pre-recorded content managed entirely by university and college students.

The project has been put together by the Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto, with backing from ITV Studios, SMPTE, AWS, Vizrt and Deluxe.

Each participating institution will contribute at least one hour of live programming to the broadcast. Confirmed universities/locations include: Auckland University of Technology (SMPTE), Baltic Film and Media School, Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (SMPTE), Hong Kong Design Institute (SMPTE), Lycée René Cassin – Biarritz, Medieklyngen – Media Cluster Norway, University of Sao Paulo in partnership with Faculdade Casper Libero, University of Surrey, University of Texas (SMPTE), and York University with Ravensbourne University London as the central hub for master control room, playout control and operations.

The aim is for On Air to give participating students real-world experience, international exposure, and networking opportunities, as well as offering media and entertainment organisations direct access to a diverse pool of future-ready creatives and technologists.

“On Air exemplifies the power of collaboration between education and industry by providing an opportunity to connect with and support the next generation of talent,” said Carrie Wootten, founder of the Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto. “By giving students real-world experience, hands-on learning and visibility among potential future employers, we can help ensure the future of our sector is more innovative, inclusive and sustainable.”

Tim Guilder, head of production technology – ITV Studios at ITV, added: “ITV is committed to helping foster the next generation of talent and we’re proud to be supporting On Air and providing technical support and studio access to this exciting project. The scale of this project will give creatives and technologists more global opportunities to shine.”

The On Air team is looking for a distribution partner and any platform integrators to take the project further. More details about the project are available here: http://mediatalentmanifesto.com/on-air

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand TVBEurope.

LONDON—U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV has selected Friend MTS anti-piracy services to help protect its content.

ITV will protect its main linear channels across broadcast and streaming platforms with Friend MTS’s 24×7 Global Monitoring service. These channels feature exclusive, premium content including Six Nations Rugby, the FA Cup, the England Women’s football team matches and the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 tournament as well as entertainment like “The Masked Singer.”

“ITV’s aim is to contribute to making piracy unsustainable and through appointing Friend MTS we will be working together to enhance our anti-piracy activities in the U.K., said ITV director of distribution Sarah Tierney. “As a key part of our strategy to optimize broadcast and supercharge streaming, it’s important that we maximize ITV’s reach while protecting audiences from the material consumer harms of pirate sites and meeting our contractual obligations with rightsholders.”

Using the Friend MTS best-in-class global monitoring platform, which includes proprietary, fingerprinting technology and automated detection systems, backed by a highly experienced 24×7 operations team, ITV be able to identify illegal streams across the internet for immediate takedown. The platform also will facilitate removal of links from primary search engines, the company said.

“We are seeing a tide of key entertainment brands turning to us to help them fight piracy and keep their content secure,” said Chris Gibbs, Friend MTS senior vice president of sales. “Our unrivalled capabilities not only reduce exposure to piracy but ensure advertiser messaging is seen by the right people, which is paramount for an ad-funded businesses like ITV.”

 More information is available on the company’s website. 

STOCKHOLM—Global video solutions provider, Accedo has announced that it worked with ITV in the U.S. to expand the reach of the broadcasters streaming service, ITVX to PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles in the U.K.

Acceedo worked on the initial Dec. 2022 launch of ITVX, which delivers a mix of live linear content, curated FAST channels, and an extensive VOD library and has about 40 million registered users. An ad-funded service, ITVX also includes subscription tier ITVX Premium. 

The launch on Sony PlayStation consoles will make its programming available to an even wider audience. 

Huw Byrne Jones, Streaming Director of Engineering (Core Experience), ITV, explained that “Launching ITVX to PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles supports ITV’s position as a leader in UK advertiser-funded streaming. Making ITVX more widely available will help us increase active users and create more value for advertisers. Accedo is a trusted partner, and has been instrumental in supporting ITV in bringing the ITVX service to this platform.”

“The expansion of ITVX on to additional platforms will help ITV deliver its world-class programming to even more people, while also offering viewers more choice in ways to watch,” added Martin Sebelius, senior vice president of EMEA and Latin America, Accedo. “This is important in today’s fragmented market where users are able to access content on an ever-expanding range of devices and platforms. Ensuring expansive reach is imperative in staying competitive and in aiding both user acquisition and retention strategies.”

