Host Broadcast Services (HBS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infront Sports & Media, has been announced as the winner of a tender for the role of host broadcaster for the first division of the French Football League (Ligue 1).
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said that HBS will handle the host broadcast operation for the four upcoming seasons up to 2011. As one of the world’s most popular leagues Ligue 1 is amongst the top ten professional leagues by attendance and generating significant international broadcast coverage.
HBS will build a dedicated team of specialists to handle the host broadcast of Ligue 1. It will work closely with the LFP, the clubs and the domestic rights-holders – Canal + and Orange – as well as the international broadcasters to provide all the production refinements and services that will be needed, including a feed dedicated to mobile phones.
Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of the Infront Group said: “This appointment by LFP adds a new dimension to Infront’s production business. Our belief in the value of an independent and a highly specialised host broadcast organisation will, for the first time, be demonstrated in the context of a professional football league. Our aim is to deliver significant value and the highest quality to the LFP and its broadcast partners worldwide.”
Francis Tellier, a French national, CEO of HBS, said: “We are proud and delighted to have won this tender. We all look forward to the challenge of producing the host broadcast of Ligue 1, in a time when convergence has become reality, for a League historically known for its broadcast innovations.”
HBS is the company best known for handling the host broadcast of the FIFA World Cup™ and all other FIFA events. It is a world leader in televising football, having produced the 2002 & 2006 FIFA World Cups™. It is now working on developing and implementing the entire broadcast operations and infrastructure for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. This degree of specialisation allows the company to build on its experience and provide the broadcasting industry with innovations and services of very high quality.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup™ was the first host broadcast of a global event delivered entirely on high definition (HDTV), a development which also opened the door to many other innovations including customised production for new media.
About Infront Sports & Media
Infront Sports Media AG based in Zug, Switzerland, is one of the most experienced international sports marketing companies in the world with an exceptional track record on major events. Infront looks after a superb range of prestige international sports properties and is recognised for its innovative marketing skills and the provision of specialist services to sport. Infront has been expanding rapidly, both organically and through strategic acquisition. The group now has more than 400 employees across the group, with 24 offices in 11 countries.
About Host Broadcast Services (HBS)
Host Broadcast Services (HBS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infront Sports & Media. As a dedicated, independent host broadcast specialist, it helps sports federations and organising committees worldwide to televise their events in the most exciting way, by offering its highly developed and technologically advanced service, delivering true value for money, on budget and on time. The Host Broadcasting division of HBS is in charge of major Host Broadcast contracts for world events such as the FIFA World Cup™ – events which typically run for 3-4 weeks or more; involve several years of planning, the creation of an International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and the provision of tailored facilities and services. The Production & Programming division focuses mainly on production-led projects, working on shorter timescales where a smaller infrastructure is required.