NFL Playoffs 2025: ESPN Scrambles To Get Production in Place After Wild Card Game Moves to Arizona An operations team familiar with State Farm Stadium helped smooth the effort By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Monday, January 13, 2025 - 12:49 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
On Thursday evening, the NFL decided to move tonight's Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, to State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. The relocation, driven by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires and concern for public and fan safety, forced ESPN to execute a last-minute audible with its broadcast and production team.
It was a scramble, says ESPN Senior Operations Manager Tommy Mitchell, but it allowed us to utilize all the standard Monday Night Football facilities and plan. He adds that it does simplify the technical plan once production personnel arrived in Glendale, AZ.
The change of location, he says, was actually a huge benefit and eased some of those logistical challenges, allowing all production resources to be diverted to Arizona days ahead of the broadcast.
State Farm Stadium has been given a new look for tonight's Wild Card game.
Mitchell, who joined the Monday Night Football operations team ahead of the 2024 season after almost two decades in college football, and his team had not expected to know the game's venue until as late as this past weekend. Knowing all that is happening [in Los Angeles] really puts things in perspective for all of us, especially the human side of things. We were planning on what additional safety measures could be implemented should the game remain at SoFi.
ESPN delayed start-time plans in Los Angeles because of the possibility that the game would be relocated. Its production trucks were held outside of California and directed to Arizona once the game's relocation became official. Contingency plans included incorporating different mobile units into the production. Still, Mitchell says, a full complement of mobile units and broadcast gear will be deployed for tonight's broadcast.
Between the main broadcast, NFL Live, Monday Night Countdown, and the ManningCast, ESPN plans to integrate not only its onsite systems and the full production truck but also REMI and REMCO resources into the overall production. We are utilizing pretty much every single way that ESPN does shows, Mitchell notes. It's all encapsulated into what we will do for the Wild Card game.
NEP Broadcasting is supplying four expando mobile units for the telecast. A production trailer will also be an onsite. About 60 cameras will be incorporated into the broadcast, including a drone, RF Steadicam, Skycam, and 23 super-slo-mo units.
One differentiated component within the broadcast will be one of the down-the-line cameras, which are normally robotic. One will be upgraded to a full super-slo-mo camera chain with an operator, according to Mitchell. Multiple pylon cameras and robotic cameras will also be deployed. About 200 production personnel will be onsite at State Farm Stadium.
As for the effect of the last-minute relocation on staffing, he notes, the vast majority of the Monday Night Football technicians are core traveling members of the crew and worked to rebook their travel itinerary.
Even so, some crew members also worked the College Football Playoff semifinal games, and their travel has been hampered by inclement weather in the Southeast. We will work around those logistics as best we can, says Mitchell, adding that the late change of plans presented a local challenge in securing some utilities and runners. However, moving to a market like Phoenix is welcomed as they have a well-rounded sports-television community.
Mitchell has previously dealt with game-location changes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he worked on ESPN's college-football coverage. Moving an event/crew of this size is not as simple as a quick phone call or email, he points out. It takes a ton of people, all focused on the same things, who have been clearly communicated to about what the plan is going to be.
After his first full season working behind the scenes on Monday Night Football, Mitchell compares the experience with his days in college football. On a Saturday in the fall, with 20 to 30 games across ESPN platforms, A lot could go right, but a lot could also go wrong. Coming from that side, I'm well-versed in my phone ringing a lot on game day, with possible broadcast issues with power, cameras, or production trucks. That was kind of what I was expecting on game days for Monday Night Football. There are too many moving pieces. It's a big show. There are going to be some things that go wrong. We have to constantly put out fires.
That hasn't proved to be the reality, though. Reflecting on the 2024 season, he says, It was about as smooth as I could have expected it to be operationally.
He credits the engineering and operations teams: They're the best at what they do. They're on this show for a reason. Generally, what that means is, they've already thought of all the things that could go wrong, and they already have backup plans in place. If something does go wrong, they fix it before I even hear about it. That is a very comfortable place to be for someone in my role.
Wild Card Broadcast Notes Play-by-play caller Joe Buck and analyst Troy Aikman will lead the main Rams-Vikings broadcast on ABC and ESPN. The pair, who have called 60-plus NFL postseason games and six Super Bowls together, will be joined by sideline reporters Lisa Salters, reporting on the Vikings, and Laura Rutledge, covering the Rams.
Meanwhile, Peyton and Eli Manning will return for their 11th ManningCast of the 2024 season and their fourth Wild Card broadcast. Newly name
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
NFL Playoffs 2025: ESPN Scrambles To Get Production in Place After Wild Card Game Moves to Arizona An operations team familiar with State Farm Stadium helped smooth the effort By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor 
