
SVG All-Stars: Jason Hedgcock, Senior Director, Remote Technical Operations, MLB Network During a decade in baseball coverage, he has become an operations linchpin By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
In an era when sports production is evolving faster than ever, a new generation of leaders is beginning to make its mark on the industry. Our new SVG All-Stars series explores the journey of the industry's rising executives, showcasing their experiences and career highlights in the business, overarching philosophy and leadership strategy, technological and creative innovation, and where they see the industry headed. Join us as we uncover the story behind their ascent and the impact they are having in an ever-evolving industry.
During a decade of work at MLB Network (MLBN), Jason Hedgcock has established himself as an irreplicable piece of the sport's live-production puzzle.
From delivering critical video workflows at annual events like MLB All-Star, MLB Postseason, and the World Series, Major League Baseball's expansion into special events - World Baseball Classic, MLB at Field of Dreams, international ventures like the London Series and Seoul Series - wouldn't be possible without his hard work and expertise.
In this week's edition of SVG All-Stars, Hedgcock shares his story, the technological innovations he has his eye on, and his advice for succeeding in dynamic live-sports-production industry.
At 2024 MLB All-Star in Arlington, TX, Jason Hedgcock (right) with Rob Brotzman (left) and Agustine Rivera.
What are the key responsibilities of your current role?
Television is an art form, and my responsibility first and foremost is to provide the tools to the artists. In my role as senior director of remote technical operations, I help plan and execute the technical elements of remote programming for the MLB Network and NHL Network. This includes not only the hardware like cameras and mobile units but also the software like the talented technicians that make everything possible. I often say that I don't control what you see and hear but that you can see and hear it.
What is one key industry trend that you believe is having a major impact on your organization right now?
The pandemic had a tremendous impact on our industry. It greatly accelerated the shift to deliver content to the audience in two significant ways: fans want to watch their content not only on demand but on the device they have in their hand at that moment. This has driven amazing technological leaps, but I think at the foundation of these leaps is risk tolerance.
We are in a unique time that has occurred at only a few points in the entirety of broadcast development. Viewers have become less critical of minor flaws in a broadcast, and our senior leadership team is more open to taking chances in this post-pandemic landscape. Prior to 2020, bonded-cellular transmission devices were certainly commonplace but not being used as creatively as they are now. Putting an entire remote studio show on a bonded-cellular device clearly comes with risk but also allows for a show that might never have happened without bonded cellular.
At the 2023 MLB London Series, Jason Hedgcock (right), with (from left) Jason Lamanna, Shaun Glanville, and Luigi Sborea
The same can be said about REMI and cloud productions. The drive to get live content to audiences while facing all the challenges brought on in 2020 forged a new, stronger relationship between what I have always viewed as the four sides of broadcast: production, operations, engineering, and administration. Streaming has desensitized the audience to technical difficulties. While that hasn't deterred anyone from striving for perfection in every broadcast, it has allowed all sides to take more risks with a lower chance of negative audience response.
What core philosophy do you try to live by when managing your team/operation?
As clich as it sounds, treat others the way you want to be treated. I think, at its core, it's just that simple. It is easy to deliver positive information to anyone, but how do you deliver negative information? I always try to empathize with others in a situation and handle any situation the way I would want it presented to me.
What is your favorite event(s) that you've worked?
This is an incredibly hard question! I think I can narrow it down to four, and they each hold a special place in my growth in this industry. In the summer of 2005, I had the opportunity to be a part of 50 States in 50 Days on ESPN. I learned, often the hard way, how to be a human traveling on the road. I had already spent some time on the road by then and thought I knew a whole lot more about the travel side of this business than I did.
Hedgcock being interviewed prior to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game
My time on ESPN Thursday College Football was an experience that solidified what I wanted to do in the industry and, more important, how I wanted to accomplish it. Greg Swartz [then operations producer, ESPN] taught me how to truly lead and manage a crew. The crew taught me what it meant to be a part of this small industry.
Being at MLBN for 10 years, I could list another five events that I will always treasure, but I think I would have to settle on the 2017 World Baseball Classic and the 2024 Opening Series from Seoul. The '17 WBC changed my perspective on how to approach scalable engineering models and make cohesive production executions on a global scale. The Opening Series from Seoul proved definitively that, with the right team and maybe a dash or two of luck, extraordinary things are possible.
