XTERRA Saipan TV show wins award

The 2005 XTERRA Saipan Championship television show recently earned a bronze medal at the Telly Awards in the Sports TV/Cable program category. It’s the second time in three years that the show has been honored with a Telly (joining 2003 show).

The competition for the Telly Awards this year was 12,000 deep, with entries sent in from the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, and TV cable stations worldwide.

Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest in video and film productions.

Matt Gonsalves—the manager of TEAM TV—produced, directed and edited the half-hour sports feature for the U.S. audience (there is also a Japanese version of the show) and it included action from XTERRA, the Sports Fest, and Tagaman triathlon. He was able to distill the essence of hundreds of hours of footage into a succinct and powerful production.

Taped on location in spots all over the island on April 9 last year, the XTERRA Saipan Championship played host to more than 150 athletes from eight countries and several U.S. states. Viewers were treated to the trademark crystal clear Pacific waters and bright Saipan sun, and athletes’ emotions—ranging from anguish to ecstasy.

The 2005 show was seen by more than three million viewers with broadcasts on Gaora TV in Japan and across the United States through national syndication. Gaora reaches into more than 5.5 million households nationwide from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and the show aired five times on Gaora last year.

Held annually in the Northern Mariana Islands, the race is widely regarded as the “Crown Jewel” of the XTERRA Global Tour. The race and TV show are presented by the Marianas Visitors Authority, and produced by *TEAM Unlimited.

The show’s success is attributed to Saipan’s spectacular natural environment with the majestic jungles and crystal clear water providing a world-class setting for XTERRA—the world’s leading off-road multisport event and series.

In 2006, TEAM Unlimited will once again produce the XTERRA Saipan Championship race (April 1) and two half-hour feature programs about XTERRA Saipan, the Sports Fest, and Tagaman—one for distribution in Japan and the other for distribution in the U.S.

Over the past 15 years TEAM Unlimited has created more than 235 television shows resulting in two national Emmy nominations, three regional Emmy’s, and 30 Telly Awards for production excellence. (PR)