CARY, N.C.—The UK's largest commercial broadcaster ITV has released new details on how it is using an API-driven first-party ad server developed by SAS, to deliver personalized advertising to the 40 million registered users of its content hub, ITVX.

A year after its launch, with about 40 million registered viewers, ITVX boasted 2.7 billion streams which was a new record for ITV. Recent successes include the Rugby World Cup streams, which have reached 60 million views - an 80% increase compared to the 2019 tournament.

"When we have a challenge or see an opportunity, we have a conversation with the brilliant minds at SAS," said Alex Maison, head of Digital Ad Platforms, ITV. "We often come back with something better than what we were thinking. We've been able to progress at a great pace and keep ahead of the market because of those conversations."

One of these key innovations is Planet V, ITV's self-serve programmatic platform that provides advertisers with a range of campaign booking options based on show content and audience data. Planet V, self-built by ITV and now the UK's second-largest programmatic platform, is a high-fidelity integration with the SAS 360 Match solution for ad delivery and campaign management, the broadcaster reported. 

"The flexibility of SAS 360 Match allows us to develop things at our own pace," added Maison. "We define our own development queue – we're not waiting for a third party. We're able to build most of the things we need to get to market ourselves."

One of the biggest advancements on the horizon for ITV is addressable linear advertising. Ads delivered on standard broadcast TV are the same for every viewer, but addressable linear allows different ads to be shown to different households, even though they are watching the same program. This is achieved through set-top boxes and smart TV technology that can receive and display ads based on the household's demographics, viewing habits or other targeting criteria, the companies said. 

Roderick Crawford, senior vice president for SAS Northern Europe, said: "SAS has been working with ITV for more than 10 years and it's been great to see the collaboration develop to the point where our customer intelligence software now helps deliver personalized ads to the 40million registered users of its content hub, ITVX. We know ITV has ambitious plans to become a leader in UK streaming and grow digital revenue significantly, and we're delighted to be supporting them on this journey."

More information about SAS' work with ITV is available here.

Freely—the new streaming service backed by Britain’s leading broadcasters BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5—is now available through the next generation of smart TVs now on sale in stores and online in the U.K. Initially announced last fall, the launch was unveiled by Everyone TV—an organization owned by the public broadcasters that advocates for the evolution of free TV in the U.K.

Freely allows U.K. broadband subscribers to stream live TV channels alongside on demand content for free via their smart TVs, removing the need for a dish or aerial. Featuring what Everyone TV calls “world-first innovations for free TV,” viewers can switch seamlessly between live and on demand content from the UK’s leading broadcasters.

The new service marks the first time all four of Britain’s public service broadcasters have partnered to launch a streaming service, according to the broadcasters, who heralded the launch as an example of the kind of cooperation they’ll need to better compete in the streaming market.

Currently about two-thirds (12.8 million) U.K. households subscribe to a streaming service in 2024, according to Finder.com, a decline from 2023, which could be attributed to rising subscription costs. Netflix led the pack at 16.3 million subscribers, followed by Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Paramount. 

Initially the service will be available on new Hisense smart TVs available in stores across the UK and online at retailers such as Currys, Argos, AO and Very. It's also available on smart TVs powered by TiVo and via Vestel smart TVs Powered by TiVo. Vestel was previously announced as a Freely smart TV partner, with Vestel Freely TVs due to launch in the coming weeks.

“The launch of Freely is a historic moment for U.K. television,” said Kieran Clifton, Director, BBC Distribution & Business Development. “Collaboration between the U.K. PSBs is critical to connecting and protecting all audiences as we transition towards the streaming era—and delivering live TV over broadband for free is a ground-breaking innovation that will futureproof public service broadcasting,  

Martin Goswami, ITV Group Strategic Partnerships and Distribution Director, says: "The success and impact of programmes like ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office shows the importance of U.K. PSBs and ITV is proud to be part of this exciting new chapter for free TV in this country with Freely. Bringing live streamed channels and on demand content together in Freely gives viewers the opportunity to access the very best in British content as easily as possible, from live and recent programmes to a wealth of on-demand options."

“Freely will deliver the best of Britain’s world-leading public service content seamlessly and for free,” said Grace Boswood, Technology & Distribution Director, Channel 4. “It further supports Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy as we accelerate our transformation into the streaming age, ensuring our trusted, brand-safe content is available to everyone.”

