ESPN To Broadcast 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games Live From San Francisco's Convention Center

For the indoor production, NEP Specialty Capture has mounted a 100-ft. overhead rail-cam system 35-ft. above the ground

ESPN will broadcast the NFL Pro Bowl Games tonight from an unusual location: the telecast will air live from Moscone Center South in downtown San Francisco. In addition, it will be the first-time ever that the Pro Bowl takes place during Super Bowl Week.

The Pro Bowl is always a unique opportunity to showcase the NFL and its players, says Tommy Mitchell, senior manager, remote operations, ESPN. It allows a chance to get more in-depth and see players' personalities a little more, seeing them interact in a bit looser environment, in celebration of their on-field success this past season.

Airing live tonight at 8 p.m. ET, the 2026 Pro Bowl Games will feature a 7-on-7 flag football game with an NFC vs. AFC matchup. Play-by-play caller Scott Van Pelt and analysts Jason Kelce and Dan Orlovsky return to the broadcast booth, joined by sideline reporters Laura Rutledge and Michelle Beisner-Buck. ESPN talent Ryan Clark, Mina Kimes, Peter Schrager, and Marcus Spears will also be onsite, contributing to the broadcaster's studio programming.

The main difference from previous Pro Bowl Games is that ESPN's broadcast window covers the game and not the skills competition, according to Mitchell. Because of the venue's space limitations, ESPN's production compound comprises Game Creek Video Bravo and B5 trucks supporting the competition and Game Creek Discovery for the studio group.

Game Creek Video is supporting ESPN's production with multiple onsite mobile units. (Photos: Tommy Mitchell/ESPN) With moving the game into a non-sports-specific area, we've had to adjust to match the accessibility of the venue, notes Mitchell. There are temporary structures including the broadcast booth and the studio stage. We've adapted our coverage to include an overhead rail cam and goal-line robos (supplied by Fletcher), as well as a bevy of RF field-level cameras, supported by CP Communications.

Studio coverage for the Pro Bowl Games deploys six cameras and some additional resources shared with the game itself. Seventeen cameras - six of them super-slo-mo, four RF - will be part of the game coverage, in addition to multiple point-of-view and booth cameras. Unlike in 2025, ESPN won't be incorporating drone technology into its Pro Bowl coverage. According to Mitchell, ESPN will deploy the rail cam and two Ronin RF cameras.

NEP Specialty Capture (formerly Fletcher) is providing the Sony P50 super-slo-mo rail-cam system. Normally, Specialty Capture isn't necessary when the Pro Bowl Games are held outside, but, since this year's event is indoors, there isn't enough space to house a traditional aerial system for over-the-field coverage.

Following a site survey and some due diligence, NEP Specialty Capture Lead Senior Technician Brian LaValle created a plan to build a 100-ft. rail system that could be mounted to the ceiling 35 ft. above the ground.In addition to the rail cam, NEP Specialty Capture is also providing two additional Sony P50 super-slow-motion camera systems to cover the end zones. They also are robotic and mounted to the ceiling (one at each end zone).

Behind-the-scenes of ESPN's NFL Pro Bowl Games production at San Francisco's Moscone Center More than 225 people are onsite for the Pro Bowl Games coverage this year, and, according to Mitchell, many will remain in the Bay Area this week to work on other ESPN shows related to Super Bowl LX.

Key ESPN production and operations folks leading the Pro Bowl Games effort include Producer Bryan Ryder and Director Jeff Evers. Senior Production Manager Jodi Brits leads production management onsite. Operations is led by Senior Operations Producer Chris Swihart, Operations Producer BJ Smith, Senior Operations Coordinator Kylene Hamulak, and Operations Coordinator Sascha Ford. The technical side is led by Director, Specialist Operations, Brian Ristine and Senior Operations Specialist Jim Munn.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/02/03/espn-to-broadcast-2026-nfl-pro-...
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