Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NBC Sports NASCAR Production To Call Charlotte Motor Speedway Home for Season

03/07/2020

NBC Sports NASCAR Production To Call Charlotte Motor Speedway Home for Season Game Creek Video's Peacock will serve as hub for 15-week series By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Thursday, July 2, 2020 - 12:12 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been home to plenty of historic moments, and this week it will add two. For race fans, it will be the first time ever that the same track has hosted both the NASCAR Cup Series and the INDYCAR Series on the same weekend. For fans of technical innovation, it will be the first time a week-to-week show of the size and scale of NBC Sports' NASCAR production will rely so heavily on distributed production, with the main production team located at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The efforts are the result of weeks of planning and coordination by NBC Sports, NASCAR, INDYCAR, Game Creek Video, and IMS Productions, according to Ken Goss, SVP, remote operations and production planning, NBC Sports.

NBC Sports is embracing a new production workflow beginning this weekend for the upcoming NASCAR season, which kicks off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I'm very fortunate to manage a truly talented operational and engineering team across NBC motorsports, he says. They've really embraced and have risen to the challenge of navigating these unprecedented times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team worked really hard to develop efficient workflows between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and I'm looking forward to getting NASCAR back on the air this weekend.

Charlotte Motor Speedway will be at the center of NBC's NASCAR coverage for the next 15 weeks. Game Creek Video's Peacock A and B units will provide a production hub that will be connected to a Game Creek Video production unit that will be at the particular track each week.

The location checked a lot of boxes for us, explains Craig Bernstein, VP, remote technical operations, NBC Sports. The track has enough compound space and bandwidth capacity to facilitate a remote production of this size. NASCAR Productions is based in Charlotte, and a lot of our production and technical personnel are local, which helps us with possible travel restrictions. It also frees up resources in Stamford needed to accommodate solutions we're planning across our other sports.

Dominic Torchia, manager, remote technical operations, NBC Sports, is at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the production team working out of Peacock A and B.

It will be the production hub for all of our NASCAR races, he says. We'll have a single Game Creek Video production unit travel to each race, which will act as an extension of our main MUs in Charlotte. The three trucks are connected, and all video and audio signals will pass between sites via AT&T circuits. Production will assemble the show just as if they're onsite at the race venue.

The front-bench production team, the A1 mixer, mix-effects mixer, tape release, graphics, and comms team will all be located in Charlotte, and the broadcast talent team will call the race from the broadcast booth there. Only cameras, effects mics, and transmission will be onsite at the track in Indianapolis.

[The talent] will call the races off-monitor, Torchia explains. We will give them some additional feeds so they can feel as at home as possible. There are dual 10-Gbps circuits between the tracks that NASCAR manages for us [and] will get us all the signals we need.

More than 40 video signals will be sent to Charlotte. The mix of wireless, regular, and super-slo-mo camera signals required the engineering team to figure out how to transmit that mix as efficiently as possible.

The wireless signals from BSI are being brought back as data right from the cameras, Torchia notes. They won't be broken down to baseband at the track.

SMT, also in North Carolina, will have connectivity so that telemetry data from the cameras can be read for insertion of on-air graphics.

Torchia credits Game Creek Video SVP, Technology, Jason Taubman and his engineering team with embracing the new workflow and making it possible.

They jumped right into this, Torchia says. We were in constant communication. This wasn't easy to do without sitting in front of each other, but, when I went up to Game Creek last week, they had created exactly what we had talked about. I give them a ton of credit for pulling this off in a short amount of time.

Bernstein says the team would typically have a week to set up operations. That week was reduced to two days.

We arrived at what we feel is an elegant solution, he adds, but it was certainly not trivial getting here as far as the operational and engineering complexity goes - especially when you factor in the ever-changing landscape due to COVID.

That short turnaround is one of the reasons having IMS Productions involved made such a big difference. Based at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS will provide the cameras and mics required to cover both the road course (which on Saturday will host both the INDYCAR race and the NASCAR Xfinity race) and the oval, which will host the NASCAR main event on Sunday.

Eric Thomas, senior technical manager for motorsports, NBC Sports, will be on the road each week, overseeing trackside operations. He says IMS Productions has been a very good partner: They opened their arms and said, Tell us what you need. And they provided everything we needed to be here. I can't say enough about IMS, Game Creek Video, and AT&T, which provides the circuits to Charlotte.

The definition of crew safety has been transformed in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernstein notes efforts to keep crew members safe: Game Creek Video cleans the trucks daily; NBC has provided crew members personal headsets to use for the season;
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/07/02/nbc-sports-nascar-production-to...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

09/10/2026

Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026

September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026 New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

30/09/2026

Schibsted Media Chooses DHD RX2 and TX2 Mixers for Remote...

