OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 4, 2026--
As part of its strategy to deliver flexible and scalable media solutions, NEP Europe —part of NEP Group—has redesigned an outside broadcast (OB) unit to help broadcasters and rightsholders across Europe scale live coverage more efficiently and reliably. The modernized unit, EU-03, manages broadcast tools using a software platform, providing customers with the ability to scale up or down depending on the needs of each event. The upgrade also includes a full SMPTE ST 2110 IP transition and supports the growing demand for reliable, high-quality 1080p HDR productions.
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The launch of EU-03 marks an important step in the continued evolution of live production services across the region. EU-03 introduces a more software-enabled production environment to the European market, supporting the use of license-based broadcast tools to scale dynamically based on production requirements. This flexibility gives customers more options in how productions are delivered and enables teams to configure the right blend of software and traditional hardware workflows for each project.
EU-03’s software-defined approach—using a common processing platform that can host different applications over time—also helps future-proof the unit, allowing new production capabilities to be added through software updates instead of major rebuilds, keeping it modern and efficient.
Adding EU-03 to NEP’s European fleet, alongside the Nordics’ only fully IP-based fleet of its kind, strengthens NEP’s position in the region by supporting customers with end-to-end media services from capture through delivery and beyond.
“Our clients want the freedom to produce more content in smarter ways, without taking risks on quality or reliability,” said Lise Heidal, President of NEP Europe. “EU-03 gives customers more flexibility in how productions are delivered, backed by the operational discipline and resilience NEP is known for.”
Designed around what customers need most: reliability, flexibility and efficiency
Strategically based in Oslo, EU-03—the unit’s new name under a refreshed naming approach for NEP Europe’s fleet—will primarily serve customers in the Nordics, launching in April with coverage of the Norwegian Football League, among other projects.
The unit is also designed to support remote production workflows, connecting directly to NEP’s production hub in Oslo. This enables certain production roles to be handled from the hub when appropriate, helping reduce travel, simplify logistics and improve overall cost efficiency while maintaining the delivery standards expected for high-profile live events.
“What matters most to customers is that live production works every time, and that it can adapt quickly when needs change,” said Eirik Nakken, Director of Technology for NEP Norway.
“EU-03 is built to scale from smaller shows to major events, while helping customers optimize footprint and associated costs. Across Europe and around the world, we’re investing in this software platform-based approach, combining the flexibility of modern software workflows with the proven resilience and redundancy required for mission-critical live events. We’re very proud of the innovative solutions we’re providing to our customers.”
Supporting the next phase of live production
The EU-03 upgrade is part of NEP’s continued investment in flexible live production services across Europe and globally. It strengthens NEP’s ability to deliver end-to-end services—from capture and production to distribution and operational support—while giving customers more choice in how productions are staffed and operated.
Nearly a decade ago, NEP began investing in software that makes live production simpler to run and easier to scale. That commitment and vision led to the development of TFC, NEP’s broadcast orchestration platform that brings key production tools into one environment, helping teams manage complex IP workflows with greater visibility, control and reliability.
Today, TFC supports live productions across more than 120 NEP facilities worldwide, and is also available for broadcasters, rightsholders, leagues, federations, news organisations and streamers to use within their own operations.
About NEP
Celebrating 40 years of innovation, NEP is the world’s most trusted media services partner for content creators of live sports and entertainment. With a global network of experts, cutting-edge technology, and an expansive portfolio of customer-driven, innovative solutions, we empower our customers to tell their stories in breakthrough ways.
Headquartered in the United States and operating in 25 countries, our teams have supported thousands of major productions and events on every continent with innovation, excellence and reliability. See how we bring content to life at nepgroup.com.
NEP Europe's EU-03 introduces a more software-enabled production environment to the European market, supporting the use of license-based broadcast tools to scale dynamically based on production requirements.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged Monday that he made the wrong judgment when he appointed Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington, but said he would not have done so if he had known Mandelson failed security checks.
Starmer is facing calls to resign after the revelation that Mandelson was given the job despite failing security vetting. Mandelson was fired nine months into the job over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons that “I would not have gone ahead with the appointment” had he known about the security concerns.
He laid blame squarely on Foreign Office officials, saying the fact Mandelson had failed security vetting “could and should have been shared with me before he took up his post.”
Starmer is facing a skeptical audience in Parliament as he tries to to explain why Mandelson became Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite failing security checks — and seemingly without Starmer being told about the concerns.
The revelation has left furious opponents calling for Starmer to quit and uneasy allies wondering what else the nation’s leader didn’t know about.
Starmer repeatedly told lawmakers that “due process” was followed when Mandelson was appointed. He now says he’s “furious” that he wasn’t informed that an intensive vetting process had recommended Mandelson not be given security clearance. The Foreign Office, which oversees diplomatic appointments, cleared him anyway.
Starmer fired the top Foreign Office civil servant, Olly Robbins, within hours of the revelation by The Guardian last week. But allies of Robbins say he would never have been able to share sensitive vetting information with the prime minister.
Robbins is expected to give his own version of events to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
All the main opposition parties have called on Starmer to step down. Right-of-center Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said in the Mail on Sunday that he had “misled Parliament over Mandelson, misled the country and is taking the public for fools.”
Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, said Starmer had “showed catastrophic misjudgment.”
Senior government colleagues have defended the prime minister. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said that if Starmer had known about the failed security vetting, “he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador.”
But lawmakers in Starmer’s center-left Labour Party, already anxious about the party’s dire poll ratings, are restive. Starmer has already defused one potential crisis in February, when some Labour lawmakers urged him to resign over the Mandelson appointment.
He could face a new challenge if, as expected, Labour takes a hammering in local and regional elections on May 7, which give voters a chance to pass a midterm verdict on the government.
Critics say the Mandelson appointment is more evidence of a failure of judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since he led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and has been forced into repeated policy U-turns.
He picked Mandelson for one of Britain’s most important diplomatic jobs despite being warned by his staff that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019, exposed the government to “reputational risk.”
Mandelson’s business links to Russia and China also set off alarm bells. But his expertise as a former European Union trade chief and contacts among global elites were considered assets in dealing with President Donald Trump’s administration.
He lasted less than nine months in the job. Starmer fired Mandelson in September 2025, after evidence emerged that he had lied about the extent of his links to Epstein.
A trove of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January included emails suggesting Mandelson had passed on sensitive, and potentially market-moving, government information to Epstein in 2009, after the global financial crisis.
British police launched a criminal probe and arrested Mandelson in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, April 20, 2026 to face a showdown in Parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Peter Mandelson is seen with his dog outside his home in London, Monday, April 20, 2026 as Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a showdown in Parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as Starmer hosts social media industry leaders to discuss child safety online Thursday, April 16, 2026, in London. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-hosts a multinational virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, not pictured, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, Friday April 17, 2026 (Tom Nicholson/Pool Photo via AP)
FILE - Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the United States, leaves his house in London, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
