CT tees off in the Race To Dubai

The Race to Dubai, a US$10 million season-long competition which replaced The European Tour Order of Merit for 2009, offers the world’s leading players the chance to not only enhance their earning potential, but to have their actions followed in close detail through cutting-edge on-course closed circuit tournament coverage.

Every event leading up to the season-ending Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai will provide enhanced coverage through the innovative visuals provided by Creative Technology.

With 23 years of experience working closely with sports federations, promoters and production managers on major events such as Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup, the Tour de France, Olympic Games, the Rugby World Cup and many sporting World Championships, Creative Technology is ideally placed to facilitate that state-of-the-art visual experience.

For the past two decades Tournament Television has been an evolving service on The European Tour, with an integrated scoring and information package relayed to video screens and monitors installed in the hospitality facilities around the course, in the clubhouse and on-course hotel televisions.

For the enhanced Race to Dubai sponsored package, European Tour Productions (ETP) - a joint venture between The European Tour and IMG, the world’s premier sports, entertainment and media company - sought a company with a track record of success, innovation and the proven ability to deliver with 100% reliability throughout what is a very demanding schedule. With these requirements in mind, and after an extensive evaluation process, Creative Technology was selected as the Tournament TV supplier.

Creative Technology developed a custom, real-time production system that combines live information from broadcasters, pre-recorded material and highlights with real time graphics and scores updated from the event results system. This signal is then distributed to a network of TV’s and large format video screens installed in key areas around the course. Where required the network can be expanded to include the clubhouse and/or on-course hotels.

The content production system allows for real time recording of all four days of each golf tournament, with a dedicated play back server to store and schedule clips, commercials and highlights packages produced on a separate edit system. This content is combined with a locally generated graphic wrapper, providing a live scoring and results panel, which is updated from the central scoring database. The wrapper also incorporates tour and local sponsor logos and a real time clock.

The signal distribution system, perhaps the most challenging element of the package, is built around a rugged military specification fiber system allowing fast and reliable installation of a bi-directional IPTV Network. Multiple HD channels can be delivered to any suitable display device, including televisions, LED displays and projection equipment. Every display can be individually controlled and monitored from the head end and all critical components are UPS protected to ensure the network is maintained in the event of localized power failure.

The displays themselves vary between each tournament on The Race to Dubai series, but typically include an 18m2 LED screen packaged in a purpose built and fully branded mobile trailer unit and up to 100 HD televisions deployed throughout the hospitality and tournament management facilities. All of this equipment is installed, operated and removed on a weekly basis for the duration of the European Tour.

Ciaran Bone, European Tour Productions Senior Account Manager, added: “European Tour Productions are delighted to have reached an agreement with a company such as Creative Technology for the provision of facilities for our Tournament Television service. We now feel we have a first class ‘High Definition’ service to offer The European Tour, promoters and sponsors alike. This is especially important given the significant level of investment made in launching The Race to Dubai. With CT’s help we will look to further enhance and improve the overall spectator experience delivered at each European Tour event. So far we have been extremely impressed with the level of commitment and service from CT and look forward to a long and successful relationship”.