These two video recordings, entitled 'Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony: Games of the XXVII Olympiad', were produced in 2000 by the Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation (SOBO). Together, they document the Opening Ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games held on Friday, 15 September 2000 at Stadium Australia, Homebush Bay. In addition, they reflect the work of SOBO which produced this and all other footage of the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) owned all Games footage though licensed it to rights holders that included television broadcasters.

In 1996, the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) established SOBO as a complete broadcast company and as Host Broadcaster of the Olympic Games. Comprising an operating charter, a board of directors, and a corporate mission, it aimed to "provide outstanding levels of service to Rights Holding Broadcasters, and to produce more than 3400 hours of live, visually stunning and technically superior coverage of the Games of the New Millennium."

From 13 September to 1 October 2000, SOBO produced all television and radio coverage of Olympic competition for the 200 broadcasters that held rights to the Games. During this period, it was the largest broadcasting production company in the world, supporting 3300 local and international personnel across eight divisions: Executive, Production, Technical Operations and Engineering, Broadcast Information, Support Services, Venue Management, Business Affaires and Booking.

The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) was the hub of SOBO operations, and was equipped with 35 studios, 1600 broadcaster rooms, a commentary switching centre, a video archive and a satellite farm. Here, at Olympic Park, SOBO monitored 40 simultaneous international signals, and televised to a worldwide audience of around 30 billion people.

The Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation collaborated with the Ceremony production team to coordinate camera positions and angles.

These two videos were produced by the Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation on Friday, 15 September 2000.

These two videos were held by SOCOG as documentation of the Opening Ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games.

Made for and owned by the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and donated to the Powerhouse Museum after the Games.

Video tapes and cases (2), 'Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony: Games of the XXVII Olympiad', plastic/paper/video tape, produced by the Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation, Sydney, 2000.

Videos of the 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (part one and two) with cases. The videos consist of a black plastic rectangular outer casing with two white grooved spools around which the videotape is wound. Each of the videos are stored in a video case. The cases are rectangular, made from white plastic with a clear plastic cover that is open at one end to insert a paper title page. The paper insert for part one is orange with the fluid energy patterning across the base. The SOBO logo and the Sydney 2000 logo are in white across the front of the paper insert. Below the logos in white text "Sydney 2000/ Opening Ceremony/ Games of the XXVII Olympiad". Part two has a photocopied paper insert.

Made: 2000

2001/84/463

2000