CHICAGO, Oct. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NEP Group, a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports and entertainment, announced today its acquisition of Fletcher Group, LLC (“Fletcher”), a Chicago-area company that provides the highest-end specialty ultra-slow motion and robotic camera systems. Fletcher has been in business for nearly 30 years and has delivered innovative angles for thousands of high profile events. The addition of Fletcher is consistent with NEP’s stated strategy to become the worldwide leader in Broadcast Services, and “camera capture,” both traditional and robotic, is an important part of the broadcast value chain.
Founded in 1987 and based in Burr Ridge, IL, Fletcher has served “A” games for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL and other major sporting events in the US, as well as for highly anticipated political and entertainment events such as presidential debates and the Oscars Red Carpet. The company also serves the international sports broadcast market via its US and London offices.
“We’re excited to bring the innovative specialty cameras and talent of Fletcher’s staff into the NEP Worldwide Network,” said Mike Werteen, Global President, NEP Broadcast Services. “We’ve partnered with Fletcher on several events, so we know first-hand the quality of their work and shared commitment to delivering superior service. Through this acquisition, our clients now have access to cutting-edge ultra-slow motion and robotic camera technology and expertise along with NEP’s variety of broadcast services.”
Among their many solutions, Fletcher offers an AI-based proprietary, patent-pending auto-follow camera system designed to follow and record the movement of players. In partnership with NEP, the Fletcher Tr-ACE system was recently implemented on seven courts at Wimbledon. Fletcher also provided the technology for nine courts at the US Open to track players’ movements during matches on the outer courts. In addition, Fletcher invented several innovative proprietary camera angles now commonly seen by audiences worldwide: shots from “above the rim” on top of basketball backboards, in-net cameras for hockey and rail cams in front of press tables.
“NEP’s dedication to technical innovation and client service is impressive,” said Dan Grainge, President of Fletcher. “I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished at Fletcher and know that combining our talents and technology with an industry leader like NEP will take our business to the next level. It’s a great fit for us and a strong benefit to be able to add NEP’s broadcast services, media solutions and live event support for our clients.”
The Fletcher brand will remain, with Fletcher supporting NEP and its clients across the globe. Dan Grainge will continue to lead the Fletcher team and will report to Mike Werteen, Global President of NEP Broadcast Services.
To learn more about NEP’s full range of broadcast, live event and media solutions, visit https://www.nepgroup.com. Visit http://www.fletch.com to learn more about Fletcher.
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About NEP
For over 30 years, NEP has been a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports, entertainment, music and corporate events. Our services include remote production, studio production, audio visual solutions, host broadcast support, premium playout, post production and innovative software-based media management solutions. NEP’s 3,500+ employees are driven by a passion for superior service and a focus on technical innovation. Together, we have supported productions in 87 countries on all seven continents.
NEP is headquartered in the United States and has operations in 24 countries. Learn more at nepgroup.com.
About Fletcher Group
For nearly 30 years, Fletcher Group, has partnered with top broadcasters to enhance viewer experiences for audiences of the most-watched sporting events in the U.S. and around the world. Based in Burr Ridge, IL, Fletcher provides the highest-end specialty camera systems (ultra-slow motion and robotic camera systems) and provides knowledgeable and experienced field operators to deliver innovative angles for thousands of high profile events. Fletcher also provides specialty cameras to a variety of entertainment shows, concerts, and special events for broadcast or in-house production. The Company also serves the international sports broadcasting market through its Fletcher London operation launched in 2012.
Learn more at fletch.com.
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