NHL Playoffs 2025: With 16 Games in First Six Days, ESPN Deploys Variety of Remote-Production Models in U.S., Canada With two countries and multiple broadcasters involved, the effort requires precise planning By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Friday, April 18, 2025 - 11:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
ESPN jumps out of the gate for this year's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, with 16 first-round games over the first six days on ESPN and ESPN2 beginning on Sunday. That means plenty of planning and cooperation by ESPN's operations team - both within the company and with other broadcasters.
ESPN's NHL studio show, The Point, will air regularly as a lead-in to games throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Steve Levy, Mark Messier, and PK Subban - shown here prior to the season opener - will be among the rotating on-air talent featured. (Photo: Al Powers/ESPN Images)
Round 1 of NHL Playoffs is always a time of meticulous planning and cooperation, says Brock Wetherbee, remote productions operations specialist, ESPN. This round is a full market share - or side-by-side - for all invested broadcasters. Not only are we working across teams internally to line up execution models with dates and game series, but we're also having simultaneous collaboration calls with the other local and international rightsholders on logistics and equipment shares.
First Round Madness: All About Cooperation - Both Within and Without Depending on matchups, as many as four broadcasters may cover a single game of any seven-game series, and all parties must be aware of each other's trucks, camera positions, and production priorities.
Several dedicated REMI production-control rooms in Bristol will serve as home to ESPN's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round productions. (credit: Jaime Ramirez)
ESPN will deploy a mix of three main models during Round 1: REMCO, REMI, and EWF (enhanced world feed, which will be used for games played in Canada). ESPN's remote-production and REMI Operations teams work hand in hand to ensure that the onsite facilities are fully in sync with the REMI production teams in Bristol.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the amount of communication and planning that has helped every aspect of our production, says Jaime Ramirez, technical operations manager, REMI Operations, ESPN. Working on an almost daily basis with our onsite operations team as well as our partners in Toronto has been outstanding. I have all the confidence in the world that, when the puck drops, this team can handle whatever may be on the horizon. It is very evident that our goal is a shared goal to deliver the best product we can to our NHL fans.
ESPN will roll a mix of NEP and Game Creek Video mobile units for its NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs productions. (Credit: Danny Chi)
Given the complications of regional play across North America and the cadence of the schedule, both NEP and Game Creek Video provide a cascading supply of trucks to meet the needs of ESPN and the other broadcast partners. NEP has made available EN2 A and B, Supershooter 6 A and B, Supershooter 63, and Supershooter 62; GCV has provided 79 A and B, Victory A and B, Larkspur, Justice, and Gemini.
ESPN has made a concerted effort to level-set the look and feel across all its NHL coverage, regardless of the production model being used. Although the bells and whistles may vary, The standard first-round complement will comprise five hard cameras, five handhelds, two robos, and four to six POV cams. In addition, ESPN will be sharing feeds with/from the other broadcasters, potentially doubling the camera count once the puck drops.
It's a collaborative effort from all to share and make the coverage feel as big as possible for all the entities, says Wetherbee.
Aside from camera sharing, ESPN and local broadcasters also work closely together to reserve compound parking space for all the trucks and divide arena-supplied power connections and transmission equipment, along with other onsite resources/services.
Looking Ahead: Big Plans for Conference Finals After the first round, ESPN will enhance its shows with each subsequent round, increasing the player iso cams, robos, and specialty cameras. Super-slo-mo in-net cams, RF skate cams, SkyCam, and virtual-graphics elements will be among the highlights.
ESPN's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage will culminate iin the Conference Finals. (Photo: Al Powers/ESPN Images)
Although ESPN won't have the Stanley Cup Finals this year, its Conference Finals productions will be plenty massive, with upwards of 24 cams, seven super-slo-mos, and six POV cameras; a full audio submix suite; and upgraded microphone coverage around the ice.
Playoffs are exciting by definition, Ramirez notes. Not only is the play on ice raised, but so too is our approach and execution amongst partners.
The last-minute nature can add a bit of intrigue too, he continues. Last minute is the name of the game come playoff time. Sometimes we stage truck/equipment halfway between cities. Sometimes folks board planes and land in one city to find that team has won/lost and changed the landscape of [the production]. It's all part of the adventure and excitement that is any playoff race.
Looking Back: Another Regular Season in the Books With the puck dropping on the playoffs on Sunday, it's a perfect time for ESPN's remote and REMI Operations teams to reflect on their fourth NHL regular-season campaign. With five technical-production models - mixing REMI and onsite workflows -- in the arsenal for NHL productions, ESPN Remote Production Operations Manager Paul Horrell believes ESPN has truly hit its stride: The five technical-production models deployed throughout the season and the sheer volume of games speak to the level of efficiency, experience, and capabilities
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...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
NHL Playoffs 2025: With 16 Games in First Six Days, ESPN Deploys Variety of Remote-Production Models in U.S., Canada With two countries and multiple broadcasters involved, the effort requires precise planning By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
