The UK experience an 8K broadcast for the first time

Liam Watson

The Europa League Round of 32 second leg between Arsenal and Olympiakos recently held at Emirates Stadium was the first occasion that the UK have experienced a live 8K sports broadcast.

BT, a telecommunications giant based in the UK, teamed up with Samsung to bring all of the action of Olympiakos narrowly making it through to the next Europa League round by beating Arsenal on away goals – all in a stunning enhanced display.

To make all of this possible, the competition was broadcast directly from Emirates Stadium in London using BT Sport’s 8K set-up and then delivered that to Samsung’s QLED 8K television sets. The South Korean technology firm claims the broadcast resolution was four times the quality of 4K, using a total of 33 million pixels.

BT has already delivered world-firsts, including virtual reality (VR), Dolby Atmos sound, 4K picture quality and remote production during its sports broadcasts.

“For 50 years Samsung has pioneered the TV category, from the launch of the world’s first digital colour TV in 1998, the world’s thinnest TV in 2002, the first double-sided LCD screen in 2006 and then one of our biggest advancements to date; the first company to bring 8K TVs to the UK in 2018,” said Dan Hastings, Samsung UK’s Director of TV and Audio Visual.

“We have shown that we never rest when it comes to pursuing meaningful innovations that could supercharge the way people consume content. It is great that we can add showing the first 8K broadcast to that list with BT Sport in 2020.”

Always looking ahead in future technological advancements, BT is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest innovations.

“BT Sport has a rich history of leading the industry with broadcast innovation to provide our customers the best viewing experience in the UK,” said Jamie Hindhaugh, BT Sport’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Whether it’s last season’s launch of the world’s first regular high dynamic range service, BT Sport Ultimate, or, our world-leading remote production activity we’re constantly working to provide the best possible experience.”

Last year, the network launched BT Sport Ultimate, the first service to feature regular programming in high dynamic range (HDR) as well as 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) and Dolby Atmos sound.

Melbourne City give back to local primary school

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Image credit: Melbourne City website

Melbourne City’s charity, City in the Community (CITC), has donated new football goals to Barton Primary School in Cranbourne West as part of the club’s Healthy Goals initiative.

The program encourages more young people to play football to promote physical health and gain important social, emotional and cognitive skills that will help their overall development and well-being.

There are three core initiatives that the CITC are focusing on this year:

  • Supporting local schools with facility improvements to ensure more young people can access our free football programming from CITC.
  • Supporting community groups and clubs with equipment upgrades and free football programming from CITC.
  • Working with local artists to commemorate art and football projects, celebrating community pride, and cultural heritage while creating a visually appealing environment for the local community.

This most recent contribution towards Barton Primary School aligns with the first core initiative to support local schools, with Melbourne City players Laura Hughes and Alessandro Lopane attending to talk to the kids.

For the past three years, CITC has been involved with the Cranbourne West Primary School taking part in initiatives such as walking football, inviting students to become player mascots as well as player visits.

CITC’s Community Program Lead, Stephen Frantzeskakis talked about their recent contribution and how the club are continuing to create a positive impact on the community.

“I think it’s fantastic that we’re able to continue supporting Barton Primary School and its students through the Healthy Goals initiative, especially given their strong interest and ongoing passion for football,” he said in a media release on the club’s website,” he said via club release statement.

“We’ve been working with Barton Primary School for a number of years now and have also recently run our respectful relationships program with Grade 5 and 6 students.

“To have strong role models like Ale and Laura come down to speak to students about topics like respect and resilience is terrific, and it’s great to be able to extend our partnership through the donation of new goals as well.”

Barton Primary School Principal, Benjamin Vevers talked about the school’s partnership with Melbourne City and how it’s helping its students.

“Given many of our students were born or have parents and families from other countries, the school is truly passionate about the world game and having new goals means our kids get to fully experience a quality soccer match every recess and lunch,” he said via press release.

“It was a memorable experience that may inspire some of our students to reach for the stars with football, maybe even the Brisbane Olympics!

“Our students are learning to be more respectful of each other during competitive sport, girls are becoming more active during breaks playing soccer, and students are super excited each week for the program.”

It’s important to have these types of initiatives to allow clubs and their players to connect with their local community. We’ve seen these gestures throughout the years from the A-League clubs by continuing to show their commitment to support their local community whether that’s giving back through donations or providing programs to steer young people in the right direction.

Ned Morris to step down as Adelaide United chair

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Image credit: PxHere website

Adelaide United have confirmed that Ned Morris will step down as chair after a mutual agreement and will continue in an advisory role with the club.

Morris spent 18 months in the role and Adelaide United has stated they will carefully evaluate the future of the chair position, making sure it aligns with their long-term goals.

Morris and the club have acknowledged that there will be significant challenges along the way, with the internal restructure now complete.

In addition, Adelaide United felt the time was right for a shift towards a local South Australian approach.

Morris reflected on his time serving as chair at Adelaide United and said he is still ready to show the club’s full support:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the past 18 months working closely with the United family on behalf of Australia’s best A-League fans, the Reds,” he said in a media release on the club’s website.

“I am very confident that we have put in place the right vision, strategy, and key personnel to see the Club achieve ultimate success in the very near future.

“I remain committed to working with Adelaide United in an advisory role and look forward to supporting our men’s and women’s teams ahead of the 2024-25 season.”

Major shareholder and ownership representative at Adelaide United, Cor Adriannse, said about Morris’ contribution to the club:

“We have greatly enjoyed working with Ned over the last 18 months. He has been a tremendous asset to the Club, especially in navigating the difficult post-COVID phase for both the Club and the league,” he said in a media release on the club’s website.

“We deeply appreciate the improvements he has driven alongside our management team. Ned will always remain connected to the Club, and we intend to continue working together in one capacity or another.”

Throughout Morris’ tenure, he drove key developments such as the high-performance program investment strategy, establishing a global partnership with Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven and appointing Ernest Faber as Technical Director in May this year.

He also expanded the Youth Football Scholarships, renegotiated a five-year tenancy at Coopers Stadium and successfully approved several government funding grants.

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