James Tatam, SVP Business & Revenue for Channel 5, says: "We're delighted to be part of Freely, which will ensure UK audiences can continue to easily discover and enjoy original, high quality British programmes from Channel 5 and the other public service broadcasters - live and on-demand, for free."

Everyone TV has confirmed that STV and S4C will also bring their channels and on demand content to Freely, via broadband. STV and S4C are free-to-air public service broadcasters for Scotland and Wales respectively, whose content can be viewed across the UK.

In addition to being able to switch seamlessly between live and on demand TV from leading UK broadcasters, Freely also allows viewers to pause, restart and access more episodes, without having to pay for the service. Freely TVs can also be placed anywhere in the home where a Wi-Fi connection is available. 

Freely says it will announce more details in the coming weeks, including additional smart TV, operating system and content partners.

The new free TV streaming service backed by U.K. broadcasters, Freely, has announced it will launch in the U.K. in Q2 2024 with a third of smart TV brands now confirmed to be bringing the platform to viewers.

Backed by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 and developed by Everyone TV, Freely has also released a first glimpse of its user-interface and features.

In launching the new free streaming service, the broadcasters cited that research studies that project more than half of UK homes will watch TV exclusively over broadband by 2030 and said that the new service will future-proof live TV for the streaming age. 

Freely will bring live and on demand content together all in one place for free, ensuring that TV remains relevant and accessible to audiences of all ages, the broadcasters said. 

In announcing the new features, Sarah Milton and Carl Pfeiffer, joint chief product officers, Everyone TV said: “It’s clear the way people are watching TV is changing, with more audiences switching over to a broadband only connection. We’ve built Freely around the needs of British audiences, bringing them the freedom to choose how they want to watch, with all their favorite shows from the UK’s leading broadcasters all in one place for free. We’re really proud of what we’re launching with Freely and are excited about bringing major enhancements like the MiniGuide to viewers as Freely launches in Q2 this year.”

The service’s UI includes features which bring the free TV experience into the streaming age. For the first time on a free service, viewers will be able to switch seamlessly between live and on demand TV from the leading UK broadcasters, and take advantage of features such as pause, restart and access to more episodes, without having to pay. Freely TVs can also be placed anywhere in the home where there is a Wi-Fi connection, removing the need for a dish or aerial. 

Other key features include: 

• MiniGuide – A new feature for the free TV experience, this pop-up interface appears each time users switch channels, creating a seamless browsing experience and enabling viewers to easily discover related live or on demand content. Audiences can also take advantage of features such as restart, pause and access to more episodes from live TV. 
• Browse – Viewers will be able to press the Freely button on their remote to explore recommended live and on demand programming from Britain's leading broadcasters and free-to-air channels, all in one place. 
• TV Guide – Bringing simplicity and familiarity, this 7-day guide provides relevant information and is easily recognisable thanks to its consistency across all Freely TVs and one-touch access via the ‘Guide’ button on the remote. Audiences can also discover more episodes and on demand content linked to the live TV shows they are enjoying, all via the TV Guide.

The service also announced that Vestel, the manufacturer behind more than twenty TV brands including Toshiba, Bush, and JVC, has inked a 5-year deal to become an additional smart TV partner to offer Freely. Vestel will have Freely built into its latest set of smart TVs. 

Freely will be running the native guide on Vestel TVs, giving users the best viewing experience possible. By adopting Freely, Vestel offers its customers an unparalleled level of convenience, personalisation, and innovation. Freely will provide a consistent and recognisable user experience across all Freely-enabled TVs in market regardless of how it is accessed. 

“We are thrilled to announce our further partnership and commitment to the latest innovation in television technology, by offering customers TVs that are compatible with Freely," said Atinc Ogut, vice president of tv product management, Vestel. "Freely offers a seamless and intuitive user interface that aligns perfectly with our mission to elevate the way people experience television. The collaboration not only enhances the functionality of our TVs but also empowers users to freely stream their favourite shows, live and on demand, all from a single, unified platform. As one of the TV manufactures now compatible with Freely, we’re proud to be setting the standard for the future of television.”

Freely is also working with UKTV to bring the broadcaster's portfolio of free channels to the service via broadband. UKTV is a multi-award-winning media company with channels including Dave, Drama, Yesterday and W.

More details around Freely will be announced in the coming weeks, including additional smart TV, operating system, and content partners, the service reported. 

