LONDON—The International Swimming League (ISL) has appointed Gravity Media as its official broadcast content and production partner.
The partnership will focus on the ISL All-Star Match, a one-night relaunch event set for Dec. 19 at the London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The two-hour, head-to-head competition involves four teams of the world’s top male and female swimmers from the U.S., the Commonwealth, Europe and the rest of the world. Rather than the typical heats-and-finals swim meet, every race will count and only one team will leave London as champion, the companies said.
The partnership brings together ISL’s mission to reimagine competitive swimming as fast-paced, fan-first entertainment with Gravity Media’s three decades of producing complex, multicamera live events to the highest international standard, they said.
For the All-Star Match, Gravity Media will deploy a comprehensive production package designed to bring fans closer to the action.
“With the International Swimming League, we aim to bring the storytelling of swimming into a new dimension, transforming live sports production into an increasingly immersive and engaging experience,” said Claudio Cavalotti, Gravity Media’s Italy managing director. “Today, technology allows us to capture the competition from entirely new perspectives: from above and below the water, through robotic systems and dynamic poolside cameras to the integration of data and digital content.”
The Gravity Media production package includes:
- Underwater and specialty cameras that will deliver unprecedented views of strokes, turns and underwater technique.
- Robotic rail camera systems, capable of dynamic, high-speed moving shots around the pool deck at speeds of up to 42.6 feet per second (13 meters per second) to bring cinematic energy to every race.
- Gyro-stabilized robotic camera systems with three-axis stabilization and 8K-ready capability to deliver fluid, broadcast-grade visuals across the venue.
- Robotic minicams at the starting block and finish line, engineered for precision coverage of race-defining moments.
- Optional real-time data integration, including augmented reality graphics, live tracking and swimmer profiles layered directly into the broadcast feed.
Gravity Media’s full-service OB fleet and 19,700-square-foot (6,000-square-meter) production center in Cologno Monzese, Italy, will support the production.
“We are creating a visual spectacle that captures the speed, athleticism and drama of our event in a way audiences have never experienced,” ISL Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer Mario Medeiros said. “Gravity Media shares our vision of pushing creative and technical boundaries, and their track record with major international sporting events makes them the ideal partner as we relaunch the ISL on the global stage.”
More information is available on the company’s website.
