Going Pro

Hockey
Outside BroadcastDigital Media
Australia

The FIH Pro League launched in January this year as the new center piece of the International Hockey Federation’s events portfolio. The Pro League is an international field hockey competition for both men and women, which also serves as a qualifier for the Hockey World Cup and Olympic Games.

Featuring teams from 10 of the world’s leading hockey nations, the home and away competition provides the first ever regular calendar of elite hockey across the year and around the globe.

Input Media has been awarded the host broadcast contract for the League’s Australian legs on a four-year deal, with 22 broadcasters taking each match internationally. And with Gearhouse Broadcast as technical facilitator, the production of each event represents a full turnkey solution from Gravity Media Group.

Input Media Australia kicked off the first production – where we had 10 cameras – at the State Hockey & Netball center in Melbourne. Australia’s Kookaburras (men) and Hockeyroos (women) took on hockey legends the Netherlands on Saturday 2nd Feb, followed by top-ranked Belgium on Sunday 3rd. Against the Netherlands, the Kookaburras drew 5–5 and the Hockeyroos edged it 1–0, but it was a clean sweep for Belgium on Sunday, with 4–1 and 2–1 wins respectively.

As well as these four matches, Input Media Australia has so far covered three in Tasmania and two in Perth. The production team is now enjoying a few weeks’ break while the League visits the USA, New Zealand and China, and then it’s back to Sydney on 2nd March for Australia v Spain.

The Australian tour finishes in Sydney on the weekend of 16th/17th March with back-to-back games against Argentina and New Zealand.

Whoever makes it to the Grand Final in the Netherlands in June, we’re thoroughly enjoying being with them along the way. So far, it’s been action-packed and fiercely fought, with fans lapping up hockey of the highest caliber in packed out stadia from coast to coast.