The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is enduring difficult timesThe SVG Regional Sports Production Summit convened this week in Denver, bringing together broadcast executives, production leaders, engineers, and technology vendors for a full day of panels, keynotes, and case studies focused on the rapidly evolving regional-sports-media ecosystem.
As that business undergoes seismic change, the 11th-annual gathering served as a central meeting point for leaders from RSNs, teams, leagues, and streamers. Following an opening-night reception at Mountain Media Center, the conference at The Inverness Denver addressed not only the unprecedented headwinds facing the business but also the unique opportunities for the future.
The Maximizing Resources session focused on one of the most difficult challenges that regional broadcasters face today.In addition to keynote sessions with MLB Local Media and BravesVision, the full day comprised panels and case studies addressing live-production workflows, the latest developments in operations and engineering, DTC and authenticated streaming, remote and centralized production models, labor and crewing, league and team relationships, and what the future holds for the regional-sports-media rights.
Setting the Table: State of the Industry, Maximizing Resources
The summit opened with a pregame keynote from sports-media veteran and strategic advisor Patrick Crakes, president, Crakes Media, who delivered his annual assessment of the local sports-media distribution and commercial landscape, offering perspective on where the regional-sports business stands today and where it is headed.
The morning's first panel tackled one of the most pressing challenges facing regional broadcasters: doing more with less. In the session, YES Network's Jared Boshnack, NBC Sports Bay Area & California's Devon Fox, NESN's David Koppett, MSG Networks' Jackie Lyons, and Space City Home Network's John Valek explained how they are prioritizing resources, deploying talent, and integrating emerging technologies to maintain quality across long seasons under tighter budgets.
15 Teams and Counting: MLB Local Media Takes Center Stage
One of the morning's headline moments came when MLB Local Media's Kendall Burgess and Doug Johnson, in a keynote conversation, outlined how the league has built a full-scale regional production operation covering 14 clubs (and, beginning this fall, the Detroit Red Wings).
The pair detailed such innovations as live drones, Wire Cam, and Umpire Cam and described how MLB Local Media has taken on in-market streaming and local linear-TV distribution for nearly half the league, repositioning what was once seen as RSN turmoil as a significant opportunity.
New Reality: OTA, Streamers, Changing Production Ecosystem
Attention then shifted to distribution models deployed by franchises transitioning from traditional RSNs to over-the-air broadcasters and streaming platforms. A panel featuring ViewLift's Rick Allen, TEGNA's Scott Gill, Altitude Sports' Greg Sakowicz, and Raycom Sports Networks' Bill Stafford examined how streamers and over-the-air broadcasters are partnering directly with sports teams to launch dedicated channels and direct-to-consumer services - and whether the new ecosystem can deliver the local-sports experience fans expect at a price point they will accept.
The next panel confronted the structural pressures facing the regional-production ecosystem as rights continue to fragment across streamers, OTA outlets, and team-owned platforms. Mobile TV Group's Nick Garvin, NEP's Steve Grigely, Diversified's Steve Stubelt, Game Creek Video's Garrett Sullivan, and NBC Sports' Joe Washington examined what a more fragmented rights landscape means for centralized-production models, shared infrastructure, and the institutional knowledge that allowed RSNs to operate efficiently at scale.
Taking Charge: Teams Go Independent, BravesVision Launches
Next up was an examination of the growing trend of franchises taking their local-media rights in-house. ProAngle Media's Steve Rangel (an Angels Broadcast TV consultant), Monumental Sports and Entertainment's Gabe Sauerhoff, Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber, Texas Rangers' Angie Swint, and Chicago Sports Network's (CHSN) Amit Thakrar discussed what it takes to build a media operation from scratch, from rights negotiations and distribution deals to studio production and staffing.
The afternoon opened with a keynote conversation on BravesVision, the Atlanta Braves' wholly owned content platform and broadcast operation. Braves Media Co.'s Jeff Cravens and Gretchen Kaney joined Raycom Sports Networks' Bill Stafford to recount how the club built its broadcast operation from the ground up - standing up live game production, studio programming, and a DTC distribution model with sales and marketing controlled entirely by the franchise - in under two months before Opening Day.
The Nitty Gritty: What's New in Technology, Engineering, Ops
The afternoon's remaining sessions shifted focus to the tools and infrastructure underpinning regional broadcasts. A vendor panel covered the technology pipeline from camera to screen, with representatives from Haivision, Teradek, Lawo, and Canon detailing advances in cloud-based production, audio, specialty lenses, and AR graphics.
A facilities and operations panel brought together Altitude Sports & Entertainment's Tim De Lay, MLB Local Media's Kim Stine, YES Network's Mike Webb, and Mobile TV Group's Melinda Wright for a ground-level look at how organizations are managing workflows, crewing challenges, and remote production in 2026.
The summit closed with an engineering and technology panel on which SNY's Alex Blanding, Marquee Sports