Schibsted Media, one of Norways largest and most influential digital media publishers and content producers, has invested in mixers and digital signal processor...

30/09/2026

Big Blue Marble adds live multiview channels to its video...

Big Blue Marble announces the addition of live multiview channels to Cloud Video Kit, its broadcast-grade video processing platform. The feature is powered by A...

30/09/2026

Telekom Slovenije brings local advertising to internation...

Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced that Telekom Slovenije, Slovenia's largest provider of telecommunications and TV services, is open...

30/09/2026

PODCAST EXPO 2026 Recorded Using Blackmagic Design Workflow

PODCAST EXPO 2026 Recorded Using Blackmagic Design Workflow Brie Clayton September 29, 2026 0 Comments Conference featuring 24 sessions over two days ...

30/09/2026

IBC2026 Show Report

IBC2026 Show Report David Kirk September 29, 2026 0 Comments The International Broadcasting Convention has long been Europe's equivalent of the US...

30/09/2026

SGO Unveils Workflows Slate To Enable Automated Burn-ins, Slates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/09/2026

Public Advocacy Group Urges Broadcasters to Stop Airing Trump Taxpayer Funded Ad

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/09/2026

Qvest Promotes Katlyn Alexander to CEO, North America

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/09/2026

Mavis Camera 8-2 adds iPhone 18 Pro Support with Variable...

Mavis has launched Mavis Camera 8.2, the latest release of its professional camera app for the iPhone and iPad. This update brings support for iPhone 18 Pro and...

29/09/2026

Oak View Group Names Cisco as Official Technology Partner

Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...

29/09/2026

SportsNet Pittsburgh Wins Three Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards

SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards. Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...

29/09/2026

CBC, PWHL Revive Hockey Night in Canada' on Saturdays

The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...

29/09/2026

Manifold Technologies Recognized as MXL Contributor Following IBC Innovation Award

Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...

29/09/2026

Fubo Launches My Local Sports RSN Add-On Package

FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...

29/09/2026

ANI Deploys Grass Valley AMPP and Framelight X for News Operations

Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...

29/09/2026

SABC Deploys Ikegami UHK-X600 Cameras for IP-Based Production

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...

29/09/2026

Busy in Bristol: ESPN Headquarters Come Alive With New Studio W, Remote-Production Workflows

REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...

29/09/2026

NASCAR Productions' Keith D'Alessandro on the Continued Evolution of Its Centralized Production Hub

Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...

29/09/2026

NBC Sports Brings Robust Sunday Night Baseball Production Playbook to MLB Wild Card Round

NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...

29/09/2026

Sundance Institute Announces 2026 Doc Fund Grantees

19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary LOS ...

29/09/2026

Zynaptiq introduce Loud & Wide

Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...

29/09/2026

Wes Audio unveil the ngOmniBox

All-in-one bus processor revealed Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...

29/09/2026

First Baptist Nashville Drastically Upgrades Production Communications with...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

29/09/2026

Fubo TV Launches My Local Sports'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

ARRI Targets Content Creators with New HONOR Smartphone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

Asian News International Enhances Workflow with Grass Valley AMPP, FramelightX

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

SABC Chooses Ikegami UHK-X600 Cameras to Support IP Studio Transition

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

SABC Upgrades to IP-Based Production with Ikegami UHK-X60...

Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...

29/09/2026

Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone

Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone Brie Clayton September 29, 2026 0 Comments Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...

29/09/2026

Ease Live Reports over 75 Million Interactive Sessions Du...

Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...

29/09/2026

Ease Live to monetise key moments in live sports

Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...

29/09/2026

Rise AV launches awards celebrating the women advocates a...

Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...

29/09/2026

Netflix Deploys Advanced Sony PTZ Cameras For Wonka's The Golden Ticket' Production

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

Massachusetts Broadcasters Association Names Gene Lavanchy 2026 Broadcaster of the Year

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

ESPN Reports Its Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

Scripps Taps Digital News Veteran Sean McGarvy to Lead News Strategy

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

Gray Raises Political Ad Revenue Estimates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

Edward Czarnecki Uses Game Theory to Assess ATSC 3.0 Transition Policies

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/09/2026

First Baptist Nashville Drastically Upgrades Production C...

Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...

29/09/2026

Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch

Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch Brie Clayton September 28, 2026 0 Comments Camera's portable design and dynamic range...

29/09/2026

Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Color Across In-venue Displays at Live Events

Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...

29/09/2026

Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards

Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...

29/09/2026

Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop

Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...

29/09/2026

SES Successfully Prices 500 million Eurobond

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...

29/09/2026

The energy transition will only succeed if it lasts

We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...