Everyone TV (formerly Digital UK) is a joint venture owned and supported by the UK's leading public service broadcasters - BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Everyone TV runs the UK’s free-to-view TV platforms–Freeview and Freesat–reaching over 17 million UK households. It is also developing Freely, a new service which will allow viewers to stream the best live and on demand TV for free, all in one place, available in the UK through the next generation of smart TVs.

Britain’s biggest broadcasters have announced that they are working on the development of a new free TV service that will deliver live TV over broadband. 

The broadcasters said that the landmark collaboration will mark the first time that British viewers will have free access to live TV channels and on demand content from the U.K.’s most popular broadcasters streamed straight to their smart TV via the internet.

Set for launch in 2024, the new service, called Freely, will be built-in to the next generation of smart TVs and feature a line-up of public service broadcaster content and other free-to-air channels. It will replicate the terrestrial TV experience, building on the heritage and popularity of the Freeview TV platform, currently used in 16 million homes. 

Freely is being developed by Everyone TV, the organization which runs free TV in the UK and is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

As viewers increasingly consume content online, this next phase for free TV is about the distribution and availability of the public service broadcasters’ live channels for a streaming age. It will help ensure the availability of public service broadcasters (PSB) services into the future and complement the new provisions for on demand and streaming prominence, set out in the draft Media Bill, the broadcasters said. 

"We are delighted to be working with the public service broadcasters on the next phase of free TV’s evolution,” explained Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV. “This new development is a reflection of the fact that a growing number of UK viewers are watching content online, but still want easy access to the shared experience of live TV. Our aim is to ensure that all viewers have access to a free, aggregated live TV experience that champions British content and is delivered in a way that suits audience needs and preferences. Every one of us should be able to share in the best of British ideas and creativity on TV."

"Ensuring the universality of public-service television is sustained into the future is of paramount importance to the UK and all its public service broadcasters,” added director general of the BBC, Tim Davie. “We are delighted to be deepening our collaboration in helping viewers access our content, ensuring that, in a digital age, we deliver value for all audiences and that no one is left behind."

"As more and more UK households use internet-connected TVs, it's critical that the public service broadcaster channels remain available and easy for them to find,” said Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV. “This new collaboration enables the UK public to continue to get all of their favorite British TV channels, for free - just as Freeview did at the advent of digital TV. Alongside the important reforms set out in the draft Media Bill it will help PSBs to continue to thrive for years to come."

LOS ANGELES—Fabric has announced that it will be working with IMDb, Fox Entertainment, Paramount, ITV, EIDR, and Xperi to solve one of the entertainment industry's most persistent challenges: the efficient management and delivery of accurate metadata for content and that all those companies are all involved in the Authenticated Data Specification (ADS) Accelerator Project at IBC2023.

The primary goal of the ADS Accelerator Project is to establish a system of data governance that empowers content creators to maintain, update, and verify metadata, images, and usage rights associated with their products, the participants said. By proposing workflows and processes to improve the accuracy and authenticity of metadata throughout the content supply chain, the project aims to enhance user experiences and elevate overall product quality.

“Entertainment content creation is a labor-intensive process, and the quality of accompanying metadata often suffers as it passes through various systems and platforms. Critical details get lost, descriptions are truncated, and gaps are filled with unreliable third-party data,” said Tuncay Pervaz, chief operating officer from Fabric. “The ADS project seeks to rectify this by creating a more consistent metadata delivery payload, enabling secure data authentication and facilitating the publishing and display of authenticated metadata via distribution platforms.”

Addressing the project's multifaceted challenge requires a combination of specialized technologies, resources, and expertise, the companies noted. As a result, the project team encompasses the entire spectrum of media metadata, including content creators, metadata management specialists, and aggregators. 

The ADS Accelerator Project will be showcased at IBC 2023, September 15-18, in Hall 3 booth A25a. Attendees can witness a live demonstration of how certified 'publishers' can create, modify, enhance, and authenticate metadata records. The demo will highlight the process of publishing and displaying 'authenticated' metadata on third-party distribution sites. The project's extensive documentation, best practice guides, and workflow diagrams will accompany the demonstration. A presentation of the project will be given on Saturday, 16 September at 1:30 PM CET in the IBC Accelerator Zone Stage.

“As a participant in the ADS project, Fabric is motivated to contribute to streamlining metadata delivery and enhancing its authenticity,” Pervaz continued. “The project aligns with Fabric's mission to reduce friction in data transfer processes across the industry. We are excited about partnering with clients to establish a universal metadata standard, drive improvements and provide leadership across the broader media landscape.”

