NEP secures multi-year Wimbledon extension with shift to IP-first workflows

This extension codifies the industry's transition from SDI to software-defined IP infrastructure in high-stakes live sports. By utilizing SMPTE ST 2110 at scale, WBS gains the operational flexibility to manage complex multi-court feeds without the physical constraints of traditional routing. For the broader ecosystem, the use of AI-robotic cameras for secondary courts sets a cost-efficiency benchmark that will likely be adopted by other mid-tier sporting events looking to expand coverage footprints. Watch for whether upcoming major rights renewals, such as the 2027 French Open, mandate similar IP-native delivery standards in their production requirements.

The transition to IP-based production exemplified by Wimbledon fits a broader industry trend where SMPTE ST 2110 is becoming the default for Tier 1 sports events. According to the Haivision 2026 Broadcast Transformation Report, while SDI still accounts for 82% of total broadcast infrastructure globally, ST 2110 adoption rose to 30% this year, driven largely by high-profile deployments for the Olympics and World Cup. Experts note that the primary hurdle remains an engineering skills gap rather than technical instability, as modern IP orchestration tools now provide the redundancy previously associated with baseband fiber.

Simultaneously, the distribution landscape for The Championships has shifted. Per The Guardian in June 2026, the All England Club and the BBC signed a six-year extension keeping the tournament on free-to-air television through 2033. However, Amazon Prime Video continues to expand its secondary tennis rights, having secured exclusive Wimbledon coverage in Germany through 2027 and offering 4K HDR match streams to UK Prime members. This hybrid model—host production by a technical specialist like NEP delivering to a mix of legacy broadcasters and global streamers—is now the standard architecture for maximizing both sports reach and technical quality.