Designed specifically for pro basketball, the renovated space at Gainbridge Fieldhouse features two separate control roomsGainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis has been extremely busy over the past two years, handling the full home schedule of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, WNBA's Indiana Fever, and G League's then-Fort Wayne Mad Ants as well as major sports events: the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, three games of the 2025 NBA Finals, and the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
To accommodate this unrelenting calendar, usher in a new era of in-venue shows, and prepare for what's to come in an ever-evolving sports-video-production industry, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PSE) - the corporate entity controlling the teams and their respective home arenas - is entering the third year with its SMPTE ST 2110-driven control center comprising two separate production-control rooms.
The Panasonic Kairos switcher drives production from the main control room. Our control center is purpose-built for NBA and professional-rated events that focus on basketball, notes PSE CIO Carl Ceresoli. With the number of cameras and behind-the-scenes talent necessary to produce these events, this control center is specifically designed to handle those demands.
Learning Curve: Forward-Thinking Engineering Team Eases Transition to IP
The entire industry is currently at a crossroads: remain in a baseband ecosystem, integrate hybrid workflows to get the best of baseband and IP, or make the leap into IP. The gradual adoption of the third option is being considered, but the nuances of implementing this new system are important topic to understand.
The Panasonic Kairos switcher drives production from the main control room.As with any project of this size, brainstorming and identifying a clear plan of action is the first step. At PSE, the different opinions expressed in 2023 gave the engineering team a better picture to work with. Perspectives were provided by AVP, Broadcast Engineering and Operations, Emily Wright, a trusted voice both on the local sports scene and throughout the production community; Senior Broadcast Engineer David Hentz, a former Mobile TV Group engineer-in-charge who experienced IP- and cloud-based workflows during the mobile-unit provider's development of Cloud Control; and Broadcast Engineer Cameron Smolinske, who served as multimedia manager, broadcast operations/game operations, for the Mad Ants for nearly four years.
Coming from the Mad Ants, says Smolinske, I was doing everything: directing, producing, and engineering. When I came [to PSE], it was a perfect time to come on board since I was already learning from scratch. It was a steep learning curve, coming from a baseband system and having to deal with IP.
Ten PTZ cameras and a scoreboard robo are operated via a Mark Roberts Motion Control system.Prior to the arrival of IPTV Engineer Noah Jordan a year later, the trio were in the trenches, figuring out the technological intricacies of the new production environment. Luckily, the battle-tested and intelligent folks were able to simplify the transition via their separate experiences and bouncing ideas off each other. And having innovative engineers on staff made the ambitious project possible.
Not many other arenas have as many engineers working in-house as we do, notes Hentz. Emily has done a good job of getting talented people and pushing for [our projects] to be part of the budget. I've also seen a lot during my experience with mobile units, and it has taught me so much more than if I had worked in only one venue. I don't think crews have enough support from their higher-ups, which means not enough time to go out and interact with other arenas to see their productions.
An Allen & Heath audio system is located in a separate space next to the control room.Along with the four engineers, the team includes Senior Director, Broadcast Content Operations, Matt Scott; Director, Fieldhouse and Event Production, Brian Rogat; Studio Producer and Operations Michael Bothur; and Broadcast Operations Manager Chelsea Pylitt.
Space for Two: EVS Cerebrum Drives Both Control Rooms
At the heart of the control center at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, EVS Cerebrum not only enables the team to control, orchestrate, and route the new IP workflows but also provides a foundation for the sophisticated two-control-room space.
Next to the audio console, video shaders optimize the look of each camera used in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.The primary control room is reserved for the 25 staffers working on all in-venue productions of the Pacers, Fever, and other sports events, including the 88th Annual IHSAA Boys Wrestling State Finals last month. The secondary control room is deployed for overflow on massive shows like the NBA and WNBA All-Star Games, last weekend's IHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships, and, an additional responsibility since December, remote broadcasts of Pacers G League affiliate Noblesville Boom at The Arena at Innovation Mile.
On the tech side, Control Room A houses a Panasonic Kairos production switcher, Ross Video XPression graphics, four EVS replay operators, and Mixon Digital for real-time stats. The shows feature 10 PTZ cameras distributed around the building, six operated cameras, and a scoreboard robo via a Mark Roberts Motion Control system. Control Room B features a Panasonic Kairos production switcher, Ross Video XPression graphics, and an Allen & Heath audio console.
Ross Video XPression graphics in the primary control room (left) and secondary control room (right)Besides the two control rooms, PSE also has an in-house production studio. It's home to other important aspects of content creation and live event production: green screen for creative shoots; FanDuel Sports Network Indiana's Cloud Control hub for away broadcasts with a producer, tape operator, and gra
