Several new OB units – Nucleus 1 & 2 and Era 1 & 2 – are being deployed to Premier League stadiums to provide a remote system for Sky’s UHD/HDR coverage
NEP Europe has overhauled its facilities for Sky Sports’ coverage of the English Premier League.
It’s introduced several new OB units – Nucleus 1 & 2 and Era 1 & 2 – to be deployed to Premier League stadiums to provide a remote system for Sky’s UHD/HDR coverage.
The Nucleus units are the technical hubs for producing high-level audio and video HDR for Sky’s largest productions.
Meanwhile, the Era units have been “built with comfort and space in mind for engineering and talent teams,” says NEP.
These include a private production pod for Sky’s onsite team, which is separate from the main technical area.
NEP’s TFC broadcast orchestration platform is integrated across each unit, acting as an all-in-one platform tying together hardware and software from multiple vendors into one interface and simplifying the use of IP 2110.
The remote facilities were designed and integrated by NEP working closely with Sky’s engineering and production teams. They debuted with the start of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
“We’re incredibly proud of our decades-long partnership with Sky Sports and their coverage of the Premier League, as they bring all the excitement of professional football to audiences around the world,” said Lise Heidal, president of NEP Europe. “We’re delighted to equip their production teams with new facilities featuring the very best broadcast technologies. This demonstrates our long-term investment in solutions and infrastructure providing our customers the tools they need to deliver for their audiences.”
Gordon Roxburgh, head of production technology for Sky Sports, added: “Our teams are thrilled with the next generation of bespoke remote facilities that NEP have built for Sky, off the back of our long-term outside broadcast partnership on Premier League football and remote production. These new UHD HDR remote production units and their IP technology platforms are set to deliver for years to come.”
Dafydd Rees, head of engineering & technical solutions architecture for NEP UK, said: “In collaboration with Sky Sports, we integrated the Nucleus 1 & 2 and Era 1 & 2 units with best-in-class technologies, led by our TFC broadcast control and networking solution which makes the use of IP 2110 fast and intuitive across a production site.
“What makes these new remote facilities truly unique is their layout. Remote production units are getting smaller and smaller, and the challenge is getting all of the equipment on board while also maximising operating space for the people working in them. We’ve accomplished this by housing the equipment in the Nucleus units and the technical teams in the Era units. The Era units feature enhanced amenities including a quieter atmosphere and better temperature control. We’re very proud of what we accomplished together with Sky Sports, and we’re excited to see the facilities in action at Premier League stadiums across England.”
The Nucleus and Era units follow NEP Europe’s launch of Neo last year, an OB facility that can operate entirely on battery power supported by solar panels. Neo’s battery pack has significantly reduced the use of diesel generators for Sky’s coverage of the English Football League (EFL).
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