Whisper, the UK-based sports broadcasting production firm, has been awarded a two-year contract to produce content for tennis’ Wimbledon Championships by tournament organizer the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).
The contract, announced today (January 16), will see Whisper become the production partner of Wimbledon Broadcast Services (WBS), the broadcast arm of the AELTC, for the 2023 and 2024 editions of the tournament.
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Under the partnership, Whisper will supply the world feed, international highlights, a creative preview film, and official film of the competition and also be responsible for generating a pool of entertaining and engaging content for the AELTC.
Paul Davies, head of broadcast, production, and media rights at the AELTC, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Whisper; their production flair and storytelling skills will deliver fresh, creative content to our growing global audience.
“Working alongside some of the most successful sports properties, Whisper has changed the landscape in sports production, and we look forward to showcasing their output to our broadcasters, commercial partners, and across our own platforms.”
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The AELTC took host broadcasting rights back in-house from domestic rights holder the BBC in 2018, creating the WBS in the process.
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By GlobalDataThe latest deal comes after the AELTC extended its broadcast services partnership with NEP UK, the regional division of the NEP Group production technology and services firm, for a further four years.
Under that deal, NEP and WBS will continue to provide the technical broadcast delivery for the competition from 2023 to 2026, taking the relationship between the two past a decade.
In December, the AELTC also extended its long-standing partnership with IMG which will see the international sports marketing agency continue to distribute Wimbledon’s international broadcast rights, as well as manage its sponsorship portfolio “to maximize engagement, reach, and revenues.”
Whisper managing director Mark Cole said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with one of the biggest brands in world sport and we couldn’t be happier to be partnering with the AELTC to deliver high-quality broadcast and digital content across the next two years.
“We are confident our creative films engaging storytelling and innovative approach will create a buzz around The Championships and enhance the fan experience. With a focus on entertainment, our content will aim to stand out and bring in new younger audiences to this world-class sporting event.”
This latest deal adds to Whisper’s growing portfolio of sports clients, which includes a contract to produce coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games for Channel 4, the UK rights-holder, struck last year.
Last year, it delivered the UEFA Women’s European Championships national team soccer competition with the BBC and was the host broadcaster for the postponed 2021 Rugby League World Cup. It also won the contract to produce the host broadcast coverage of the boxing rematch between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
Whisper also currently produces broadcast coverage of the action from motorsport’s prestigious Formula 1 and W Series, as well as top-tier international cricket and rugby, and mixed martial arts.
Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images