U.K.-based NEP Connect has announced the delivery of 16 eco-friendly news gathering vehicles to U.K. broadcaster ITV. In February 2022, NEP Connect, part of the NEP Group global network, signed a multi-million pound contract with ITV, to provide its next generation of newsgathering vehicles for regional and national ITV News coverage. For more than a year NEP Connect engineers have worked alongside the technical experts from ITV’s news teams to design three types of state-of-the-art, plug-in hybrid news gathering vehicles, custom-built to serve ITV’s connectivity and sustainability needs.

Fourteen of the 16 vehicles are plug-in hybrids, offering 35 miles of zero-emission driving.  With two external plug-in points, the vehicles deliver both when they are in transit and when they are covering major stories using onboard batteries, rather than diesel generators powering the connectivity and production facilities. Although the two larger national events vehicles are not hybrid, they utilise battery power for the production and connectivity equipment, offering several hours of zero emissions news gathering operation.

Equipped with a clever combination of bonded 4G and 5G, Wi-Fi and NEP Connect’s Ka band satellite service on an iDirect platform using an NEP Connect 9-meter antenna hosted at MediaCityUK, the vehicles are now in the field serving ITV’s coverage of live breaking regional and national news across the country. The new eco-friendly units featuring NEP Connect’s industry-leading connectivity solutions were successfully used at the recent Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London.

“The collaboration between ITV and NEP Connect has been hugely successful in developing and delivering this world-class fleet of vehicles,” says David Meynell, Managing Director, NEP Connect. “Sustainability targets were set by both companies prior to the build program, and these have now been proven in the field. We have delivered the greenest, most eco-friendly fleet of vehicles in the world covering breaking news, and we have an exciting five years ahead delivering excellence for ITV and ITN. I am immensely proud of everyone involved with this project.”

NEP Connect has provided dedicated satellite news gathering (SNG) services to ITV and ITN since 1993 and together they have covered some of the most dramatic breaking news stories of the 20th and 21st centuries, now including the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III.

“ITV is delighted with the new hybrid vehicles and service that NEP Connect is providing for our regional and national News services,” says Paul Stevenson, Director of Technology and Technical Operations, ITV News. “The technology we developed together has now been proven in the field and it is exciting that we are operating with such innovative and forward- looking solutions. The teams at NEP Connect have delivered and the fleet will allow ITV to continue to lead the way in delivering breaking news coverage across the U.K.”

Jon Roberts, ITN’s Director of Technology, Production and Innovation, says: “ITN is delighted to deploy this new fleet of vehicles delivered by NEP Connect. They have already proved their worth on major news stories and special events, including being critical to the delivery of our coverage of The Coronation. These vehicles, based in London, Manchester and Malvern, will deliver both connectivity and a flexible, high-end live production capability for ITV National news. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with NEP Connect over the coming years.”

The much anticipated coronation of King Charles on Saturday brought in about 20 million viewers overall, according to the Broadcasters Audience Research Board,  British, an organization jointly owned by U.K. broadcasters that is responsible for audience measurement in the United Kingdom. That’s 9 million fewer than viewed the Queen’s funeral last fall. 

Average viewing figures for the two hour ceremony at Westminster Abbey peaked at 18.8 million. That total peaked at 20.4 million across 11 TV channels and services (i.e. streaming) just after noon, right after the coronation ended. 

The BBC had the highest viewership with BBC One and Two channels peaking at approximately 15 million, according to the broadcaster. 

Astoundingly, that 20 million viewership figure matches the estimated number who watched Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on television in 1953, at a time when it was estimated that only 1.5 million U.K. households actually owned a telly. 

(Also read: To crown a King: Broadcasters prepare for the Coronation of King Charles III)

The numbers probably reflect a more ambivalent attitude towards what was in essence a religious ceremony for someone who had already been King since last September, as well as the plethora of alternative viewing options for today’s royal fans. The peak number of 20 million during the coronation also matched the numbers for Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton in 2011.

None of them though came close to the most viewed royal event of all time: The funeral service for Princess Diana in 1997, which drew 31 million on the BBC and iTV. 

Viewing numbers for U.S. viewers have not yet been released. 

NEW YORK—The Switch, a provider of services for production and the global delivery of live video, has announced that it worked with ITV America to create a unique workflow to support the 24/7 live production of the reality show `Love Island.’

