Live From X Games Minneapolis: Tech-Loaded Show Promises More Skating, Less Waiting' A mobile host studio, a Technocrane, and a halfpipe in a concert venue among ESPN's efforts By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Thursday, August 1, 2019 - 2:47 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Slow. Small. Boring.
Words one would never associate with the spectacle that is the X Games.
And the teams at ESPN and Echo Entertainment aim to ensure that is true of each edition of the crown jewel of action sports events. Their goal: build a show that's faster, bigger, and more exciting than ever.
For years, X Games has pushed the envelope not just for what's possible with its athletes on the track or the halfpipe but also for sports-video production and technology. This year, Minneapolis's U.S. Bank Stadium will be packed with cutting-edge cameras, unique technology deployments powered by an ocean of RF, and a robust audio and comms plan that will power approximately 18 hours of live linear content over the event's four days.
New Jam Formats' Tighten Up Competition, Coverage
One might think it would be hard to find dead spots in live X Games programming, but leave it to ESPN VP, X Games, Tim Reed and his team to find and target them.
The teams from ESPN and Echo Entertainment developed a massive production plan for X Games: (from left) ESPN VP, X Games, Tim Reed; SVP, Programming and Acquisitions, Rob Temple; and Director, Content Strategy, X Games, Jason Krutzsch; Echo Entertainment President Hugh Arian and Technical Producer Pierce Williams.
According to Reed, one of the challenges the team wanted to combat in this year's event is the broadcast time spent waiting for judges' scores to be delivered. As a result, X Games is introducing what it is calling jam formats on selected clock-based events (like Vert and Park). In these, judges will wait to officially score at the end of a series of runs.
We like to call it more skating, less waiting, says Hugh Arian, president, Echo Entertainment, ESPN's longtime production partner on everything X Games. Judges need to do their jobs, but, sometimes, we're waiting 60 seconds for a score after a run. We can just get more competition in. It speaks to entertaining the viewing habits of the youth of today.
Adds Reed, We're trying to add even more action into our broadcasts. We've also seen the research that people really want to see the tricks and action and aren't concerned so much with the score. So we're trying to leverage what we've seen in the research to see if it creates more engagement on the broadcast side.
Mobile Host Set Leads Heavy RF Effort
A major alteration in this year's show plan - compared with the previous two times the event has been here in Minneapolis - is the lack of a physical host set in the venue. In one year, a set was built on a tower in the main bowl; in the other, on the main concourse at the stadium's north entrance. This year, instead of having a dedicated home for its host and talent, the hosts will move around the building, with segments taking place all around the stadium.
This year, we want to pull the curtain back a little bit, says Arian. The goal is to get places that we've never been before, like the athletes lounge and in the pits with the motorcycles. It'll really help keep the pace up. I think, when we have the host set, which we enjoy, there's maybe a mindset that we have to spend more time there because we went through the trouble of building it. We're going to try to make our host-set executions just a little bit shorter.
It will take a heavy load of RF to make that mobility possible. Two RF cameras will follow the roaming host set wherever it goes. BSI is here in force, with extra RF mics, IFBs, cameras, and more to support. Operations also needed to install many more receive sites around the building to enable the mobility of the RF technology powering the studio host.
Cameras: Nimble, Robotic, High-Speed, Plentiful
It also wouldn't be X Games without an impressive camera arsenal ranging from the beefiest of high-speeds to the tiniest of Antelope Picos.
According to Pierce Williams, technical producer, Echo Entertainment, a total of 55 cameras are deployed in the stadium. He estimates that, with the benefit of RF and the ability to reposition smaller robotics, the show will use more than 125 unique camera positions throughout the weekend.
ESPN and Echo have deployed a base of about 35 Sony HDC-2400's to handle the primary acquisition load. Meanwhile, a sea of specialties will add color to the proceedings: five Sony HDC-4300's will offer super-slow-motion imagery, Spidercam will deliver aerial coverage, and four robotic cameras will provide scenic shots.
There are five Marshall POV cameras, and four RF POVs feature proprietary technology built by BSI specifically for X Games. Williams says they give great views of events like Flat Track, Moto, and BMX.
The X Games crew has fallen in love over the years with Antelope Pico cameras from Polecam. Small and compact, they can be quickly dropped and mounted to various tracks around the stadium. Plus, they shoot at 350 fps.
A 50-ft. Technocrane is also here to cover its very first Summer X Games, as is the popular Pylon Cam, which ESPN uses on Monday Night Football and major college football games.
Deeper Blending of Music and Sports
A new wrinkle in this year's event is that selected halfpipe events will actually be taking place in the nearby Armory. The historic Downtown Minneapolis concert venue typically hosts numerous musical performances during X Games weekend, but ESPN and Echo decided to lean in even further on the aspect of X Games where sports and music collide, installing a Vert Ramp adjacent to the concert stage.
For the f
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Live From X Games Minneapolis: Tech-Loaded Show Promises More Skating, Less Waiting' A mobile host studio, a Technocrane, and a halfpipe in a concert venue among ESPN's efforts By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
