NHL Returns: League, NBC Sports, Rogers SportsNet Ready Made-for-TV Product as Quest for Stanley Cup Resumes With no fans, broadcast partners take creative live-television risks on host-feed productions By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Friday, July 31, 2020 - 3:26 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
It has been a big week for bubbles in the sports-television world. The NWSL successfully completed its Challenge Cup. The MLS Is Back Tournament is rolling along COVID-free. And the NBA enjoyed a triumphant return on Thursday evening.
Now it's the NHL's turn. The league returns to action on Saturday with a slate of five Qualifying Round games, beginning with the New York Rangers facing the Carolina Hurricanes (noon ET, NBCSN, Fox Sports Carolina, MSG Network, NHL.TV, Sportsnet).
Scotiabank Arena prior to a Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers exhibition game before the start of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo: Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
NHL has built two Hub Cities in Toronto (Scotiabank Arena) and Edmonton (Rogers Place), redesigning each to look more like the set of an American Gladiators-esque game show than a pro-hockey game.
The bubbles have, so far, done what they were designed to do: offer a safe, COVID-free environment for sports to be played. However, these controlled environments are also serving as laboratories for live sports-video production. The NHL sees that and has built a truly made-for-television product for fans watching at home.
Working with Canadian broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet in Edmonton and U.S. broadcaster NBC Sports in Toronto, the league has built similar broadcast templates that include deployment of more than 30 cameras in each arena; a typical NHL game usually caps out around 20. Each broadcaster will be responsible for creating a world feed to be shared with each other and, when it applies, with the regional sports networks for the teams playing in the game.
We think this will make for a compelling television product, says NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. While there's nothing better in person from a sporting standpoint than an NHL game - the energy, the noise, the excitement of our crowds may be irreplaceable from that standpoint - this is going to be made into a very entertaining and compelling experience.
Trying New Things Although it's easy to focus on what the NHL is losing in these Hub Cities due to the coronavirus pandemic (one of the greatest draws of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the raucous environment and the energy in sold-out arenas), the league has put a lot of energy into taking advantage of the things it would never be able to do with fans in the building.
That includes placing cameras, video screens, and microphones in locations that, normally, would obstruct the view of fans in the stands or would be a safety concern.
We can go into stands and show people camera angles that they've never seen before, says Steve Mayer, chief content officer and senior executive VP, events and entertainment, NHL. We have no fans here, so we are able to walk around an arena and find the perfect, most ideal positions for every single one of our cameras. We think that, as we move through each game, we're going to be able to do some things on the broadcast side that are unique, special, and much different than anything our audience has ever seen before.
NHL Senior EVP and Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer gives a behind-the-scenes account of the Rogers Place design process. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/4Dc8Tsw5T5
NHL (@NHL) July 28, 2020
Steve and his group are extraordinarily creative, says Bettman, a 2018 inductee of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
This will be something different for all of us to see, adds Mayer, but the focus will be on creating a terrific fan experience and connection through media.
JITACAM Gets New Location Leading up to this week's restart, a lot has been made of the JITACAM that has been erected in each of the arenas. JITACAM is basically a jib on an extremely long crane arm that can operate in 360 degrees.
The system has been used on NHL broadcasts before, including during various All-Star Games and Stanley Cup Finals. However, whenever JITACAM has been used in the past, it has always been affixed to the bottom of the centerhung videoboard. That's not the case in the bubbles. Instead, it is hung above the seats, a location normally unavailable for safety reasons and because of blocked viewing angles. The camera is on a truss and will dolly across the ice.
We feel this is a camera that's going to offer a very unique look, says Mayer. Plus, it's going to be able to track along with our players and get an amazing feel for the speed of our game.
It can swoop in behind the power play, says NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood, and there's nothing better than to look at that top of the point position of a power play and looking in at the goalie, trying to figure out where the puck is going to go in the net. We think that it will be a unique way to look at a certain part of the game, and it will also be a fun camera to use in transition.
Not All That New For NBC Sports While the integrity of the bubble environments has been priority No. 1 for the league, broadcasters are compromising by not bringing all of their broadcast, production, and operations talent onsite.
Play-by-play announcer Mike Doc Emrick will be calling games from his home.
In the U.S., that includes primary play-by-play announcer Mike Doc Emrick, who will begin the restart by calling games from a home studio in Michigan. According to The Athletic, NBC Sports VP, Studio Operations and Facilities, Tom Popple and Senior Operations Associate Sean Riley took a road trip with a minivan full of video equipment to visit the homes of
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
27/02/2026
ESPN and the Horizon League announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with the 1988 Midwes...
27/02/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NETGEAR will highlight its new switch models and major updates to its Engage Controller software. The company's network d...
27/02/2026
Riedel Communications announces that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a...
27/02/2026
Lyuno specializes in media localization, including translation, dubbing, subtitling, and voice-over services for a wide array of entertainment content. The comp...
27/02/2026
Chyron Weather 2.3, the latest edition of Chyron's weather visualization suite for broadcasters and meteorologists, recently launched.
The release includes...
27/02/2026
Telestream, which concentrates in media workflow technologies, announces expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and ...
NHL Returns: League, NBC Sports, Rogers SportsNet Ready Made-for-TV Product as Quest for Stanley Cup Resumes With no fans, broadcast partners take creative live-television risks on host-feed productions By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
