C4 awards Para Athletics and UEFA Women's Euros tenders

14 February 2017

Channel 4 has awarded tenders for two of this summer's major sports events – the UEFA Women’s Euro and the IPC 2017 World Championships.

The much anticipated World Para Athletic Championships in London will be produced by FilmNova, specialists in athletics coverage with a superb track record including their work with Channel 4 for the Rio Paralympics.

Whisper Films will produce Channel 4's coverage of the Women’s Euros from Holland where the opening televised match on 19 July sees England take on Scotland.

Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor Sport, Stephen Lyle, said: “We're set for a gripping summer of sport on Channel 4.

“We can look forward to our top Para athletes taking centre stage again after their huge medal haul in Rio as they take on the best in the world at the iconic Olympic Stadium.

“This will be immediately followed by the Women’s Euros where England go in as serious contenders to win a first major football tournament since 1966. And with the opening game against Scotland, it's certain to be highly charged and anything could happen.”

Stephen added: “FilmNova have a fantastic pedigree when it comes to covering athletics and they also demonstrated some really innovative ideas around the presentation of the sport, as well as exciting proposals about the commentary and presenting teams.”

FilmNova will produce live athletics output across nine days of the World Championships which run from 14 - 23 July. Their team has a wealth of athletics experience and includes Executive Producer Phil Sibson, Programme Editor Lucy Cutler, Sport Editor Jim Bentley and Senior Director Matthew Coliandris. 

Speaking of Whisper’s planned Euros coverage, Stephen said: “Their ideas around talent, making best use of the team and detailing how they’d bring that big tournament feel to audiences back home are really exciting.”

Whisper’s football team is led by Mark Cole, former BBC Head of Football, and also boasts Kay Satterley, veteran production manager of five football World Cups.  More information about the details of the coverage will be revealed nearer to the tournament which opens on 16 July.