Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NEP Group Back for a Second Helping of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

01/03/2024

NEP Group Back for a Second Helping of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV NEP provides facilities, crew, and a variety of services coast to coast in Year 2 By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.

Friday, March 1, 2024 - 3:06 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

The 2024 MLS season opener, for which a sold-out, star-studded crowd turned out to see megastar Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC take down Real Salt Lake 2-0, served as yet another sign that the epicenter of U.S. soccer is securely rooted in South Florida. For NEP's Vista Worldlink, which proudly calls South Florida home, the setting could not have been more fitting. After all, Vista has served as one of the league's key production partners and an ardent supporter for more than two decades and has watched the MLS's monumental evolution firsthand.

NEP Vista Worldlink's Josh Liemer (standing) at the Dania Beach, FL, facility.

We've been working together for more than 20 years, says Josh Liemer, president, NEP Vista Worldlink. It really is a special relationship. We have seen this league grow by leaps and bounds, so being at the stadium [for the opener] and seeing the excitement right in our own backyard was special. And to be there with individuals from MLS that I've known for 20-plus years watching Lionel Messi and the stars coming out to support was pretty emotional and shows the amazing growth of this league.

As it did throughout the inaugural year of MLS League Pass on Apple TV, NEP Group is once again overseeing all broadcast services and providing all mobile units, technical crew, and operations; support for remote and decentralized production; studio facilities in NYC; and infrastructure and systems management.

NEP Goes Coast to Coast: Inside MLS Season Pass Production Operations To pull off this coast-to-coast effort, NEP is providing dozens of mobile units at MLS venues (both from the NEP fleet and contracted from third-party providers) and has built a connected ecosystem comprising centralized-production facilities and technological infrastructure in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, South Florida, and Washington, DC.

First off, all MLS Season Pass studio productions - including the new Spanish-language version of the MLS 360 whip-around show - will be handled by NEP's Metropolitan Studios in New York City.

The MLS 360 whip-around show will also be produced in Spanish this year for the first time.

For live matches, NEP oversees production of a world feed and English- and Spanish-language feeds (and French when necessary) with announcers onsite. The 1080p feeds (along with 16 channels of embedded audio for 5.1 surround sound) are sent to NEP's data center in Dallas before being distributed to multiple locations: Vista Worldlink centralized-production center in South Florida, which is managing connectivity and distribution and is responsible for remote productions of MLS Next and MLS Next Pro games; Media NEP's Mediabank media-asset-management operation in Washington, DC; the NEP Production Center in L.A. (PCLA) for playout and commercial insertion; and Metropolitan Studios in New York City for shoulder programming.

It's pretty unbelievable just how far this whole operation has come, says Liemer. I remember the days of rolling up mobile uplink trucks to backhaul all the signals from the stadiums. Today, the league has installed its own private fiber network and is distributing all of their events in native 1080p onto the Apple platform.

Live coverage of all MLS and Leagues Cup matches will be produced at MLS stadiums, including onsite English- and Spanish-speaking talent, with NEP's fleet of mobile units - and trucks from other providers when necessary - deployed to produce simultaneous coverage of up to 14 matches each game day.

Finding enough trucks to cover all those [games] was one of the biggest challenges that MLS put in front of us from day one, says Liemer. The fact that we have been able to deliver speaks to the strength of NEP - not only the amazing fleet we have but also the relationships that we have with some of our strategic competitors that are also partners.

They support us through a variety of different projects and help us meet the challenge for MLS, he continues. That's what makes this industry so special: there are days when we're competing against each other; there are days we're supporting each other. I think it has always been a relationship-driven business, and we are lucky to work with great individuals.

More than 500 MLS Next Pro and MLS Next matches will be produced remotely at NEP's Vista Worldlink centralized-production facility.

In addition to MLS and Leagues Cup matches, the new service will carry 250+ MLS Next Pro regular-season matches, the MLS Next Pro Playoffs and Cup, and 100 MLS Next elite-youth tournament matches. These games will be produced in 1080p with full custom graphics packages (though not with enhanced data or Dolby 5.1 surround audio). More than 500 MLS Next Pro and MLS Next matches will be produced remotely at Vista Worldlink.

Creative Sandbox': MLS, Apple, NEP, IMG Work Together for a Common Goal Three years ago this week, NEP acquired Vista Worldlink, and, in addition to being a key asset in NEP's overall portfolio, the Dania Beach, FL-based outfit has been integral to the success of MLS Season Pass. Liemer describes NEP SVP/Head of Production Jeff Jacobs and Vista Worldlink Executive Producer Mike Freedman as the ringmasters of the sprawling operation.

One of the special things that NEP delivers day in and day out is the amazing people that manage this incredible puzzle and all of these logistical obstacles, says Liemer. They have been planning for months to get this equation solved. They are the ones who make this happen.

NEP Vista Worldlink's facility h
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/03/01/nep-group-back-for-a-second-hel...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 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...

09/05/2026

Bastl Instruments showcase Kalimba

New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...

09/05/2026

1010music release blackbox 2

Compact sampling workstation gains new features 1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...

