Best coverage of a sporting event

This award recognises an organisation across any media platform that has delivered exceptional coverage of a sporting event during the nomination period.

2021 Winner

Seven Network, ‘Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’

Seven brought the Olympic Games to more Australians than ever before, with 20 million people tuning in to watch Tokyo 2020’s 17 days, making it the biggest television and streaming event in Australian history.

Seven offered fans 45 channels across its broadcast channels and 7plus, with viewers able to access a live feed of every sport as it was unfolding. The broadcaster assembled an unrivalled team of hosts and commentators for the Games, spread across four locations due to travel restrictions.

Despite the lack of crowds in Tokyo, Seven replicated the atmosphere of an Olympic Games with artificial crowd noise and by incorporating the Olympians’ families and viewers at home into the coverage.

Finalists

Optus Sport, ‘UEFA EURO 2020’

The Euro 2020 tournament, held in 2021, was one of the most unforgettable sporting events of the year and Optus Sport showcased it in a way that Australian sporting fans had never seen before, at all hours of the day and night.

The tournament spanned 31 days, in which 51 matches were played across 10 European cities and Australian viewers were treated to more content than ever before. Optus Sport's local production included over 150 hours of live studio coverage across three shows featuring highly respected local and global experts.

Despite the logistical challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were teams based in Sydney, London and across Europe.

Network 10, ‘Melbourne Cup Carnival 2020’

In 2020, Network 10’s Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage re-shaped the event’s future.

The Carnival was completely re-imagined, there were no celebrities in The Birdcage, no colour in The Park and no roar to accompany the charge of hooves down the famous Flemington straight. Stephen Quartermain and Gorgi Coghlan hosted the fully produced broadcast from a studio on Flemington’s famous lawn.

Over 26.5 hours, Channel 10 captured the country’s mood, crossing to every state and territory to see how Australians celebrate the race that stops the nation. As well as the races themselves, coverage included features on how horses help people with PTSD or managed disability, while Fashions on the Field featured the front lawns of every contestant.

The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’

The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald told the inside story of the Olympic Games by delivering insights into a record-breaking Australian team, sharp analysis and telling the bigger picture of what it meant for host nation Japan.

Reporters on the ground delivered news across print, digital and TV, covering the big stars and local heroes around the world such as Jian Fang Lay and Sunisa Lee. The diversity in coverage was a strength that celebrated the breadth of the Games.

The mastheads delivered newsletters and live blogs to keep readers across developments every hour while a full-time editor ensured that the was produced in Sydney or Melbourne matched the quality of the staff's output in Tokyo.