ESPN Adds New Production Features for NFL FLAG Championships

Referee hat cameras, player/coach mics, and virtual graphics will be deployed at the three-day event for the first time

The NFL FLAG Championships return to ESPN platforms this weekend from a new venue: Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, IN, home of the Indianapolis Colts' training camp.

The third iteration of the three-day event, which features boys and girls competing in various divisions, will mark the broadcaster's most extensive linear-television coverage in event history. Thirty-four games will air across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and NFL Network, along with Disney+, ESPN+, and other digital platforms; all games will be accessible on the ESPN app and NFL+ streaming service.

We've been planning our NFL FLAG Championships coverage for months - really since last year's Championships ended, says Drew Gallagher, coordinating producer, NFL FLAG Championships, ESPN. We're excited to showcase the talented players and excitement of flag football in new ways.

ESPN Producer Kaitlin Urka has been looking forward to producing the event all summer. The athletes competing in this tournament, she notes, are the same athletes that may one day grace your TV screens on fall Saturdays and at the Olympics someday. They are the future of the sport. Getting to spotlight their talent is one of the highlights of getting to work on this property.

Both Gallagher and Urka expressed their excitement about the tournament's being held at the Colts' training-camp facility, where ESPN can incorporate players and other members of the NFL franchise into its shows. In addition, former quarterback Peyton Manning, who was Super Bowl XLI MVP with the Colts, and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, along with sports-media personality Scott Van Pelt, will be among those appearing in the broadcast.

Game Creek Video mobile units will be in the broadcast compound at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, IN. (Photo: ESPN)ESPN play-by-play commentator/reporter Rebeca Landa, flag -football expert/analyst Phoebe Schecter, and ACC Network host/reporter Taylor Tannebaum will return to cover the event; former NFL player Tedy Bruschi, ESPN commentator Tom Hart, and ESPN host Kyle Brandt will also be part of the coverage.

We're all on the same page, says Gallagher, with the ultimate goal of showcasing this event in the most special way possible. The answer to every question of can we do this?' has been yes' at every turn. As the sport of flag football continues to grow, so does our coverage and commitment to our production.

Series of Firsts for FLAG Football

The theme for ESPN's production of the 2026 event is simply new.

For the first time in the sport's history, POVORA hat cameras will be worn by game officials and provide great angles that can take the viewers as close to the action as possible, says Urka. Both head coaches and players will also be wearing microphones for the first time.

Behind the scenes of ESPN's production of the NFL FLAG Championships (Photo: ESPN)For the coverage, 12 cameras will be deployed. Among them will be a drone, Supracam point-to-point cable cam, an RF shallow-depth-of-field camera, two super-slo-mos, and two handhelds. For the first time, the NFL FLAG Championships will feature virtual graphics to elevate the quality of its shows.

Each of our new production technologies and philosophies is meant to enhance the viewing experience and allow audiences to feel like they are a part of the action, Urka explains. This is a tremendously fun event, and we want audiences to have as much fun watching as the athletes have participating.

As for ESPN's priority in coverage and overall production of the NFL FLAG Championships, Urka notes, the growth of flag football is happening at an astounding pace, with more than 20 million people playing the sport globally.

Being able to help showcase and grow the sport is an honor and a privilege, she adds. The goal is to have broadcasts that showcase the growth and competitive nature of the sport, spotlight the incredible athletes and their talent on the field, and find ways to bring audiences into the action in unique ways that you aren't often privy to.

Nearly 165 people will be onsite to support the production. Spearheading the day-to-day production are, in addition to Urka and Gallagher, Producer Bill Palladino, Managing Producer Audra Leimberg, and Production Coordinator Steph Jannetta.

RCX serves as event organizer. Key vendors, besides POVORA and Supracam, are Game Creek Video, CP, Saunders, CMSI, and Oasis Catering.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/07/24/espn-adds-new-production-featur...
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