SportsHD Launches First Sports-Based High Definition TV Production Company
Tuesday August 9, 9:40 am ET
Summer World University Games to be First of a Series of 'Docu-Sports' Productions
DENVER, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- SportsHD Productions, Inc. ( www.sportshd.com ) announced the launching of the nation's first sports-based high definition television production company today. SportsHD will specialize in "docu-sports" projects that take the viewer inside the game and capture the drama, competitor interaction, and physical, mental and emotional ups and downs of athletic competition. The company's first production will be the Summer World University Games, the largest international athletic competition outside the Olympics, in Izmir, Turkey.
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"In the next six-to-twelve months, high definition (HD) television will transition from a novelty for early adopters to a major factor in the broadcast marketplace," said Matt Bortz, SportsHD's President. "There is a dearth of HD programming in general and high definition sports programming in particular. As the number of available channels in HD grows, so too does the exponential demand for HD-native programming. We believe we're ideally positioned to capitalize on that demand."
SportsHD won't produce live sporting events in HD in order to avoid direct competition with major networks. Instead, the company will focus on developing its unique "docu-sports" features, which will be enhanced by the intimacy HD technology allows. These productions will permit viewers to "get inside" the world of sports -- and get to know the people involved -- like never before.
"Whether it's a team sport like basketball, or an individual sport like golf, there is a level of drama that can be extracted and highlighted," said Orin Levy, SportsHD's Executive Producer and Chief Creative Officer, and one of the country's most experienced HD producers. "We believe our ability to get behind the scenes, tell stories about the personalities and hidden aspects of sports, and capture the human spirit inherent in athletic competition -- all in amazing high definition -- will make SportsHD features stand out."
SportsHD has already acquired the rights to several events and properties and is in the acquisition process for many others. SportsHD production teams are currently working at the Summer World University Games held in Izmir, Turkey, August 11-21, 2005. The Summer Games are an International University Sports Federation (FISU) ( www.fisu.net ) event.
SportsHD has also lined up several Basketball Travelers events, including the Paradise Jam ( www.paradisejam.com ), a certified NCAA basketball tournament held in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in November. In addition, SportsHD will be developing behind-the-scenes programming from several Basketball Travelers' foreign tours, as top Division I NCAA basketball programs travel overseas to such locales as Central and Southern Europe, Australia/South Pacific, and the Bahamas.
The company also has numerous concepts in development for original, high quality programming that will not require the acquisition of rights, including a celebrity shootout, skins-style golf event held in conjunction with the Paradise Jam tournament.
Sports industry veterans, Ken Reed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and Craig Jonas, Chief Business Development Officer, join Bortz and Levy as SportsHD's founders.
Source
Tuesday August 9, 9:40 am ET
Summer World University Games to be First of a Series of 'Docu-Sports' Productions
DENVER, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- SportsHD Productions, Inc. ( www.sportshd.com ) announced the launching of the nation's first sports-based high definition television production company today. SportsHD will specialize in "docu-sports" projects that take the viewer inside the game and capture the drama, competitor interaction, and physical, mental and emotional ups and downs of athletic competition. The company's first production will be the Summer World University Games, the largest international athletic competition outside the Olympics, in Izmir, Turkey.
ADVERTISEMENT
"In the next six-to-twelve months, high definition (HD) television will transition from a novelty for early adopters to a major factor in the broadcast marketplace," said Matt Bortz, SportsHD's President. "There is a dearth of HD programming in general and high definition sports programming in particular. As the number of available channels in HD grows, so too does the exponential demand for HD-native programming. We believe we're ideally positioned to capitalize on that demand."
SportsHD won't produce live sporting events in HD in order to avoid direct competition with major networks. Instead, the company will focus on developing its unique "docu-sports" features, which will be enhanced by the intimacy HD technology allows. These productions will permit viewers to "get inside" the world of sports -- and get to know the people involved -- like never before.
"Whether it's a team sport like basketball, or an individual sport like golf, there is a level of drama that can be extracted and highlighted," said Orin Levy, SportsHD's Executive Producer and Chief Creative Officer, and one of the country's most experienced HD producers. "We believe our ability to get behind the scenes, tell stories about the personalities and hidden aspects of sports, and capture the human spirit inherent in athletic competition -- all in amazing high definition -- will make SportsHD features stand out."
SportsHD has already acquired the rights to several events and properties and is in the acquisition process for many others. SportsHD production teams are currently working at the Summer World University Games held in Izmir, Turkey, August 11-21, 2005. The Summer Games are an International University Sports Federation (FISU) ( www.fisu.net ) event.
SportsHD has also lined up several Basketball Travelers events, including the Paradise Jam ( www.paradisejam.com ), a certified NCAA basketball tournament held in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in November. In addition, SportsHD will be developing behind-the-scenes programming from several Basketball Travelers' foreign tours, as top Division I NCAA basketball programs travel overseas to such locales as Central and Southern Europe, Australia/South Pacific, and the Bahamas.
The company also has numerous concepts in development for original, high quality programming that will not require the acquisition of rights, including a celebrity shootout, skins-style golf event held in conjunction with the Paradise Jam tournament.
Sports industry veterans, Ken Reed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and Craig Jonas, Chief Business Development Officer, join Bortz and Levy as SportsHD's founders.
Source
