Winter Sports Forum 2026: NEP's Martin Stewart on NEP Platform, and a Landmark Year for the Company

Why It Matters

The platform signals a pivotal move toward software‑driven broadcast production, giving NEP a competitive edge while offering clients cost‑effective, scalable solutions for delivering premium live sports content.

Key Takeaways

• NEP launches software-based orchestration system called NEP Platform.
• Platform enables hybrid production control across hardware and software.
• Already proven at Milan-Cortina Olympics and upcoming Norwegian football unit.
• Scalable for broadcasters, streamers, leagues, clubs, and federations.
• NEP targets Grand National, Eurovision, FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Summary

The Winter Sports Forum 2026 featured NEP chief executive Martin Stewart unveiling the company’s new NEP Platform, a software‑based orchestration system designed to manage hybrid media infrastructures. The announcement coincides with NEP’s 40th anniversary and a packed slate of high‑profile sports events.

Stewart explained that the platform gives broadcasters, streamers, leagues and clubs granular control as they transition from legacy hardware to cloud‑native software. It was first deployed at the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and is now powering a new mobile unit (EU3) for Norwegian football, demonstrating reliability at both massive and modest scales.

‘It takes the pain away and lets clients focus on content,’ Stewart said, emphasizing the system’s scalability and flexibility. NEP plans to roll the platform out to client facilities worldwide, supporting upcoming productions such as the Grand National, the Women’s European Champions League final, the World Ice Hockey Championships, Eurovision and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

If adopted broadly, the NEP Platform could accelerate the industry’s shift toward software‑centric workflows, reducing capital expenditure on hardware and opening new revenue streams for NEP through licensing and services. Broadcasters gain faster deployment, lower operational risk, and the ability to scale production resources on demand.

Original Description

At the SVG Europe Winter Sports Forum in Oslo, Editorial Director George Bevir speaks with Martin Stewart, CEO of NEP Group, about the launch of NEP Platform, a new software-based orchestration system designed to simplify and unify modern broadcast workflows.

Stewart explains how NEP Platform enables broadcasters, leagues, and rights holders to manage increasingly complex hybrid environments, as the industry transitions from traditional hardware to flexible, software-driven production. Already deployed at major global events, including the Winter Olympics, the platform is built to scale from small productions to the largest live broadcasts.

The conversation also looks ahead to a packed year for NEP, marking its 40th anniversary with involvement in some of the world’s biggest sporting and entertainment events: from the Super Bowl and Grand National to the UEFA Women's Champions League Final, IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship and the global spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest.

With a major summer of football on the horizon, NEP is set to play a central role in delivering live content to audiences worldwide.

Key topics:

NEP Platform and software-defined orchestration

Managing hybrid (hardware + software) production workflows

Scalable solutions for broadcasters and rights holders

Real-world deployment at major global events

A milestone year of live production

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