The Sweet Spot in Sports Video — Creating Content for the Olympics

The Sweet Spot in Sports Video — Creating Content for the Olympics

I may not be in Tokyo, but I’m currently running on Tokyo time. Up at 3:30 every morning is worth it though. Not every sports production company gets the opportunity to cover the Olympics, and Greyline Media is doing something very special.

Working from the U.S., using technology, strategies and best practices pulled together throughout our work during the pandemic, Greyline is proud to be a part of producing a digital show called ‘On Her Turf‘. Streaming through Peacock, this show gives Olympic junkies a different perspective into the games; a female perspective.

Greyline is so honored to be part of the Olympics for the very first time. We’re taking our versatile skillset in production and talented team into this new space to bring you a show that will keep you talking.

Working remotely for the win

With health and safety rules set up by the Olympic Committee, the Tokyo Olympics are something totally different. There aren’t packed stands of fans cheering for their country. There’s no true Olympic Village with athletes socializing and getting to know each other. Athletes don’t even have their families with them. The tone is different but the passion of those competing is still very prevalent.

What’s also different is on-site interviews. Faced with more logistical hurdles, crews deal with more limitations when it comes to proximity to the athletes. This paves the way for supplemental content to really get to the heart of what it means to be an Olympian.

We’ve created our own production bubble, in the Northeast, doing just that. Working with athletes at the games, a production team stretched across the country and talent on set would have felt like a great impossibility a few years ago. Today, working remotely, collaborating from all our different home bases is possible without sacrificing quality. You wouldn’t even know how spread apart we are if it weren’t for athletes and experts zooming in for ‘On Her Turf’.

Checkout on peacocktv.com every night at 7 ET

Sharing new voices

Straying from the traditional coverage of medalists and come-back stories, ‘On Her Turf’ is a special show. It celebrates female athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics in an open forum that isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics.

This show isn’t only about the winners, but rather it’s about covering issues like gender-equity in all sports, pay equality for female athletes, inclusion challenges and transgender athletes. There’s even a segment on being a mom and an Olympian, and the challenges that presented themselves this year with families being unable to come to Tokyo.

Hosted by Lindsay Czarniak, MJ Acosta-Ruiz, and Lolo Jones, ‘On Her Turf’ gives athletes who don’t get major media coverage a chance to tell the world their story. And, Greyline is right there, capturing it all.

Digging into streaming

The other unique aspect to this show, and many others like it, is where it’s streaming. As a part of Peacock’s coverage, viewers at home are getting access to Olympic content that’s not only on primetime. You no longer have to watch network television, or even cable, to see what’s going on at the Olympics.

It presents a significant shift in where content has to live to get seen, and demonstrates why it’s so important to have production teams familiar with every type of platform. Today, it’s not solely about live coverage, but having the processes in place to produce a relevant, episodic show that pulls together content from a variety of sources. ‘On Her Turf’ combines virtual and live interviews with curated footage and story-telling video segments all within a co-host-led format. It’s multiple elements, coming together each day to stay timely.

Having the ability to make a show like this makes Greyline a diverse and knowledgeable production company, ready to tackle sports in whatever way is required.

Wrapping up coverage of the Tokyo Olympics

It has been almost 20 days, working crazy hours in Stamford, Connecticut, producing amazing Olympics content. I wouldn’t trade this for the world. Being here, creating ‘On Her Turf’, has helped expand the capabilities of my production company, enhancing the formats we know how to use in the best possible way. It has given me a new perspective on sporting events and let me, as a female business owner, expose issues I’m passionate about to the world.

I love covering sports, especially when it takes me in a direction I’d never thought of before, giving me the ability to really up my skills. Thanks Tokyo. Looking forward to what Greyline can accomplish at the winter games in Beijing.

If you’re looking for an experienced, focused, high-end production company to create engaging and memorable content for your sporting event, contact Greyline Media today.