SIS Live, Europe’s largest outside broadcast and uplink supplier, will provide the production and coverage facilities and services to cover the Games.

 

Prasar Bharati, the Broadcasting Corporation of India, awarded the Milton Keynes-based company the $500 million (£306 million) contract after an exhaustive tender process.

 

Broadcaster Doordarshan, a subsidiary of Prasar Bharati, is the host broadcaster for the Games, being held in New Delhi from October 3-14 in 2010..

 

David Meynell, the managing director of SIS, said: “SIS Live is delighted to have won this prestigious contract to cover the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.

 

"We were able to demonstrate to Prasar Bharati that we have the strength in depth to provide the highest quality TV and sound services to capture the event in high definition.

 

"This is a significant win that confirms our position as one of the select group of companies that are able to do an event of this size and complexity.”

 

Under the terms of the agreement, SIS will provide all the production facilities and personnel to cover 17 different sports across 12 venues in Delhi, as well as the Games' Opening and Closing ceremonies.

 

In addition, SIS will be  providing coverage of the Queen’s Baton Relay, which starts from Buckingham Palace in on Thursday (October 29), before making a 340-day, 120,000-mile journey across all the Commonwealth countries and territories, ending in Delhi at the start of the Games.

 

As well as providing the technical infrastructure to cover the Games, SIS is providing over 1,000 highly-skilled technical and production staff at the 12 venues.

 

Philip Aspden, the commercial director of SIS, said: "The Commonwealth Games will be the largest multi-sports event ever undertaken in India, with up to 71 different countries competing.

 

"It is a significant challenge to have everything ready for next year, but we are already scaling up the operation and are in the process of securing the best talent in the world to make the event a great success.”

 

SIS, which incorporates the former BBC Outside Broadcast division, has over 70 years experience of covering major sporting events, and currently provides the facilities and personnel to cover everything from Formula One to Wimbledon to the London Marathon.

 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].

 

 

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