Cover it like it matters

The hard part, named

The course runs where cell service dies and roads turn to loose rock above treeline. That rules out the easy version of live coverage and shapes everything: plan for satellite and radio, not bars of signal, and build the show around what you can reliably get off the mountain.

Live coverage

Do it in tiers so year one is honest and the ceiling is clear.

Tier 1 — the reliable core (year one)

• Live GPS tracking — rider trackers feed a public map with positions and gaps. It works where video can't, and it's the spine of the broadcast.
• Live timing and GC data — stage splits and the overall updating in near-real-time from the timing partner.
• A live blog / race-radio feed — a producer turning the radio net and tracker into a running story with photos as they come off the course.
• Finish-line and key-point streaming — a stream from the finish and one or two accessible high points via satellite uplink or bonded cellular where any signal exists.

Tier 2 — as budget grows

• Moto and drone units on the marquee climbs for the hero shots (drones need the filming permit below).
• A helicopter or fixed-wing for the queen stage over the pass, if a sponsor funds it.
• A same-day highlight show cut each evening and pushed to owned channels and a streaming partner.

The documentary

The film is the asset with the longest life. Start smaller than a feature and make it good.

• Year one: a short film (15–25 minutes) built on one or two rider stories, the town, and the passes. Story first, scenery as the frame.
• Crew — a director/DP, a second shooter, a drone operator, and an editor, plus access to the moto and finish feeds.
• Rights and music — media releases from riders (rolled into the entry agreement), and properly licensed music. Do not build a film on unlicensed tracks.
• Distribution — premiere at a local screening and online, then pitch to the endurance/outdoor film circuit and a streaming or broadcast partner. A short that travels sells the whole event.

Photography

Stills do the heaviest marketing lift and cost the least. Staff it seriously.

• Photographers positioned at each marquee pass and the finish, with a runner or uplink to move cards off the mountain.
• A same-day gallery for riders, press and sponsors — the images that sell next year's entries go out while the stoke is high.
• Clear rights: riders and sponsors get usage, the event keeps the archive.

Social

Match the channel to the sport. Gravel lives on Instagram, YouTube and the endurance corner of the web, and it rewards real riding over polish.

Lean on rider-generated content and a few respected ambassadors. Authentic beats produced in this sport, and it scales without a big budget.

On-screen data & graphics

The general classification is the story a stage race tells, so make it legible: a clean tracker map, live GC standings, stage results, and KOM/QOM segment graphics that update through the day. Consistent, branded graphics tie the live blog, the stream and social into one show.

Permits for filming — don't skip this

How the Forest Service rules sort out

• Documenting the permitted race with no resource damage generally doesn't need a separate filming permit.
• A small crew of roughly six to eight people may qualify for a no-fee de minimis authorization.
• Nine or more people, or a shoot that could affect forest resources, needs a commercial filming special-use permit, with a land-use fee by days and crew size plus cost recovery.
• Lead time: the Forest Service asks for proposals two to three months ahead and needs at least six weeks to process one. Put the documentary shoot and any sponsor productions into the same timeline as the event permit.
• Drones: an FAA Part 107 certificated pilot, a registered aircraft, Part 107 limits (visual line of sight, under 400 feet), and Forest Service authorization. No commercial drone use in wilderness, and no flying near active fire operations or inside a temporary flight restriction.

Full detail, including the burn-area closures from the 2026 Willow Fire that may affect camera positions near Hagerman Pass, is in Permitting & land use.

Sources: USFS Filming and Photography · USFS commercial UAS use · FAA Part 107

Crew & a phased budget

Hire a small, senior core and scale with sponsorship.

• Media director — owns the whole plan and the sponsor deliverables.
• Live producer — runs the blog/stream/tracker and the data graphics.
• Film: director/DP + editor (+ drone and second shooter as budget allows).
• Lead photographer and a small stills team.
• Social manager — the daily cadence and rider content.

Phase it: year one funds photography, the live tracker/blog, a finish stream, and a short film — the reliable core. Moto/aerial video, a full live broadcast, and a longer documentary are what sponsor growth buys in years two and three. Fund coverage from sponsorship earmarked for it; the imagery is what those sponsors are buying.

Media credentials (planned) Proposed

Journalists, photographers and film crews will apply for credentials. Nothing is open yet; the application will be published with the race dates.

• Application. Outlet or client, assignment, crew names, vehicles, and whether any drone is involved. Every accredited crew must be covered by the event's filming authorization or hold its own.
• Zones. Approved media zones at the start, finish and marked points on the passes, and restricted zones where media may not stop or stand: narrow descents, aid-station approaches, the timing mats, and any area the land managers close. Media vehicles follow the race's convoy and road rules.
• Safety briefing. Every credentialed person attends a briefing before their first stage: the radio or check-in arrangement, weather and lightning holds, where medical and SAG vehicles need the road, and how to leave a pass quickly.
• Credentials can be withdrawn for working outside a zone or ignoring a marshal. Media numbers are capped by the permits.

Subject to permits, sanctioning and insurance.