ICC Women’s T20 World Cup broadcast reaches 179 territories thanks to RTS intercoms

• ADAM-M digital intercom matrix by RTS provides the communications backbone for international cricket tournament in South Africa
• RTS KP-Series keypanels used by NEP Singapore across multiple positions in the three stadiums to ensure clear audio for the broadcast teams
• OMNEO IP networking delivers the required stability and quality to cover the long distances between some of the positions

Cape Town, South Africa, April 2023 – A full RTS intercom solution ensured the successful broadcast of the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup cricket tournament in South Africa. With 23 matches played at three venues over 15 days, there was plenty for the broadcast teams to cope with. Thanks to the flexibility of the ADAM-M digital intercom matrix and KP-Series keypanels combined with the connectivity of OMNEO networking, clear communication was ensured for the various broadcast teams.

Matches took place at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, Boland Park Cricket Stadium in Paarl in the Western Cape and St George’s Park in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape. The tournament had two production crews and two-and-a-half technical crews. NEP Singapore was the facility provider for both Cape Town and Gqeberha, and an OB van was sub hired for the Paarl stadium with NEP providing all the technical assistance to the OB van crew.

The comms system for each venue comprised an ADAM-M mid-sized modular matrix intercom combined with a mix of KP-5032, KP-4016 and legacy keypanels. This saw 40 panels being utilised across multiple positions in the compound and commentary areas. The IFBs and Walkie Talkie base stations were integrated into the matrix along with all audio feeds to and from the audio console using the 32 channel MADI-2 card. Each of the 18 KP-4016 and four KP-5032 panels were used in full OMNEO IP configuration with both OMNEO channels used on numerous panels.

“Stability over the distance to 12 of the positions is why I chose to use OMNEO on the furthest panels,” explains Michael Southgate, comms/audio engineer who was Crew B Comms Engineer for the tournament. “I utilised a Cisco managed switch on both ends with a single mode fibre connecting these switches. Then I connected most panels in a star network configuration to ensure stability, with some areas using the installed OMNEO keypanel interface cards to connect panels in the same room and close together.”

Every match in the tournament benefitted from a high production value with at least a 24-camera setup complimented by a variety of analytical and visual enhancements, including player tracking and the immersive Field 360°, ball tracking and edge detection, and a graphics system that was supplemented by in-depth cricket data analytics. This level of complexity for the production team highlighted the importance of a strong intercom system to ensure these various elements could be brought together to enhance the broadcast experience.

With Australia defeating the host nation in the final to claim the World Champions title for a sixth time in front of a sold-out crowd at Newlands in a match that was broadcast to over 179 territories, it was vital that the broadcast progressed smoothly. Thankfully, the RTS comms system ensured this was the case for every match. “All projects are important and by using RTS intercoms, the broadcasts run smoothly with very little to no issues once all is setup and working,” concludes Southgate.