SVG Saturday Fax: The Week in Sports Video Production

Welcome back to another new edition of the SVG Saturday Fax!

Thank you to all who have already subscribed to this weekly Saturday morning look at the week in sports video production and operations. If you haven't already subscribed, please do! We're proud to spotlight what's happening behind the scenes in this wonderful industry of sports television.

NFL Media Delivers at NFL Combine

The NFL is already back in the spotlight this weekend as NFL Media delivers wall-to-wall coverage of the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

As the league’s production arm, NFL Media is on hand at Lucas Oil Stadium to broadcast the multiple events and evaluations with an arsenal of technologies and a handful of studio shows covering the action from facilities in Los Angeles and New Jersey.

“This event gives fans behind-the-scenes access to get to know these players," says David Shaw , VP/head of operations, NFL Media. "It’s an event that defines what NFL Network is really about.”

Read about what goes into NFL Media's coverage of the NFL Combine.

The Match Returns Under the Lights

On Monday, TNT Sports U.S. produced its ninth edition of Capital One’s The Match at The Park West Palm.

TNT Sports’ presentation of this exhibition golf event utilized a drone for aerial views, a hefty slate of wireless and handheld cameras for on-course shots, and real-time player-to-commentator conversations.

The event remains one of the most fertile grounds for innovation in live golf broadcasting. To discuss this latest edition, our Ken Kerschbaumer sat down with chris brown , VP, Technology and Operations for TNT Sports in an episode of SVG Rewind to discuss how the network captures nighttime golf, how the nature of the event expands player interaction through live mics and experimentation with technology, and much more.

Watch our interview with TNT Sports' Chris Brown on the production of The Match.

MLS + NEP: Round Two

The Major League Soccer season is underway and for Year 2 of the domestic soccer league's media partnership with Apple TV, NEP Group, Inc. is again overseeing all broadcast services and providing all mobile units, technical crew, and operations; remote- and decentralized- production support; studio facilities in NYC; and infrastructure and systems management.

“It’s pretty unbelievable just how far this whole operation has come,” says Joshua Liemer , President, NEP VISTA Worldlink . “I remember the days of rolling up mobile uplink trucks to backhaul all the signals from the stadiums. Today, the league has installed its own private fiber network and is now distributing all of their events in native 1080p onto the Apple platform.”

Read more about what goes into NEP Group's comprehensive production of the entire MLS season.

Inside the Latest From Game Creek Video

Whether it’s building new mobile units, refurbishing existing trucks, or architecting new flypacks and RAPS (remote-access production systems) solutions, the team at Game Creek Video is always busy.

In 2023, Game Creek rolled out three new mobile units: Varsity, GameDay, and Moonshine. Varsity served ESPN/ABC’s lead college football package throughout the fall and is now the broadcaster’s NBA A-game truck. GameDay also was built for ESPN, specifically for the College GameDay remote studio show. And Moonshine serves GCV’s growing entertainment-based client base.

Our Jason Dachman sat down with Jason Taubman , Game Creek Video's SVP, Technology to discuss the new trucks and refurbs, the continued evolution of GCV Anywhere, how demand for large-scale trucks continues to grow, where its clients stand on the 1080p vs. 4K debate, and how the live IP-media ecosystem continues to progress.

Read our interview with Game Creek Video's Jason Taubman.

Bundesliga Referee Wears Camera/Microphone on Headset

For the first time in the German soccer league's history, a camera was mounted to a referee during a Bundesliga fixture last Sunday.

Referee Daniel Schlager was fitted with the RefCam device to provide viewers with a close-up view of the referee’s perspective and to show the challenges faced by match officials. The RIEDEL Communications -developed camera/microphone was worn by the official in charge of the tie between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg.

Read more about the RefCam deployment in Germany over at SVG Europe.

News to Note

• Diamond Sports Group and the Bally Sports RSNs received good news on Monday when $450 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing was approved. What does it mean for the RSN business long term?
• The Pac-12 Conference welcomed a new commissioner this week: Teresa Gould. She spoke to USA Today about what's next for the league.
• Next month's NAB Show will feature a Welcome Session with an autonomously AI-powered humanoid robot.

Industry Career Opportunities

• NWSL: Director of Broadcast Operations
• Tennessee Titans: VP, Brand & Creative
• Big Ten Network: Onsite Multiplatform Video Producer/Editor (Multiple Schools)
• ESPN: Technical Director II, Studio Ops
• University of Arkansas: Director of Production

Upcoming SVG Networking Events

• March 4: SVG Venue Summit: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
• March 20: SVG Digital Engagement Forum (New York City)