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 ...
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...
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...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
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 
