South Australian Tourism Commission and EMG / Gravity Media have detailed the television production undertaking that will see EMG / Gravity Media Australia create and deliver the Australian and international all-screens coverage of the 2025 Santos Tour Down Under commencing on 17 January.
South Australia and the Santos Tour Down Under highlight the best male and female cycling teams and riders racing in 2025. In partnership with Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), it is the opening event of the UCI World Tour, which also includes the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
This year’s Santos Tour Down Under is EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s fifth year as broadcast and production partner for the event.
“We saw a record broadcast audience last year, up 11 per cent on previous years, proving there is an appetite for elite road race cycling in the country. Bolstered by a strong commentary line-up, a fantastic production team in EMG / Gravity Media and a broadcast partner in the Seven Network, we are excited to attract more fans to our great race this summer through a high-quality broadcast that will showcase the best that South Australia has to offer,” Hitaf Rasheed, event director, the Santos Tour Down Under said.
Nine stages and two classic races bring female and male UCI World Tour professional cycling teams to race nearly 1200 kilometres over ten days on the streets of Adelaide and across regional South Australia commencing 17 January.
The Santos Tour Down Under is owned by the South Australian Tourism Commission, on behalf of the South Australian Government, with EMG / Gravity Media Australia appointed as the “host” broadcast company for the Santos Tour Down Under.
“It’s a pleasure for EMG / Gravity Media to be the host broadcaster of the Santos Tour Down Under in its 25th year. The now five-year partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission is a very satisfying and collaborative effort to bring the World’s first UCI Tour of the year to television, showcasing Adelaide and this blockbuster international event to Australia and the world,” Mike Purcell, head of production, EMG / Gravity Media Australia added.
EMG / Gravity Media’s technology, logistics and production undertaking sees state-of-the-art high definition outside broadcast trucks and satellite units, more than 25 cameras, including on board “chase” motorcycles and coverage from the air with a helicopter camera and drone, and a crew of 120 to cover the Santos Tour Down Under as it travels across South Australia.
Integral to EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s broadcast and production undertaking are specialist broadcast technology and communications services from its Globecam business, specialising in miniature cameras and RF communications solutions.
Beyond delivering broadcast technologies and as a “host” broadcast company, EMG / Gravity Media Australia has also been appointed as the television production company for the event, creating, producing, and delivering the complete television production of the Santos Tour Down Under for the world, including 45 hours of live coverage and a daily highlights programme for Australian and international audiences.
EMG / Gravity Media Australia has also been appointed to create and produce the Seven Network’s coverage of the Santos Tour Down Under, accessing EMG / Gravity Media’s SNG fleet and highly mobile cellular and cloud-based technologies linking to the EMG / Gravity Media Production Centre in Sydney for the delivery of Seven’s complete broadcast production.
Through its studios, production, post-production, outside broadcast facilities and specialist camera technologies, EMG / Gravity Media Australia is currently involved with major production companies, television networks and pay television and streaming platforms in Australia across projects including The Voice, Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s Got Talent, The 1% Club and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, the AACTA Awards and the ARIA Awards.
EMG / Gravity Media Australia’s acknowledged broadcast technology and production partnerships across major sports in Australia include the Australian Open and the Summer of Tennis, the Melbourne Cup and all major horse racing events in Australia, The A-Leagues, Bathurst 1000 and Repco Supercars Championship, Cricket Australia, Tour Down Under, Cadel Evans Road Race, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Stawell Gift, and Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
