Television Corp profits from contract renewals

The company behind the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking system bounced back into profit today as it celebrated a host of new contracts for its sports shows.

Television Corporation drew a line under three years of losses by announcing profits of £254,000 for the six months to June 30, against a deficit of £5.8m a year ago.

The improvement followed the sale of loss-making businesses that included a power-boating venture and post-production units in the US and London. A share issue in April also put the group, which employs 260 staff at sites in Glasgow, Oxford and Staines, on a sounder financial footing.

Television Corp, whose operations include the Sunset+Vine production company, said that it had renewed several significant long-term contracts since the end of June. These included an extension to produce Gillette World Sport and a three-year deal to provide overnight sport on Five.

Chairman Tom Chandos said a shake-up of the Communications Act last year had so far brought “mixed blessings”, although the fact that the BBC must now award at least 25% of production to independent companies should bring long-term benefits.

Sunset+Vine began producing horse-racing coverage for the BBC and has since signed a 12-month extension to its original three-year deal.

However, Mr Chandos reported that broadcasters were delaying commissioning new programmes while they adjusted to the new rules and this meant the benefits would not be fully felt until 2005.

Television Corp said its Hawk-Eye technology had continued to consolidate its position as a “must-have tool” for coverage of cricket and tennis, including the championships at Wimbledon.

Chief executive Jeff Foulser said the group was keen to highlight potential new uses for Hawk-Eye, including at athletics meetings for disciplines such as the hammer or discus.

The furore over line calls at this year’s US Open tournament could also lead to the technology being fast-tracked on to the professional tennis circuit, he said.

Umpires are already wired to the system for made-for-TV tennis events and this had helped to improve accuracy, Mr Foulser said.

In addition to its sports coverage, Television Corp also owns Mentorn which makes programmes such as Manhunt for BBC1 and Conspiracy Theories for Sky 1.

Mentorn produced Hamburg Cell, which followed the stories of the 9/11 hijackers, for Channel 4 during the period – its first drama to be screened on TV.