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INTERVIEW WITH

MELCIOR SOLER,

DIRECTOR OF

LALIGA’S

AUDIOVISUAL

DEPARTMENT

LaLiga is a pioneer in4K sports productions.What challenges doesthe broadcasting of afootball match in thistechnology pose?

The main obstacles thatlie between us and thedefinitive implementationof 4K technology in ourcountry have a lot to dowith its distribution andproduction. As far asdistribution is concerned,television channelsequipped with thistechnology penetrates inthe residential channelmore so each day,

although there are stillmany homes yet toincorporate it. Moreover,not all operators havedecoders adapted to thistechnology. Having saidthis, some companiessuch as Movistar orVodafone have alreadyopted for it and offer thispossibility in their newdecoders.

On the other hand, the4K production also posedsome productionchallenges. During the2015/2016 season, HDand 4K signals wererunning in parallel, butfrom the second round of2016/2017 onward, wenow offer a single nativesignal and dedicate thesame resources to bothHD and 4K production interms of the number ofcameras.

What new equipmentneeds does yourdecision to broadcastup to two games perday in 4K this seasonentail?

LaLiga's commitment to4K technology impliesdedicating a greaternumber of resources in allsenses; at the level ofpersonnel, infrastructureor software, whichtranslates into an all-roundhigher investment. Inaddition, the quality of ourtechnology is 4K HDR,which means an evenbetter viewer experiencein terms of colours, lights,contrasts... It is importantto note that LaLiga iscurrently the only regularcompetition that producesmatches in 4K HDR eachday with the same numberof cameras, repeats and

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LaLigaHow to reach the global

podium in sports productions

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graphics as in HD version.Viewers appreciate thebetter technical qualityprovided the productionuses the same amount ofresources.

Working at 4K-HDRdoes not necessarilymean increasing thehuman team, but ratherexpanding its capabilities.But, what’s more, in termsof technical resources,Mediapro enables us toproduce two games perday in 4K-HDR from theirbest OB Vans. Obviously,they are quite new andequipped with the latesttechnology to reach therequired level: 20cameras, including 2SuperSlow, 1 High Speed,2 NetCam, 1 PoleCamand 1 Omni4Sky, 22 EVSrecording channels and 2augmented realitysystems; Chyron Hego inreal time and Viz Liberofor replays.

When can 4Kproduction beextended to allmatches?

We are studying how wecan expand theproduction of thistechnology to moresporting events. Now, wecan watch all the FC

Barcelona and RealMadrid matches in thisquality, and the idea isthat more and moreLaLiga matchesimplement this technologyin the future. As soon aswe have more OB Vansavailable, we will gothrough with it.

You will have installedaerial cameras in atotal of nine stadiumsthis season, a levelthat no other footballcompetition has everreached. What are thechallenges involved inimplementing this typeof cameras?

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Melcior Soler, director of LaLiga’s Audiovisual Department.

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Sure. We are convincedthat we must continuesurprising our spectatorsaround the world with newexperiences how they seematches and that meanshaving the best productioninfrastructure in eachstadium.

The installation of aerialcameras is not always assimple as it may seem fordifferent reasons. Forexample, there is a UEFAregulation that we mustcomply with, whichindicates that the cameramust remain at a minimumheight of 21 metres inrelation to the field of play.

Not all stadiums areprepared for this, butLaLiga works closely withthe Clubs to install all thecomplementaryinfrastructure necessary tomake it viable.

Another novelty of thisseason is theintroduction ofcameras in cornerpositions to captureactions in super slowmotion. What was thereason behind thisdecision?

The motivation toachieve these newpositions is based on thefact that the conditions for

all of us (Clubs, LaLigaand production) to work inthe same line ofcontinuous improvementof the television producthave come together at thesame time for the first timein the history of ourleague. These newpositions cover an anglenever before explored inSpain based on an axisopposite the main camera,an intermediate heightwith respect to the field ofplay and an angle positionclose to the corner. Theimages it provides arecompletely different tothose obtained by the restof the cameras.

Santiago Bernabeu and CampNou were the first stadiumsin Europe to incorporate 360ºtechnology. What led you tointroduce it? You followed thewake of competitions like theNFL, NBA or MLB. Did youset your eyes on a particularmodel?