The live production involved 115 cameras, production locations in Hawaii, Los Angeles and Burbank and the delivery of content to three networks.

As part of the effort, The Switch installed a dedicated network between the main “Villa”, a second villa at “Casa Amor”  and the master control room set up at the Naniloa Hotel in Downtown Hilo, Hawaii. 

From Hawaii, The Switch provided fiber connectivity to The Burbank Switch which housed all of the post production servers for ‘Love Island’ and the main Post Production Offices at ITV’s Lankershim facility.  Produced by ITV America’s ITV Entertainment, the reality show’s remote locations in Hawaii presented connectivity challenges for the production team and they turned to The Switch for assistance.   

The Naniloa Hotel in Downtown Hilo, formed the main base of operations for the production crew. The Switch located Nimbra  IP transmission platforms at each of the three locations and working with its local Partner, Hawaiian Telecom, provided 10Gb connectivity from each site to support video, audio and data connections between the sets. 

It also provided 10Gb connectivity to its Burbank production facility, where ITV America’s 80+ remote editorial team put together the show 24/7 for 41 days straight. 

In total, the production team directed, produced and controlled 115 cameras across three sets from 20 miles away at the Naniloa and edited the show from 3,000 miles away in California. 

Separate production “bubbles” were created at all three Hawaii locations as part of the many protocols in place to keep contestants and crew safe throughout the process. 

“Given our shooting location and the various challenges that come with creating content in 2021, we knew it would be difficult to keep post production on site in Hawaii,” said Danielle DiStefano, executive vice president of post operations & technology at ITV America. “When we shifted `Love Island’ to a remote workflow from Hawaii to Los Angeles, we needed a partner that understood live production, could manage unforeseen challenges and could handle continuous live feeds from multiple remote locations. The Switch offers a unique mix of extensive production knowledge and network capacity, which enabled it to meet our specific requirements. Having The Switch on board freed the on-the-ground creative team to concentrate on producing the show instead of worrying about how to get the content where it needed to go.”

In addition to assisting with the connectivity from Hawaii to Los Angeles, The Switch worked with ITV America to deliver the show 6 nights per week for 6 weeks via fiber to Los Angeles, and by satellite to New York for broadcast. It also supported the delivery of live feeds to CTV in Toronto for the Canadian simulcast of the series. The Switch enabled ITV America to deliver 50 hours of content across three networks over the course of six weeks. 

Linda Hannan, sales director, digital media and OTT, at The Switch, said: “The pandemic has shown that our customers need to adapt and work in innovative ways to keep content flowing. The project with ITV America highlights our ability to connect our network to any location – no matter how remote – and underscores our ability to support high-end productions even in the most challenging conditions.”

This is the second year running that The Switch has supported ITV America with connectivity for `Love Island.’ It supported another unique production set-up in 2020 when the show was shot in Las Vegas and edited in Los Angeles. 

PITTSBURGH—ITV Studios turned to technology partner NEP Group for end-to-end broadcast solutions to help it remotely produce editions of its hit reality series “Love Island”—one each for the U.K., the United States and Australia—directed in large measure by the realities of the pandemic.

NEP and ITV Studios navigated a slew of logistical demands for the fully remote production of “Love Island U.K.” With only three engineers and a handful of crew members on site with the contestants in Mallorca, Spain, the production team managed the entire production from the new NEP Production Centre at Gray’s Inn Road in London. 

Using NEP Connect’s Anylive network from London to manage robotic cameras in Mallorca, ITV directors operated as if they were actually at the villa where the show was set. NEP Connect also provided 64 video feeds to the London facility where a crew of 75 people produced the show from over a thousand miles away.

“Remote Editing and Short-Term Event (Sport) remote production is becoming quite common, however, in this instance we required a system design that would give us resilience and a 24/7 operation for over 60 days. NEP Group looked after the remote OB element, connectivity and offered us the ability to work out of a central London facility,” said Steve Kruger, head of technology and entertainment at ITV Studios. 

“We have always had a great relationship with NEP," he added. "They have worked on the show since the franchise was rebooted in 2015 and always produced the best end-to-end solution for us. This year was no exception. We were up against an extremely tough challenge, and they stepped up, delivering something truly innovative.” 

Between the season debut in early July and the season finale in late August, ITV successfully broadcast 58 episodes in a completely remote environment. Each episode turned around seamlessly to air just 30 hours after the action happened.

