Jobs boost as Games broadcaster is revealed
AROUND 150 new jobs are set to be created after a contract was awarded to broadcast the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
London-based TV company Sunset+Vine has been appointed as host broadcaster for the sporting spectacle, bringing its experience from working on the last two Commonwealth Games, on the Gold Coast and Glasgow, and the 2012 London Olympics to the table.
Its remit will cover all 19 sports listed for the 2022 event, ensuring 2,000 hours of sporting action is available to broadcasters for distribution around the world.
The event is expected to reach a global audience of 1.5 billion people and this new deal will ensure greater coverage than previous Commonwealth Games, with each of the 4,500 competitors taking part to be featured.
Sunset+Vine will also broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies and additional material such as previews, highlights and short-form content.
Sunset+Vine will also launch a training scheme in the West Midlands designed to address diversity in the creative sector and offer training to 200 people from the region over a 12-month period.
At least 15 per cent of the 1,600 technical and production workforce will come from Birmingham and the West Midlands and the training scheme will result in 150 jobs during the games for its participants.
Ian Reid, chief executive of Birmingham 2022, said: “Sunset+Vine is internationally renowned for delivering awardwinning coverage of the biggest sporting events in the world. “Working with them guarantees that more coverage of Birmingham 2022 will be made available than any other Commonwealth Games, putting the West Midlands firmly on the global stage and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans.”
David Tippett, head of broadcast at Sunset+Vine, added: “Our aim is to capture the excitement and atmosphere of the biggest sporting event ever to be held in the West Midlands.
“We’ve reinvented the traditional broadcast model to produce creative and innovative coverage for the digital age which will engage audiences all around the world.”