The NBA is an example ofinnovation in sports broadcasting,and we want LaLiga to be on apar with the world's bestcompetitions. This is just thebeginning of this type oftechnology from Intel. We believein the so-called volumetric video,and that is why we havecommitted to it as resolutely as wehave done.

You have installed Intel 360ºrepeating systems in twomore stadiums (Sevilla andAtletico), on top of those thatyou already implemented lastseason in the stadiums ofMadrid and Barça. Whatchallenges has thisexpansion in more stadiumsentailed?

In the recently-created WandaMetropolitano stadium, there wereother priorities regarding theinfrastructure of the stadium itselfthat meant an obstacle in itsinstallation. As regards theSanchez Pizjuan, the Club'scommitment has also beensecond to none, and we workedtogether to carry out all the

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necessary adaptations tomake this technologyavailable this season.Both stadiums will havethis technology fromDecember.

What is the degree ofcompliance of theSpanish stadiums withLaLiga regulations fortelevision broadcasts?

The commitment is onthe rise, and the Clubs'compliance continues toincrease, with 95% ofthem being aware that thisis an element thatcontributes to improvingthe quality of ourcompetition and ouraudiovisual products.

To what extent do you

use the sanctions(referred to in the rulesfor Clubs that do notcomply with therules)?

We have not had toapply these measures dueto the high degree ofcompliance.

What level of qualitydo the Spanishstadiums show incomparison to otherEuropean leagues?

LaLiga has first-classstadiums. Besides, inrecent years we havewitnessed theinauguration of the newSan Mames, the RCDEStadium or the WandaMetropolitano, all of themfirst-class stadiums

equipped with the latest kitand privately financed.

We have also seen thatother Clubs such as RealBetis Balompie or SevillaFC have carried out aprofound renovation oftheir stadiums adaptingthem to the new needs ofthe competition. Recently-promoted teams such asLevante UD are also anexcellent example of this,as their return to LaLigaSantander has beenaccompanied by arefurbishment of theirfacilities aligned with thepromotion to a newdivision.

All this has beenpossible thanks to thegood management of theClubs and the economic

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control of LaLiga since thearrival of Javier Tebas toits Presidency, which hasbeen accompanied by anew economic impulse forthe competition and all theClubs that are part of it,offering a fairer and moreequitable distribution.

Mediapro is the officialproducer of LaLiga.How would you ratetheir work?

It is important for LaLigato have a valuable partnercapable of responding to

the production needs ofour competition. Mediaprohas a state-of-the-art OBvan and a largebroadcasting andpublishing centre. It is arelationship that alreadyexisted with the Clubs andis now managed fromLaLiga.

What qualities is itcapable ofcontributing to sportsbroadcasting asopposed otherproducers?

Its main virtue is to bepresent in the entire valuechain of the audiovisualindustry from theproduction of matches tothe broadcasting of thesignal, as well as thepreparation of post-production programmesand an attractivecontinuity of content onthe television grid thatcontributes to furtherpromoting LaLigaworldwide.

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MEDIAPROState-of-the-art innovator: What will be the next step?

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Far for been satisfied with the progress achieved so far, Mediapro continuesto focus on the next technical innovations. LaLiga’s technological providerhas left its mark of innovation in the successful history of the competition,but it strives to achieve more. Mediapro CTO Emili Planas highlights that

LaLiga is a global pioneer in the use of HDR technology or 360º systems. Weasked him about the following challenges of the company.

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INTERVIEW WITH EMILI

PLANAS, CTO AND

OPERATIONS MANAGER

AT MEDIAPRO

What specificchallenges do sportsbroadcasting posecompared to otherproductions?

There are many sports,and each one is unique inits own way, but, if wegeneralise, there arecertain challenges thatrepeat time and time

again. The most importantthing is that maximuminterest concentratesduring the live broadcast,so all efforts must bemade to tell people whatis happening at that verymoment. For this reason,in each event, we focusboth on ensuring theproduction, using backupstrategies, as well asshowcasing the best ofeach sport using the finestpossible resources. Thisinvolves from high-speedcameras, large optics andspecial cameras to quality

replay equipment that isfast and accurate inoperation, among otherthings. Although, having aleading team ofprofessionals who knowhow to make the most ofthe best technology isessential.

