As local newspapers reflect on their coverage of the Olympics and their local heroes, national sports agency Sportsbeat is looking back on a job well done supplying the papers with sports copy.

In a massive operation it served more than 50 daily regional and weekly newspapers with tailored coverage from the Beijing games.

Among the papers that took advantage of the agency’s bespoke copy service were the Birmingham Mail, Nottingham Evening Post, Edinburgh Evening News, Glasgow Evening Times, Southern Daily Echo, Leicester Mercury, Press and Journal, Daily Post in North Wales, Eastern Daily Press, Coventry Telegraph, The Star in Sheffield, Gloucester Citizen and Birmingham weekly the Sunday Mercury.

Sportsbeat’s coverage – which was supported by Team GB partner and London 2012 sponsor Lloyds TSB – was provided by a five-strong team of journalists in Beijing, headed by managing editor James Toney and including senior reporters Daniel Schofield and Tom Bell.

The agency supplied in excess of 500 tailored Olympic stories from both the Games and Team GB’s preparation camp in Macau, reaching an estimated combined circulation of 22m readers.

Executive editor David Parsons was responsible for the delivery of all Olympic copy services, alongside Stephen Bond, Sportsbeat’s news editor for special projects.

David said: “The Olympics was our biggest project yet, eclipsing the service we provided during last year’s Rugby World Cup.”

“The success of Team GB meant our reporters in Beijing – and those stuck staffing the desk back in the UK – didn’t get much sleep but we’ve been delighted with the feedback from the editors we are delighted to serve.

“To be able to report on the successes of athletes such as Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy and Ben Ainslie in their own regional media was a highlight of an exhausting but memorable fortnight.”

Sportsbeat/News Associates – which has offices in London and Manchester – will also send two reporters to the Paralympics, which commence on September 6.

They will also act as the official press agency of the forthcoming Tour of Britain cycle race and Sail for Gold regatta, which will both feature many of the stars from Beijing.

Sportsbeat will also send three reporters to cover this month’s UK School Games, with a brief to supply regional newspapers with tailored content and pictures.

Comments

Redundant Trinity Mirrorian (28/08/2008 11:36:46)
Congrats to Sportsbeat on a job well done – on a personal level I know all about the superb service they provide!! Now sorry to be cheeky but have you got any jobs going?