While Season 7 aired in the U.K., “Love Island USA” Season 3 was getting started in Hawaii. ITV America and NEP previously had worked together on Seasons 1 and 2 in Fiji and Las Vegas, but the third season required a new framework. 

Adequate space for crew and setup were hard to come by in Hawaii so ITV America partnered with NEP’s subsidiary brand, Bexel, standing up a main control room gallery off site at the Grand Naniloa Hotel on the east side of the Big Island, about 20 miles away from the set. The tech base was set up about 2,500 feet from the main set, two miles away from the Casa Amore set. Transmission and editing were located 3,000 miles away at The Switch’s facility in Burbank, Calif. The show had only an 18-hour editing window.  

While not as distant as the U.K. production, the U.S. edition, which wrapped in mid-August, used 11 manned broadcast camera chains and 105 robotic and POV cameras. ITV America also housed logging facilities as far away as Sydney.

The U.S. team ultimately delivered over 50 hours of content to three different networks during the six-week shooting period.

Production of the show is just beginning in Australia. NEP has created a more traditional production setup for the ITV Studios team in Federal, Northern NSW, providing a broadcast compound on location with the entire production team on site with show contestants.  

NEP senior vice president of the Global Product Team Casper Choffat will deliver the opening keynote, Nov. 15 at 11:05 a.m. EST, during the TV Tech Summit. The event has opened online registration.

More information about NEP Group is available on its website.

LONDON—A group of U.K.-based broadcasters have issued a new set of guidelines for how the TV industry can return to production while attempting to minimize the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, STV and ITN—along with the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services, and producers’ body Pact—have released a five-page document that is meant to build on industry guidelines, highlighted by the establishment of what are being called “close contact cohorts.”

When on set, there are often unavoidable interactions that cannot meet social distance requirements. Taking a page from the British Film Commission’s “Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-End TV Drama Production” guide, closed contact cohorts would be pairs and/or small groups that would be permitted to interact in much closer contact. It can include cast and crew, and would include a screening plan—weekly testing alongside other daily screening checks—that the group believes will minimize the likelihood that someone with the virus will be within the cohort.

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“This approach offers a reasonable and sensible level of risk mitigation but it cannot eliminate risk,” the guideline says.

However, the group does say that this approach should only be considered when all other mitigation options are not feasible, and should be used in addition to, not as a replacement of, wider risk mitigation and hygiene measures previously established.

Some Additional elements of the close contact cohorts (CCC) include restricting close contact periods to the shortest time possible; each CCC must be kept to the minimum number of people possible and only interact with their group; CCC members should be easily identifiable (i.e. color groups); CCC members must adhere to all other social distancing guidelines when not with group; and more.

In the event that there is a positive test with a member of the CCC, all members would be required to self-isolate for 14 days and be symptom free before resuming activity on production.

The CCC process currently applies to England and Northern Ireland, and will go into effect in Scotland as of July 30. However, the group does say that local restrictions from government and/or public health institutes already in place must also be considered.

The full CCC guideline is available for review online.  

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND—U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV has recently signed a deal with never.no for its on-air social engagement software Story to handle live integration of social content into ITV’s Daytime programming. Story will allow the ITV’s programs to interact via live social channels, then bring those interactions into the broadcast environment.

According to ITV Daytime Technical Manager Tim Guilder, Story allows the production team to gather, moderate and publish social media content instantly. ITV first experimented with this on its show “Good Morning Britain” during the Academy Awards, publishing approved Instagram and Twitter content from celebrities.

Over the next few months, ITV intends will be pushing social comments, images and videos, as well as conducting audience votes via social media on key moments to make programming more interactive.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson has announced that it has renewed its playout services contract with U.K.-based commercial TV network, ITV. The new contract will last until 2024 and will see Ericsson continue to support ITV with playout services on its portfolio of channels, including ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITV HD and CITV, as well as ITV’s associated regional variants and new TV channels.

As part of the contract, Ericsson has designed a new scalable simulcast platform for ITV. The modular infrastructure will allow ITV the flexibility to deliver new services and launch existing services onto new platforms.

“We look forward to strengthening our relationship further and helping ITV to continue delivering world-class television on every platform and every screen across the U.K. for years to come,” said Thorsten Sauer, head of broadcast and media services at Ericsson.