09/05/2026

New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop

New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop Jessie Electa Petrov May 9, 2026 0 Comments CrumplePop 2026.5 streamlines music, voice, and cin...

09/05/2026

Celebrating a TV Legend: Sir David Attenborough

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

09/05/2026

Playmetrics Acquires SportsEngine From Versant

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

NBC Sports, Peacock Scale Vertical-Video Production Across Sports - and Beyond - Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

NBC's 9:16 live-production workflows power Courtside Live, Rinkside Live, Vi...

08/05/2026

ESPN Pieces Together Production Strategy After WNBA's Unsettled Offseason

Native 1080p HDR productions will rely on a mix of remote workflows from Bristol and Los Angeles Despite another prosperous WNBA season in 2025, there was no g...

08/05/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 14: Buffalo Sabres' Autumn Bolton - Bringing Back Better Days at KeyBank Center

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...

08/05/2026

ESPN and Players Era Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Agreement for Mens College Basketball Championships

Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and ESPN have announced a multi-year ...

08/05/2026

BFBS Selects Synamedia to Build Next-Generation Digital Platform for UK Armed Forces

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) has announced the selection of Syname...

08/05/2026

UFC and Joe Hand Promotions Launch Championship Rounds Commercial Subscription Package

UFC and Joe Hand Promotions, UFC's exclusive commercial distributor in the U...

08/05/2026

Ease Live Granted US Patent for Interactive Streaming Overlay Technology

Ease Live, an Evertz company, has announced it has been granted US Patent No. 12,556,777 for its graphical overlay technology for interactive live streaming. Th...

08/05/2026

Ateme Deploys OTT Platform for VTVcabs VTVprime Service in Vietnam

Ateme has announced that VTVcab has deployed Ateme's OTT platform to power its VTVprime streaming service in Vietnam. The deployment covers live and on-dema...

08/05/2026

Amagi Launches In-Content Ads Marketplace for CTV Advertising

Amagi has announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering via the Amagi ADS PLUS marketplace, providing programmatic access to ad formats inserted dir...

08/05/2026

USA Sports Dives Headfirst Into Its Inaugural WNBA Season With Onsite Postseason-Style' Productions

Young broadcaster will deploy 11-camera complement on large chunk of games, At ...

08/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: NBCs Derby Coverage Hits All-Time High; 1st Round of NBA, NHA Playoffs Up Big

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...

08/05/2026

A Mother's Day Toast to Joan Rubinsky in Theater Camp

Molly Gordon and Ben Platt appear in Theater Camp. (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures) By Lucy Spicer Her character is the beloved founder of the AdirondACTS...

08/05/2026

Cyma Forma & Bambounou unveil RND synth

One-button synth generates random four-track ideas Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...

08/05/2026

Tasty Chips GR-2 granular synthesizer

Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...

08/05/2026

SUPERBOOTH 2026: Polyend Drums

Video Show Report Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...

08/05/2026

Native Instruments to be acquired by inMusic

Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...

08/05/2026

SUPERBOOTH 2026: Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums

Video Show Report Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...

08/05/2026

Play Snooker: Cueing Up the Future So Every Frame Counts

In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...

08/05/2026

G&D KVM-over-IP Plugin for Netgear AV Simplifies Deployments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity I...

Riedel Communications today announced its return as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the company will serve as the Official Connectivity ...

08/05/2026

Miri V410 Encoder-Decoder Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of t...

For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...

08/05/2026

Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards

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

Report: Rise of Video Podcasts Prompts Hybrid Approach

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

U.K. Military Broadcaster Taps Synamedia for Digital Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Gayle Benson To Receive NAB Leadership Foundation Leadership Award

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Dems Blast FCC Disney Probe As 'Egregious Abuse of Power'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical investment, it's a human one

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...

08/05/2026

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content Brie Clayton May 7, 2026 0 Comments UGC, On-Camera Video Content April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......

08/05/2026

For Dogs' Sake! Pete Wicks returns with more heart-warming rescue journeys

Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...

08/05/2026

Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider

Wuppertal May 8, 2026 Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...

08/05/2026

Netflix Announces Standalone Sequel to Global Hit 'La Palma'

Back to All News Netflix Announces Standalone Sequel to Global Hit La Palma Entertainment 08 May 2026 GlobalDenmarkFinlandNorwaySweden Link copied to clipb...

08/05/2026

Say hello to ICG Belfast

ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth. Led by Digital Marketing M...

08/05/2026

Investing in smart metering to close London's water gap

Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...

07/05/2026

Sudan Digital Investigation Hub launches to support journalists navigating disinformation in conflict

Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...

07/05/2026

Victory+ CEO Neil Gruninger on the Impact of the Dallas Cowboys Deal, Creator-Led Content, and Free In-Market Access for Fans

Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...

07/05/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Ella Peterson, University of Illinois

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

NAB 2026: Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards

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

Scripps National Spelling Bee Revamps Broadcast; Mina Kimes to Host, Embassy Rows Michael Davies to Produce

ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...

07/05/2026

MUBI Selects Bitmovin as Cloud VOD Encoding Partner

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 U.S. Soccer Extend Spanish-Language Media Rights Through 2030

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...