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 ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
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 
