PRESS INFORMATION
17 MARCH 2014
SUNSET+VINE CREATES SPECIALIST WOMEN’S SPORT UNIT
AND STRENGTHENS TEAM
-
OXFORD-BASED UNIT SUNSET+VINE|APP CAPITALISES ON GROWING SECTOR INTEREST BY
ESTABLISHING DEDICATED SERVICE HEADED BY LISA HYNES
DOUBLE-OLYMPIC SAILING GOLD MEDALLIST SHIRLEY ROBERTSON OBE, BECOMES ASSOCIATE
PRODUCER
CHRIS LUKE TAKES EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ROLE IN CORPORATE PROMOTION
AMERICA’S CUP PRODUCER JONATHAN EDWARDS JOINS AS HEAD OF PERFORMANCE SAILING
(Oxford) Sunset+Vine|APP the Oxford-based unit of the multi-award winning UK independent TV
sports production and media company Sunset+Vine, has confirmed today the creation of a specialist
Women’s Sports unit to be headed up by Lisa Hynes, a former Head of News at Sunset+Vine|APP.
Hynes re-joins the company after a stint with Landmark Films where she was a Senior Producer.
The creation of the new department comes in the light of several significant wins for
Sunset+Vine|APP over the past 12 months that have included commissions from BBC Sport to
produce coverage of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 as well as England’s five home matches in the
current Women’s World Cup qualifiers. The Women’s Sport Unit is working with federations,
athletes and broadcasters to develop a road map that will broaden the appeal of women’s TV sport
to viewers, advertisers and sponsors alike.
As part of that development, double Olympic sailing gold medallist, Shirley Robertson OBE, has
joined the team as Associate Producer. Shirley will have a dual role of supporting Lisa in the
development of the women's sports business as well as further enhancing the company’s sailing
credentials in the lead up to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015, for which
Sunset+Vine|APP is heading the production and Sunset+Vine International is the global distribution
partner.
Shirley’s appointment coincides with the arrival of Chris Luke, former producer of Sunset+Vine’s
motorsport programming. Luke, as Editorial Director will assume responsibility for overall output for
existing productions of Women’s Football, Women’s World Cup qualifiers, CNN Mainsail and Sea
Master Sailing.
And in recognition of the fact that the Sunset+Vine|APP business has expanded and diversified in
the past 18 months, the company has also appointed Jonathan Edwards as Head of Performance
Sailing. Edward’s most recent background is as a producer at the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco
and he will bring that experience and knowledge into Sunset+Vine|APP’s sailing output.
Andrew Preece, from Sunset+Vine said:
“The past twelve months have been significant ones for our business. Major wins of the Volvo
Ocean Race and of Women’s football set into motion plans to broaden the base of our
offering from which we are already experiencing additional growth and new opportunities.
Attracting talent like Shirley Robertson to Sunset+Vine|APP and enticing Lisa Hynes back is a
great vote of confidence in the team. This coupled with securing the editorial and story-
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telling expertise of Chris Luke and the top level America’s Cup experience of Jonathan
Edwards makes our proposition stronger than ever.”
Shirley Robertson OBE, newly appointed Associate Producer, added;
“I am truly excited about this new opportunity for me which will enable me to work on
raising the profile of women’s sport as well as use my knowledge and experience in sailing to
strengthen further the magnificent work that Sunset+Vine|APP does in this field. These are
two topics about which I am extremely passionate – I really couldn’t have wished for a better
fit.”
ENDS
For further information on Sunset+Vine:
Greg Moore, Head of PR m: +971 55 885 4734 E: [email protected]
About Sunset+Vine
Sunset+Vine is a leading independent supplier of sports programming to broadcasters in the UK and overseas.
It has won over 35 broadcast awards including nine Royal Television Society awards and six BAFTA’s most
recently for “Best Sport and Live Event” in relation to its production of Channel 4’s ground-breaking coverage
of The London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Sunset+Vine was appointed as primary production partner for BT Sport (launched August 2013) and now
produces the channel’s live English Premier League Football and Aviva Premiership Rugby matches and all
support programming. The company will be Host Broadcaster of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and
the Volvo Ocean Race 2014. In the Middle East, Sunset+Vine has been Host Broadcaster for the Dubai World
Cup for 17 consecutive years.
A leader in Advertiser Funded Programming, the company devised the world’s most watched weekly sports’
show “Gillette World Sport” (shown in 180 countries at its peak). Mobil 1 - The Grid is also amongst its
extensive portfolio.
Sunset+Vine has offices in London, Cardiff, Oxford and Glasgow which enable it to deliver regional and national
programming. Awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2003, the company has direct access to
over 260 broadcasters worldwide across all media platforms. The company is part of The Tinopolis Group.
About The Tinopolis Group
The Tinopolis Group is an international media producer and distributor. The Group brings together some of the
most respected names in the international TV production sector and produces television programmes for all
the top networks in the US and is one of the largest independent television suppliers to major broadcasters in
the UK. We work across all genres - factual, entertainment, sport, drama and digital media and through our
distribution company, Passion Distribution, we have a significant presence in the global media marketplace.
Our Group companies include A. Smith and Co., a market leader in factual entertainment; BASE Productions,
makers of cutting-edge factual and factual entertainment programmes; Mentorn Media, the UK's most
experienced factual producer; Sunset + Vine, a leading independent sports producer; Daybreak, a multi-award
winning drama supplier; Pioneer Productions, with a global reputation for ground-breaking factual
programming; Firecracker Films, an outstanding high- profile documentary maker; Tinopolis Wales/Cymru, the
UK's largest regional independent. We also provide multi-platform programme support and digital resources
for the corporate and learning sectors.
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