By Euan Cunningham 

Sunset+Vine, the UK-based television sports production and media company, has secured host broadcasting rights to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK following a competitive tender.

The option also exists to extend the contract to the 2026 and 2030 Commonwealth Games’ (neither of which have a host city yet), with initial tender documents suggesting that decision will hinge on whether the Birmingham 2022 organising committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation see enough economic benefit in extending the arrangement to cover the next two games’.

In the original tender documents, sent out in September 2019 and seen by Sportcal, the estimated contract value range for the Birmingham games alone was described as being between £20 million ($25 million) and £30 million.

Depending on whether the contract extensions were put in place, the estimated total figure for the three games was at that point given as potentially rising to £90 million. 

The city of Hamilton in Canada is currently the favourite to land hosting rights to the 2026 edition. 

During the 11 days of Birmingham 2022, between 28 July and 8 August, S+V will provide broadcasters worldwide with multi-camera footage of 2,000 hours of footage, covering all events from the 19 sports to feature.

It will also cover the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as providing additional content for rights-holders, including previews, highlights shows, and other short-form content.

In total, S+V will have six dedicated coverage feeds as part of its multi channel service, featuring live and delayed action, and will also provide a '24/7 Games Channel' which is set to switch between the best action from each day. 

The partnership “will ensure that there is far more sports coverage available than previous games, with each of the 4,500 competitors taking part, featured”, according to a statement.

The partnership was signed by S+V and CGF Partnerships, a joint venture between the CGF and the Sportfive international sports marketing agency. CGF Partnerships has integrated personnel throughout the Birmingham 2022 body. 

Ian Reid, Birmingham 2022’s chief executive, said: “Sunset+Vine is internationally renowned for delivering award-winning 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.”

Jeff Foulser, chief executive at Sunset+Vine, added: “This is such an exciting win… The contract further establishes the company as as one of the few worldwide businesses with the creative and technical expertise to handle large scale events.”

S+V will also design and install a international broadcast centre for the games, to house international rights-holders. 

The company is no stranger to covering multi-sport games, having been also been part of a host broadcast team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and the 2014 edition in Glasgow, UK. 

The production company is also active across soccer, cricket, rugby, sailing and athletics. 

Sportcal