The production ofspecific footballmatches, such as theClassic Madrid-Barçamatch, involves agreater deployment ofequipment. Whatchallenges does thistype of sporting eventpose in relation toworkflow orintegration oftechnologies andequipment?

We produce more than2,500 football matchesworldwide every year atMediapro, but we alwaystreat the Classics assomething special. Notonly because eachClassic has moreaudience than theSuperbowl final, but alsobecause the level ofdemand is at its highest.Years ago, a Classicmeant using twice or threetimes more resourcesthan any other match.Today, this difference ismuch smaller, because

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Emili Planas, CTO and Operations Manager at Mediapro

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the resources used in theproduction of the two bestmatches of each day haverisen almost to the level ofa Classic.

Even so, there arechallenges in terms ofworkflows or integration oftechnologies, since twiceas many peoplecongregate in theproduction of the Classicsand, in addition to theinternational signal of thematch, we offer amultitude of technical andproduction services to all

television broadcasterswho have broadcastingrights.

The Spanish league isat the forefront offootball broadcasts.What technicalinnovations stand outin your productionscompared to those ofother leagues?

LaLiga has always beenat the forefront oftelevision production,understanding that thebest league in the world

must have the besttelevision production.Since the very first day oflast 16/17 season,Mediapro beganproducing one LaLigamatch per week in UHD-HDR, making it the firstregular competition to beproduced in HDR in theworld. Now, we producetwo games per day inUHD-HDR, maintainingour position as abenchmark in this field.With this, we aim to createmore realistic images to

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offer more immersiveproductions.

Another innovationcompared to similarcompetitions is that forthis season, LaLiga willhave a fixed aerial camerainstallation(OmniCam4Sky) in tenstadiums. LaLiga is alsothe world's first regularfootball competition with apermanent installation ofthe Intel 360 replay

system. We went from twoto four stadiums with thistechnology, which allowsus to literally fly to any ofthe points of interest thatthe producers may beinterested in throughvirtualisation with realimaging.

This season, we haveincorporated VR graphicswith tracking, which allowsvisualising data on thefield of play or right next to

the players during thegame, making the dataobtained from Mediacoachor the information relatedto the game strategiescome across as beingmuch more visual.

And we continue to beleaders in remoteproduction, which hasallowed us to improve thelevel of match productionswith fewer resources.

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What is the level ofcollaboration of theproduction teams andstadiums to ensureoptimum qualityproductions?

The mentality of clubsand stadium managers isgetting better and better inrelation to productions. Inrecent years, teamwork

with a common projectvision has becomecommonplace. This allowsus to make improvementsthat add value to LaLigaand facilitate innovationand quality in eachproduction. Theseimprovements range frombetter lighting in thestadiums to good turfcare, to rigorous

compliance with the timeswhen players andcoaches are involved ininterviews and pressconferences, among otherthings.

Mediapro is one of 14companies approvedby FIFA to supply VARtechnology. This is asignificant challenge

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because it implies,among other things,the provision of all thetechnical support forthe viewing room,operators andtechnicians in chargeof image search.Hawk-Eye is currentlythe official supplier ofall VAR technologyused by FIFA, but their

contract ends nextsummer. FIFA will thenhave to find a newVAR operator: Will thisbe one of the next bigchallenges forMediapro?

We are putting a lot ofeffort into offering the besttechnology for VAR, takinginto account all ourexperience in regular

match production. Thisexperience within theMediapro Group is amajor differentiating factor,where we can offer, inaddition to the qualityrequired for the VAR,added security, operabilityand flexibility. ThePortuguese League andLibertadores Cup haverelied on Mediapro fortheir VAR projects, and we

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are confident that otherleagues and federationswill do the same in thefuture.

360º technology,broadcasting onFacebook Live, 4Ksignal or, morerecently, Automatic TV,are technologicaladvances that youhave implemented forLaLiga in recent years.

What technicalinnovation will you berevealing next?

We are working onseveral technologicalprojects in order to offerbetter content to LaLigafans, but all in good time.For the time being, I onlydare say that it is verylikely that they will berelated to the capture anddifussion of sound, but

you never know if any ofthe other projects we havein store end up movingforward. It is alsoimportant to bear in mindthat any of these noveltiesalready implementedneeds constant evolution,which implies the need tobe continually innovatingthem.

Besides this, do youplan to incorporate

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any new equipment forthe production ofLaLiga?

