CBS Sports HQ Builds Three New Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Revamps Graphics for Greater Focus on Sports Betting The new space will play off the original facility in Stamford, CT By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Friday, November 20, 2020 - 1:16 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Since launching in February 2018, CBS Sports HQ has prioritized the wants and needs of sports fans who flock to digital-oriented outlets. While the COVID-19 pandemic forced many networks to delay projects, the streaming channel cut the ribbon on three studios - one for morning and afternoon shows, one focused on fantasy programming, the third for podcasting - in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
We've been in the midst of planning for the last 18 months, says Kieren Portley, SVP/executive producer, programming and production, CBS Sports. We wanted to build out a facility that goes hand-in-hand with how we've transformed our business from a website to a multimedia destination.
Expanded Space: Diversified, Creative Dimensions Are the Core of Construction As an entity under the CBS Sports umbrella, CBS Sports HQ has indeed come a long way from its humble beginnings. With a consistent increase in media rights and other properties, the direct-to-consumer platform understood that this sudden influx would mandate physical expansion. Despite the pandemic, Portley and a pair of engineering experts - Director, Video Engineering and IT Operations, Dan LaTerra and Senior Video Engineer Keith Pryor - went to work on enlarging space atop the existing infrastructure in the channel's control room in Stamford, CT.
Anchor Chris Hassel on CBS Sports HQ's main set in the Fort Lauderdale facility
We had only one control room where we were trying to do a lot of things, says Portley. [Dan and Keith] have done an amazing job with figuring out how to distribute content and achieve what we want to from two different locations.
Having finalized an internal strategy, the team turned to third-party vendors for the construction. Diversified was called in to handle system integration of three production-control rooms. Creative Dimensions Production Designer James Yates took the lead on building the physical sets for each control room. When the dust settled, three studios came to an astounding 13,000 sq. ft. of space.
Given the nature of digital programming, CBS Sports HQ filled the control rooms with straightforward technology from a linear perspective: a Ross Video Carbonite production switcher and Inception for newsroom rundown, Dante audio workflow with Yamaha and Lectrosonics equipment, Dalet for asset management and video playout, RTS for intercom, Image Video for tally, and Grass Valley for video routing and multiviewers. The facility handles outside contributors' calling in from remote locations, via NewTek Talkshow.
We're relying on people that are using video-conferencing technology like Skype, TVU, LiveU, and BitFire Networks, Portley says. All of our writers and contributors are remote.
Betting Lines, Fantasy Advice: On-Screen Look Shifts From L-Bar to Enlarged Ticker The buildout of three studios inspired the network to rethink another aspect of production: the on-air graphics package. When CBS Sports HQ debuted 2 years ago, the layout of information relied heavily on a static L-bar format. Portley understood that, while the concept allowed a boatload of information to be updated and conveyed in quicker fashion, the L-bar occupied a lot of on-screen real estate and viewers became so accustomed to its position that they tended to look at it less often.
One of the three new control rooms is now the exclusive source for fantasy-sports programming.
The main thing that we want to deliver to our fans is data-dense, data-rich, and data-driven analysis, he says. A lot of people don't even realize [the L-bar was] there after a while, so we wanted a really pronounced ticker because we know that people read up to down and left to right.
The new design, developed by | drive | studio, still permits a steady flow of content but in a cleaner, more organized manner. In addition, segmented graphics near the bottom of the screen give viewers a better look at the new space and provide a nice home for the network's real-time sports betting. For this extensive rebrand, the digital network teamed up with longtime graphics partner SMT to integrate the new look.
We've taken over 90% of the data - whether it be fantasy [updates], power rankings, or scores - and put them in the ticker, Portley explains. We've expanded the ticker several centimeters and made it taller by over 33.5%.
The network wanted to add dynamics and movement to the package to catch the viewer's attention. Ross Video's XPression graphics powers the lower-thirds and other templates.
All of the content that we have in that right rail is contextually linked to what you're watching, he points out. If we're talking about [Arizona Cardinals quarterback] Kyler Murray and the Hail Mary touchdown that he threw against Buffalo, we can bring in a slider with data that tells the story of the play.
What Comes Next: CBS Sports HQ Focuses on Tech Advances for Content Creation The new graphics package changed from a static L-bar and to an expansive ticker at the bottom of the screen.
With five total control rooms (three in Fort Lauderdale, two in Stamford), CBS Sports HQ is sitting pretty after less than three years of operation. Heading into the future, its north star will be the ever-changing improvements in technology.
I learned this a long time ago from my days at ESPN: technology is content, says Portley. Without the technology, we can't deliver the content. Without a technological vision, we won't be able to create content. It's going to evolve and change, but technology
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...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...
07/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
07/07/2026
Berklee College of Music Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's...
07/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Open source AI has shown how quickly developers can innovate when models, data a...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
CBS Sports HQ Builds Three New Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Revamps Graphics for Greater Focus on Sports Betting The new space will play off the original facility in Stamford, CT By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
