ESPN Leans Into Player Access, Referee Cam for WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago

More than 20 cameras, extensive player and coach audio, and a REMCO production model will power coverage of the league's showcase

For an event designed to showcase personality as much as competition, ESPN is emphasizing access in its coverage of WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago this weekend.

Across two nights of coverage on ESPN and ABC, the broadcaster will deploy more than 20 cameras, wire players and coaches for in-game audio, conduct live interviews from the benches, and introduce a referee camera providing viewers with a new perspective on the speed and physicality of the game.

Our goal is to take viewers inside WNBA All-Star Weekend like never before, says Rodney Vaughn, coordinating producer, WNBA, ESPN. We want fans to feel the excitement on the court, the energy in the arena, and the personality of everyone involved.

More Than 20 Cameras Cover the Weekend

ESPN's broadcasts will be built around six hard cameras and eight handhelds, supplemented by robotic ATR kits, fixed POV cameras, a jib, DSLRs connected through TVU transmission systems, and a stabilized shallow-depth-of-field camera.

The shallow-depth-of-field system will give the production team a cinematic RF option for capturing the players, crowd, and atmosphere. High-speed cameras will be positioned throughout the arena to enable slow-motion replay. The crew also plans to deploy a camera mounted on the head of one of the referees.

I'm excited about the possibilities with the referee camera, says Vaughn. It gives us unique angles and replay perspectives that simply aren't available during a typical basketball broadcast. It's another way to bring fans closer to the action and show the speed, physicality, and emotion of the game from a completely different point of view.

Players, Coaches Get Wired for Sound

Friday's Shooting Stars and 3-Point competitions will feature four RF player microphones supporting ESPN's Wired segments. Headsets will be available on the benches for player interviews, and sideline reporter Holly Rowe will work with a dedicated RF reporter kit.

ESPN will expand that audio complement for Saturday's All-Star Game, wiring four players and two coaches during game action. Headsets on both benches will allow the production team to conduct additional live interviews with players, coaches, celebrities, and the teams' Legends General Managers.

Basketball Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as the general managers and will be positioned on their respective benches throughout the game. Both are scheduled to participate in live interviews during the broadcast.

One of the biggest advantages of All-Star Weekend is the access, says Vaughn. We're planning to make the most of it. Throughout the weekend, we'll utilize player microphones, IFB interviews, and headset conversations with players, coaches, celebrities, and the Legends General Managers. Those conversations allow fans to hear directly from the people who make this event special and give them a perspective they normally wouldn't get during a traditional game broadcast.

Each mobile unit will be outfitted with two additional Brio audio consoles to support WNBA Countdown and a dedicated effects submix. RF microphones will support Rowe and the wired players and coaches throughout the weekend.

GCV Trucks Anchor REMCO Workflow

Game Creek Video Gridiron A and B mobile units will support Friday's Shooting Stars and 3-Point competitions, and Varsity A and B will handle Saturday's All-Star Game.

ESPN's REMCO production model will be deployed for both nights, with graphics production, additional replay resources, and Viz Libero graphical enhancements originating from Bristol, CT.

The distributed workflow allows ESPN to place its primary production personnel and mobile facilities at the event while leveraging additional resources at its headquarters. The Bristol-based tools will supplement the replay and graphics capabilities available onsite and provide telestration and analytical enhancements during the competitions and the game.

ESPN's onsite studio footprint will stretch across the weekend. WNBA Countdown will originate from both event locations, with individual camera and audio feeds delivered to a control room at ESPN's Los Angeles Production Center.

ESPN's onsite operations team is led by Senior Manager, Remote Operations Larry Wilson and includes Operations Specialist Jake Mankin; Director, Specialist Operations Brian Ristine; Senior Operations Producer Kristianna Bryant; Operations Producers Hanua Moore, Alice Garrett, and Charlie Skoog; Operations Coordinators Brie Peters, Yesenia Osorio, and Heidi Walker; Supervisor, Crewing Paula Graham; and Senior Remote Traffic Operations Coordinator Neang Ne.

Hoop Streams will be onsite at the United Center, and SportsCenter, ESPN Social, Vibe Check, Andscape, and The Wrap-Up will have a presence in Chicago to produce their own coverage of the festivities.

Game Creek Video is supplying the mobile units and supplemental audio consoles. Bexel is supporting audio and video transport, RF microphones, monitors, cabling, and lighting; OSA is providing additional video support; and CMSI is handling media management.

Jaybird Productions is supplying the jib; Fletcher, robotic and fixed POV cameras. CP Communications is supporting RF video, and Faction Media will provide the stabilized shallow-depth-of-field camera system.

West River is responsible for staging, lighting, and set management, with Saunders Electric providing broadcast power. Peak Uplink, AT&T, The Switch, and Lumen are supporting transmission and data connectivity.

Beyond covering the competitions themselves, ESPN will use the weekend to continue celebrating the WNBA's 30th season. The broadcasts will revisit memorable moments fro

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/07/24/espn-leans-into-player-access-r...
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