SISLink Wins ITV Sport Contract

SISLink has announced that it has won the contract to supply ITV Sport with satellite facilities for its F1 coverage over the next four years.
The deal, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this March, will see the satellite service provider responsible for uplink provision of 16 of the 17 worldwide events.
All satellite connectivity will be provided from each international location by SISLink. Also included within the contract is two-way broadband IP over satellite and 100% turnaround connection, handled in the UK via SISLink’s London Teleport.
Supporting the extensive, high-profile coverage, will be a dedicated dual antenna HD truck which SISLink are building exclusively for the eight European events. The truck, which is designed for maximum resilience, is set to become one of the most complex and highly specified uplink trucks ever built. Every part of the truck will be fully redundant with uplink diversity to include separation of RF chains, power supplies and baseband connectivity. Additionally, the truck will comprise a complete UPS system to prevent any picture loss and deliver a totally reliable and robust solution.
This important sporting contract further strengthens the relationship between SISLink and ITV, which began with the award of the contract to provide 17 uPod systems across the UK for ITV Regional News in 2005.
David Meynell, Managing Director, SISLink, said: "SISLink are delighted to have secured this significant and prestigious long term contract with ITV Sport which underlines our position at the cutting edge of broadcast provision. We will be supplying ITV Sport with the most advanced satellite uplink truck we have ever produced, using new technologies allowing us to offer an unrivalled level of service at extremely cost effective contract rates. Our relationship with ITV Sport is very important and will allow us to showcase our capabilities to the Industry as we continue to invest in new equipment and technologies in order to meet the demand for the provision of high-quality uplinks for major sporting events."
Europe’s primary satellite service provider has proven its capabilities in the domain of major sporting events, including Champions League football, athletics and horse racing. SISLink is also currently halfway through a significant contract to supply complete coverage for the European PGA Golf Tour as it makes it way across the world.
With the largest independent fleet in the World, comprising over 100 uplink trucks, SISLink is in the process of increasing their already substantial capabilities for covering the most crucial sporting events. To cope with the demand for these and other high-quality broadcast events, the company is building additional HD trucks and upgrading their second teleport in Milton Keynes to provide even more extensive facilities.
Jon Pearce said: "ITV Sport is delighted to be working with SISLink who have demonstrated their commitment to ITV by designing and building the new truck. The truck offers us increased resilience and flexibility whilst also offering HD capabilities, an ideal solution in a fast changing environment."
(DS/SP)