A truly multi-disciplined production company…
From Formula One to Mumford & Sons, from 1Xtra to Radio 4, USP Content has grown in its ambitions and capabilities since 1990. Back then, USP became the first independent production company to produce a weekly breakfast show – The Jazz Breakfast for Jazz FM.
Now they are at the forefront of live sports, producing Absolute Radio’s coverage of the Barclays Premier League – the most high profile league in world football – with live commentary every Saturday afternoon. And they’ve been jetting around the globe for the last 5 years, providing BBC Radio 5 Live with live commentary and coverage of what’s been a golden age for Formula One. The World Twenty 20 cricket championships in Barbados demonstrated the company’s ability to efficiently outside broadcast in providing video content for Yahoo and the International Cricket Council. The company have also branched out into the world of minority sports, with live TV coverage of British Basketball for Setanta Sports, as well as the Barclaycard World Free-Run Championship for Sky Sports. American sports also represent an area of expertise for USP, having covered seven Superbowls for the BBC, as well as other NFL events, Major League Baseball and Ice Hockey.
So, what else do we do?
In addition to our sport coverage, USP also provide content for a wide variety of genres, recently winning a Sony Award in 2011 for The Man Machine: The Story of Kraftwerk on BBC Radio 2. Specialist documentaries are a specialty for USP, with features ranging from Howard Stern to Mamma Mia! across the BBC and GMG networks, fronted by a vast array of talent, from Bill Nighy to Lethal Bizzle. Consequently, some of the biggest names in broadcasting today have worked with USP on various projects; Jarvis Cocker, Huw Stephens, Colin Murray, Ian Wright, Alan Davies, as well as broadcasting legends like Martin Bashir and Sir Michael Parkinson.
USP Content have made their presence felt in the world of podcasting. The Perfect Ten with Phill Jupitus & Philip Wilding has charted well in the highly competitive comedy charts on iTunes while clients such as HMV, Chanel and Renault have entrusted the company with promoting the brand via iTunes. Furthermore, USP have proved themselves pioneers in the field of in-store radio, with the inaugural model being Channel HMV, broadcast in all HMV stores across the UK. The personality of in-store radio allows the HMV catalogue to be showcased while also alerting the customer to special offers and USP have since replicated the format to great effect with brands like B & Q, Superdrug and JJB.
In short, USP have proven they can produce cost-effective but quality content in a variety of styles, settings and platforms, while also helping to elevate the talent and the brands that the company work alongside.