Two of the biggest television events of 2018 were a 'royal' affair. Last summer, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding was watched by a staggering 28.4 million in the UK across multiple channels, making the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's nuptials the most watched TV event of 2018. With a lower key broadcast, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding back in October also brought in an estimated peak of around 7 million viewers globally. Broadcasters around the world fought to meet the demand of the millions of viewers eager to watch the footage from inside St George's Chapel in Windsor. Many broadcasters also presented the weddings in a magazine style format show, reporting on the build-up and post-ceremony procession and fanfare, as the couples greeted the cheering crowds of onlookers. Having been the host broadcaster for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's royal wedding in 2011, the BBC once again turned to NEP UK as the trusted outside broadcast (OB) provider for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials. Along with taking the title for the largest worldwide viewing figures for a royal event in history, the BBC was also one of the only broadcasters to capture the ceremony and procession in full UHD HDR. "This was an exciting project for the NEP UK team. The prospect of capturing the first UHD HDR broadcast of a royal event was one we couldn't miss out on," comments Richard Lancaster, technical project manager at NEP UK. "We had to work closely with St George's Chapel staff to make sure we fully understood where we were able to install equipment. Other major considerations were the age of the buildings, the fact it was a busy tourist attraction and the timescales for set-up and dismantling after the wedding."
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