SVG Saturday Fax: The Week In Sports Video Production
UFC CEO/President Dana White (center) and his team are ready for a historic weekend at The Sphere in Las Vegas

SVG Saturday Fax: The Week In Sports Video Production

On Saturday, UFC will take over The Sphere in Las Vegas for what is being promoted as the most eye-melting, mind-bending live-sports event in history. SVG's got the inside scoop on how UFC, The Sphere, and ESPN are teaming up to pull it all off.

Plus the IBC Show kicks off in Amsterdam, the 2024 Sports Broadcast Hall of Fame class is revealed, and we remember a industry icon – it's all here in the latest edition of your SVG Saturday Fax.


The UFC team takes a look at the venue’s LED capabilities to put together the run of show

UFC Turns Up the Production-Tech Firepower for Historic UFC 306 PPV at The Sphere

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has adapted and evolved to create memorable broadcasting innovation since the COVID-19 pandemic, including Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and the opening of its Apex facility in 2020, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, and producing its 300th pay-per-view (PPV) event this past spring. All these moments have led to UFC 306: Noche UFC on Sept. 14, which will be the first sports event in the short yet exhilarating history of The Sphere Sphere Entertainment Co. in Las Vegas. The mixed-martial-arts company’s biggest production to date is considered a once-in-lifetime opportunity for the production and operations teams and the start of a new era for the company.

SVG got the inside scoop from Craig Borsari, CCO/executive producer, UFC on how UFC is pulling off not only the first-of-its kind immersive experience inside the venue (themed around Mexican Independence Day), but also its first ever 1080p production for the ESPN PPV broadcast.

“There’s a lot of excitement because the entire company has been working hard to be ready to pull off this event,” says Craig Borsari, CCO/executive producer, UFC, “but now that we’re in the final stage of preparation, there’s also pressure to complete everything that we want to share with the world. We had limited time to rehearse, so the shift has gone from content creation to how we’re going to execute our show.”

For this hefty lift, Tim O'Toole, SVP, Event Production, UFC and his team rolling in UFC’s typical truck, the A and B units of NEP Group, Inc. NCP7, for the weigh-in and press conference the night before the fight. The scale of the show also required the A and B units of both NEP EN3 and Denali Summit for production of the fight.

Read more about UFC's efforts behind the scenes at UFC 306: Noche UFC.


The building’s Exosphere will show highlights of the fights for passers-by in Las Vegas.

MSG Entertainment Breaks New Ground With First-Ever Sporting Event at The Sphere

Following more than a year of planning and collaboration between the UFC and the venue’s owner, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, Saturday night’s event will finally bring the power of The Sphere to sports events.?

In anticipation of this historic production, SVG sat down with Joel Fisher , EVP, marquee events and operations, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. to discuss how UFC came to be the first sport to take place in The Sphere, his company’s collaborative relationship with White and the UFC, what fans can expect inside — and outside — the venue on Saturday night, the key differences between presenting a U2 concert experience and a sports event at The Sphere, and what other sports he expects to welcome to the venue in the future.

"On fight night, fans are going to experience something that literally has never been seen before in sports," says Fisher. "We’ve worked with UFC on six films that will be [displayed] on our incredible 16K media plane. These interstitials will be seen throughout the night between the fights and will provide a tribute to Mexico and their history and fighting in MMA. It should be incredible. I’ve been fortunate to see a lot of the storyboards and content that they’re presenting, and it’s going to be a genuine spectacle."

Read SVG's full Q&A with Fisher and hear what sports to expect next at The Sphere


Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2024

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the inductees of the Class of 2024, comprised of 10 industry legends who have played a major role in moving the sports broadcast industry forward, both in front of and behind the camera. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on December 17, 2024, at a ceremony that will be held at the New York Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.?

This year’s 10 inductees continue an 18-year tradition of honoring excellence across a wide range of disciplines. They are:

  • Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBCUniversal Media Group, who has forged deals with the Olympics, NFL, NBA, and more
  • Bryant Gumbel, one of the most respected hosts and broadcasters ever
  • Fearless and legendary reporter Andrea Kremer
  • Longtime NBA analyst Hubie Brown, who — at 91 — is going strong
  • The late, great Chris Mortensen who transformed the nature of NFL reporting
  • NBC Sports producer Tommy Roy, who has won 29 Emmys for NBA, NFL, golf, and Olympics coverage
  • Philip Garvin , who began Mobile TV Group, one of the largest remote production companies on the planet and also co-founded HDNet in 2001
  • Stephen Gorsuch , who helped take US Open and golf coverage into the HDTV era
  • @Charlie Carlucci, whose career in graphics production is defined by innovation and excellence
  • Jim Delaney, former Big Ten commissioner who launched the Big Ten Network and made the conference a national force on TV from 1989-2020.

Read more about the class of 2024 and check out profiles of more than 200 Hall of Famers.

100% of all ticket and table sales are donated to the Sports Broadcasting Fund, so buy your tickets for this year's ceremony now!


Remembering Phil Garvin: Friends, colleagues, Industry Leaders Reflect on the Legacy of a Legend

The sports-production industry lost one of its most beloved and impactful leaders when Mobile TV Group Founder and Chairman @Phil Garvin died at the age of 76 after a long battle against cancer.

In five decades in the business, he was responsible for production of hundreds of thousands of live sports, news, and entertainment events and also helped pioneer the HD revolution of the early 2000s. In addition to contributions to the industry, Garvin was widely respected by colleagues, customers, partners, and competitors.

Many of those closest to him — including leaders from major sports broadcasters, leagues, mobile-production–facility providers, crewing services, technology manufacturers — took a moment to reflect on Garvin’s contributions to the industry and offer a few fond memories of their friend and colleague. Hear from Mary Ellen Carlyle , Robert Carzoli , Billy Chambers , Michael Connelly , Mark Cuban , Michael Davies , Randy Freer , Hugo Gaggioni of Sony | Professional US & Canada , Ivan Gottesfeld , Stephen H. , Mark Hulsey , Jeff Krolik, Ken Miller , Pat Sullivan , Jon Slobotkin , Bob Thompson, Larry Thorpe , John Ward , and Michael Werteen .

Read more on the life and career of the late Phil Garvin from those who knew him well.


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Joe Lyons

Emmy-Award Winning Technical Producer/Manager Freelance , Owner Back Nine Productions

5 个月

Awesome read wish you all a great show tonight!!!

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