[SatNews] Cobham has been named the Volvo Ocean Race’s Broadcast Equipment Partner for 2014-15 and will provide the technical infrastructure to enhance the viewing experience at the Race Villages along the route. Cobham’s Broadcast products use cutting edge communications technologies to empower broadcast users to broadcast seamlessly using a variety of wireless transmission capabilities. Cobham’s technology uses Internet Protocol (IP) platforms to provide broadcast quality HD content through wireless transmission and available internet access points globally. For the broadcaster, this reduces broadcast costs, enables real time distribution to a global audience and allows more flexible broadcast production.
Cobham’s Broadcast specialists will work in partnership with colleagues from Cobham SATCOM which was announced as the Volvo Ocean Race’s Satellite and Radio Communication partner last month. The announcement builds upon the longstanding relationship between the Volvo Ocean Race and Cobham SATCOM ensuring Group’s technology also plays a vital role in capturing the sights, sounds and action in the race villages of the world’s longest and toughest professional sporting event. For Cobham, the Volvo Ocean Race serves as the ultimate testing platform for its broadcast products, which have applications in multiple adjacent markets such as oil and gas.
“We had almost three million visits to our Race Villages around the world in the last edition and giving everyone who comes the best possible experience on site is a key priority,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. “In Cobham we know we have a partner with all the technology and skills necessary to deliver an outstanding live viewer experience for everyone at the Race Villages.”
David Ashton, VP Cobham Tactical Communications and Surveillance, said: “Cobham’s unique Broadcast products are backed by more than 50 years' valuable experience of transmitting and receiving information in very challenging electronic environments and have already been proven at a number of large sporting events. The opportunity to be involved in the live broadcast of the Volvo Ocean Race, arguably the world’s toughest sporting event, is incredibly exciting. Our engineers are looking forward to working with the Volvo Ocean Race to deploy a flexible, innovative solution that will perform in the most challenging environments.”
The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, starting in Alicante on October 4, 2014, will be the first to be raced with a new fleet of one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boats, designed by Farr Yacht Design in the United States and built by a consortium of boatyards in Italy, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Finishing in Gothenburg, Sweden, the route will take in 10 cities in nine countries—Spain, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, United States, Portugal, France and Sweden—and will require the teams to cover 39,895 nautical miles.