Inside the New Sportsnet Studios: IP-Based Toronto Facility Offers Plenty of Flexibility, Tech Firepower Hockey ops are now under the same roof as the rest of Sportsnet productions By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Thursday, November 4, 2021 - 3:25 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Just in time for the puck to drop on the 2021 NHL season, Sportsnet opened its new state-of-the-art studio production facility in Toronto last month. Owned by Rogers Sports & Media, Sportsnet Studios brings the network's hockey operations under the same roof as the rest of its productions for the first time and represents one of the largest and most advanced end-to-end IP-based production facilities in North America. And, despite the scale and complexity of the project, Sportsnet was able to weather innumerable pandemic-fueled challenges to launch the studio on time.
I've been in this business for 25 years, and I've never seen as much change happen in such a short timeframe as it has during the pandemic, says Rob Corte, VP, Sportsnet and NHL Production, Rogers Communications. That made this [project] a major challenge. There were times when I was worried that we weren't going to finish [the studio on time] because it was such a short timeframe. But I'm really proud to say that nobody took shortcuts and everybody checked their ego at the door so we could get to the finish line and put out a superb product.
Linear and Digital: A Reimagined Approach' to the Traditional Hockey Broadcast Located at the Rogers Campus at 1 Mount Pleasant Rd. in Toronto, Sportsnet Studios features two new studio sets - Studio 31 (2,500 sq. ft.) and Studio 32 (3,900 sq. ft.) -and a pair of state-of-the-art control rooms. The facility houses all Sportsnet studio operations; previously, Sportsnet's NHL studio shows were produced out of the nearby CBC building, and all other programming was located at the Rogers Campus.
Having two different entities in two different locations really made collaboration and communication challenging, says Corte. We felt it was crucial to have everybody at the same location as we do now.
The new facility allows the NHL on Sportsnet team to create more interactive, immersive, and innovative content, with Sportsnet taking a reimagined approach to the traditional hockey broadcast, content production, and distribution.
We were looking to future-proof and bring in latest and greatest technology to set ourselves up for the future, says Corte, not only in live production and linear television but also for original content and all the other digital platforms that exist today. We wanted to have something that was scalable, expandable, and it was going to be able to service all our needs moving forward.
The versatile physical space provides Sportsnet's digital, social, and broadcast teams with a variety of options and looks for creating content. The sets were designed by Artform and built by Unit 11 and Tradesync. Combined, the two studios are equipped with 22 LED displays (delivering 1,200 sq. ft. of visible surface area), including a 50-ft. curved, floor-to-ceiling LED wall dubbed The Cove . In addition, Samsung IER-series LED displays will make up 13 dynamic video walls across the two studios.
With The Cove, we can [display] one huge image or hundreds of images, says Corte. We can [display] any kind of data or stats, betting information, player and puck tracking - all is real time. Sponsorship is a huge element as well. We have so much flexibility that you can customize whatever type of sponsor element our clients are looking for. With The Cove, whether it's a live shot of a rink or a completely animated build, we can do it all.
Sportsnet Studios is also outfitted with AR and virtual-set capabilities, adjustable main studio desks equipped with end-to-end LED graphics displays, 250 energy-efficient LED broadcast lighting fixtures, and 13 studio cameras.
We have ultimate flexibility in what we can do now and ultimate flexibility in the number of looks we can present to our viewers, notes Corte. We have monitors that can be used for almost anything, sit-down and stand-up areas that can be used interchangeably. All our desks are moveable. We have a green screen, so we can do virtual, and we are set up for augmented reality. We're ready for whatever is coming.
An All-IP Decision: Preparing for the Future Sportsnet worked closely with systems integrator Diversified to design the facility around the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of IP standards, using an Evertz IP routing core in an effort to create a futureproof broadcast hub.
There was no debate [on whether to go IP], says Pierre Fortin, VP, tech media and innovation, Rogers Sports & Media. The only debate was how to go about it. Do you go multi-vendor and do all that integration yourself, or do you go for a more end-to-end solution stack? When we evaluated all of our options, we decided to lean on Evertz to deploy the IP core for this facility. But, no, we never even considered building it in SDI.
Rogers Media had previously launched an ST 2110-based facility with its National Media Operations Centre (NMOC) - also located at 1 Mount Pleasant - in 2016 just after the IP suite of standards was ratified. However, the ST 2110 ecosystem had matured greatly by the time the Sportsnet Studios project began in 2020 so Diversified, which had recently completed WarnerMedia's new IP-based facility at Hudson Yards in New York City, was enlisted to help guide the project.
This was more of a ground-up all-IP facility [compared with the NMOC], says Fortin. The timetable for this was very aggressive, and we didn't have the luxury of making mistakes along the way. We wanted to lean on people who had done this before, so we worked with Diversified as our integrator, and they worked out g
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
16/10/2025
The XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) has announced the third cohort of members. The new members include MLSE, Vegas Golden Knights, Pro Climbing League, FansXR, Focal ...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and c...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK Australias Nine Network and the National Hockey League (NHL) today announced a media partnership that will bring the worlds premier professional ice ho...
16/10/2025
Parks Associates has released new data showing that nearly half (45%) of U.S. internet homes watch free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services and 89% of U.S...
16/10/2025
TROY, Mich. -New data from J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Study shows that residential wireless internet providers are growing...
16/10/2025
This Saturday October 18 Katja Mia will burst onto the radio airwaves for the first time as she joins 2FM. Katja will be standing in for Bl thnaid Treacy on Sat...
16/10/2025
This October, RT is delighted to support Wexford Festival Opera, Babor International Arts Festival for Children, Open House Dublin and 36 other arts and cultu...
16/10/2025
GeForce NOW is more than just a platform to stream fresh games every week - it offers celebrations for the gamers who make it epic, with member rewards to sweet...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
Inside the New Sportsnet Studios: IP-Based Toronto Facility Offers Plenty of Flexibility, Tech Firepower Hockey ops are now under the same roof as the rest of Sportsnet productions By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