We are always on thelookout for new kit thatmay be of interest. We arelooking forward toevaluating new camerasthat might provide us withbetter quality or differentialvalue, new ingest/replaysystems that can improvethe workflows of UHDproductions, new systems

that facilitate monitoringand producing in HDR,new UHD-HDR encodingequipment and so on.

You will have installedaerial cameras in atotal of ten stadiumsduring this season.Which manufacturersor models have youplaced your trust in?

When we first becameinterested in these types

of aerial cameras, wediscovered that there wasonly one truly reliablesupplier, but that theywere not applicable to thecompetitions weproduced, both in terms ofprice and operation. Wesaw this as an opportunity,and with the help ofOmnicam, we developedthe OmniCam4Skysystem that we use inLaLiga and other

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competitions. It is a 4-wiresuspended and remotelycontrolled camera systemthat allows for spectacularfreedom of positioning andflight. The system can beused with different cameramodels, depending on itsapplication. In the case ofLaLiga, we prefer usingthe Panasonic AK-UB300.

What cameras do youuse to record actionsat super slow speed?

We use both the For-AFT-One and differentPhantom models. It is a

challenge for themanufacturers of thesecameras to offer us theperfect product. For thetime being, none of themhas been able to meet theideal requirements, sincethe lighting conditions wework with are not alwaysadequate for high-speedoperation. We are alsotesting new specialcompact cameras, whichcan work at high speed forvery specific applications.

You have relied onChyronHego to

provide performancedata and live 3Dgraphics. What doesthis manufacturer offercompared to othercompetitors?

ChyronHego has givenus speed in theimplementation of a veryspecific product. With thehelp of WTVision,ChyronHego was able toquickly link up with thetracking data wegenerated in the stadiumsto produce the virtualreality graphics we

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introduced in liveproduction. The system isjust one more signal in theproduction process, whichuses the master cameraas background and towhich augmented realitygraphics are added.

This season, LaLigawill produce a liveprogramme in Englisheach day for the firsttime ever. What keyequipment andtechnologies have youused for thisproduction?

At Mediapro, we producedifferent programmesrelated to LaLiga, usuallyfor specific TV channels(Bein USA, Bein España,Gol, etc.). This Englishprogramme, as far as

technology is concerned,does not differ much fromthe rest of theprogrammes we produce.The entire system is HD1080i50 and relies onEVS, Panasonic and SAMfor key electronics.

We had theopportunity to see thelast OB Van that youhave sourced to coverLaLiga in yourinstallations... Whichtechnical challengeshas this integrationimplied?

The most importantchallenge has been theintegration of HDRworkflows. With this UHDOB Van, we found that notall manufacturers areready for HDR production,

and it has been difficult forus to integrate certainequipment into theseflows. This effort has paidoff again anyway, and wecan say that we have oneof the best UHD-HDRunits on the market.

We take thisopportunity to ask youthis question: Will wesee another OB Vansoon?

Certainly. We have plansboth to build new OB Vansand to gradually renovateexisting ones to UHD.

Mediapro has officesall over the world.Where are youheadinginternationally? Whatare the challenges ofthis expansion andwhat is the roadmap tosuccess?

We have always had aninternational vocation, butwe have never focused ona specific market. Rightnow, there are over 5,000people working from morethan 40 offices around theworld. We will continue tomake our way to wherewe see that we can bringvalue, whether it is tocover a small eventualneed or to participate inlarge long-term projects.

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You have recentlyacquired the 360group. Whatimplications does thisacquisition have forMediapro?

At the business level, itis a key acquisition to helpthe growth in audiovisualservices, which shouldallow us to continue tooffer more services thatour clients demand. At atechnical/operational level,it would be great to beable to work with a groupof professionals and

equipment of the highestlevel with whom we canbegin to share our dailylife.

To finish: Howsatisfied are you withyour relationship withLaLiga? How do yousee the common routetravelled so far and itsprojection for thefuture?

We are very proud to bethe technology providerfor the best league in theworld that relies on our

experience to help themevolve in such ademanding market. Whatwe have been throughtogether has served toconverge and reachcommon groundsregarding how to developgame by game. The trustthat LaLiga places inMediapro every day is aresponsibility that we try totake care of as much aspossible, and that shouldcontribute towards uscreating the besttelevision content yet.