T Sports broadens the horizon of local broadcasting

Inclusion of television broadcast in the Super League phase of the just concluded Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League T20 has worked as a boost for T Sports. Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] and Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis [CCDM] had put the Dhaka based sports channel in charge of televising 15 Super League matches and one Relegation League match of the tournament live. The matches were shown on GTV having bought the live feed from T Sports.

T Sports, which was launched in November 2020, used a total of 18 cameras including drone to get the exciting matches of tournament live on television for the cricket enthusiasts of the country. The commentary, which was in Bangla, had involved the best of the commentators of the country with likes of international commentator Shamim Ashraf Chowdhury and former Bangladesh batsman Shahriar Nafees.

Tasvir ul Islam, General Manager (operation) T Sports, speaking on the difference between an international series production and that of Dhaka League said the important thing has been the management. During international series or an International Cricket Council event, the management team would involve foreigners but in Dhaka League, T Sports was in full charge to get the best possible feed delivered to the millions of viewers.

Tasvir ul Islam, General Manager (operation),
T Sports works at PCR during the transmission during a Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier League T20 game

“We have used a total of 18 high end cameras during the matches. You must have noticed the clarity on the screen; we wanted to meet the international broadcasting standard as much as possible. I am proudly saying that our equipments are one of the best in business. When we have foreigners coming to Dhaka as part of the production team, they work their way and have 60 percent of local hands. The difference in Dhaka League is that we [T Sports] have managed the production. So it is our job to maintain the quality and all other checkpoints,” Tasvir explained.

"All our cameras are in-house except for some broadcasting equipments which we had to outsource. Our camera lenses would stand out from anyone else. We have used four 42 lens cameras to follow the ball as it gives you good clarity on the screen. The other cameras are of 22 lenses.

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“Of course skillful camera persons are behind this to get the best output to make sure of the production quality. We had to work a lot on the graphics as it is vital for cricket broadcasting, you have to continuously show the stats and information on screen for the viewers. This work is an ongoing process and will keep on improving,” the T Sports high-up added.

Panoramic view of the T Sports PCR at SBNS 

Improvement in broadcasting is a continuous process. The more the sports federations of the country in shape of Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] or Bangladesh Football Federation [BFF] would put trust in a company like T Sports the management of the company would be motivated to invest more to lift the standard.

"T Sports had started with vision to meet the international standard but that cannot happen overnight. It is a process like I already said. Right now we have around 15 international standard cameras but tomorrow you will have better technology which you would like to add to your cache. This gets sort out as you keep working,” said T Sports Input Editor Ahmed Raqib.

“To involve the best of the cameras and other technologies the management will require confidence from the sports authorities like BCB that they would trust a local company like us. The management will surely be motivated to invest more. But without confirmation of the technologies being rightly used, it becomes difficult for the management to invest more,” Raqib added.

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Speaking of the standard of broadcast in Dhaka Premier League, Ahmed emphasized there is always room for improvement and adding value. The T Sports official also pressed on the challenge of the local human resource and handling the PCR [Production Control Room] and hence working in the Dhaka Premier League has been dubbed as the ultimate test.

“Regarding the human resource for an international standard production, I would say we are not 100 percent ready. The camera crew that we had involved in Dhaka League have years of experience working in international series and ICC tournaments. We are getting 100 percent support for them.

Opener Evin Lewis smashed 71 from 35 balls as the @windiescricket cruised to an eight wicket victory over @OfficialCSA with 30 balls to spare in the first Twenty20 at National Cricket Stadium in St George's, Grenada Saturday.https://t.co/tGAH0IrCMo

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) June 26, 2021

“But the team working in the PCR has a big room to improve. It is like match practice, the more you play the better you get in skill. Those who are working in the team knows well where are the areas to improve and we are in a developing process working with the local tournaments let it be a corporate event or of football or cricket. Dhaka League has been the ultimate test for us. Working in this tournament we surely got to know where we stand,” said Raqib.