How did you get started in sports production? What was your first real job in the business?
I got my first taste of national sports production at my first national
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
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...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
16/04/2026
For decades, understanding the physical world from space has required a trade-of...
16/04/2026
The integration accelerates demographic audience delivery across local markets a...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Telestream Cloud Services, including Vantage Cloud, UP, and SENTRY monitoring tools, are now optimized for OCI, powering flexible multi-cloud media orchestratio...
16/04/2026
Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) today announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), naming AWS as its preferre...
16/04/2026
Triveni Digital, a trusted leader in ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 service delivery, data broadcasting, and quality assurance solutions, today announced an ISDB-Tb capabilit...
16/04/2026
Synamedia and SoFast announce strategic go-to-market partnership to accelerate FAST, pay-TV, and VOD
At the NAB Show 2026, Synamedia and SoFast are announcing ...
16/04/2026
Showcases New, Open-Standard IP Solutions Across Its Portfolio, From Production to Playout
Imagine Communications is marking a decade of leadership in ST 2110 ...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Sportway Media Group, a world leading AI-automated sports production company and Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative sol...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/04/2026
AJA Enters into Agreement to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato
Brie Clayton April 15, 2026
0 Comments
Deal will expand AJA's video ...
16/04/2026
Deity Announces PR-4 Compact Field Recorder with Pre-Orders Launching April 14
Brie Clayton April 15, 2026
0 Comments
Deity Microphones today announce...
16/04/2026
Berklee's First Homecoming Brings Global Alumni to Boston for a Block Party ...
16/04/2026
Back to All News
One Unforgettable Night in an Unfamiliar Place Shakes Everyday...
16/04/2026
Back to All News
The Law According to Lidia Po t': How Italys Beloved Lega...
16/04/2026
Fox Corporation Names Amazon Web Services its Preferred AI Cloud Provider New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA - April 16, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, F...
16/04/2026
The search for Ireland's newest country music star takes place live on Frida...
16/04/2026
Head straight for orbit with GeForce NOW - no space helmet required.
PRAGMATA,...
15/04/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BBC World Service has selected its IP ...
15/04/2026
LiveU has announced an expansion of its collaboration with Sony Corporation, add...
15/04/2026
Ateme has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to support live Apple Immersive ...
15/04/2026
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a multi-year partnership renewal with DAZN DACH, covering Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and...
15/04/2026
Canon U.S.A. (NAB Booth C3825) today took the lid off of the CINE-SERVO 40-1200m...
15/04/2026
Panasonic Video and Audio Systems North America and NEP Group will demonstrate a...
15/04/2026
For the fourth year running, independent analysts found businesses across all industries and verticals pay roughly the same amount in fees as they spend on stor...
15/04/2026
The Soccer Tournament (TST) has announced a media rights deal with NBC Sports to...
15/04/2026
JB&A will host the Pre-NAB 2026 Technology Event on April 17-18 at Flamingo Las Vegas, ahead of NAB Show. The event features hands-on demonstrations and technic...
15/04/2026
The Sennheiser Group will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth 4931, Central Hall), with demonstrations from Sennheiser, Neumann, and Merging across three areas: Rel...
15/04/2026
NAB Show 2026 will take place April 18-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, wi...
15/04/2026
AI-Media has announced the LEXI Text Encoder and LEXI Voice Encoder at NAB Show 2026, the company's first new encoder hardware release in more than a decade...
15/04/2026
Italian camera support manufacturer Cartoni will introduce several new products at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C6540, Central Hall), including the Master 30 OB fluid h...
15/04/2026
Lawo and swXtch.io have announced a memorandum of understanding at NAB Show 2026, under which Lawo will explore incorporating swXtch.io's groundSwXtch softw...
15/04/2026
CacheFly will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W3129, April 19-22, Las Vegas Convention Center), showcasing three new additions to its content delivery platform:...
15/04/2026
Synamedia has announced GO Shorts, a new module within its Synamedia Go OTT platform that uses AI to convert an operator's existing content library into a s...
15/04/2026
The NAB Show kicks off on Saturday, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams a...
15/04/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced an agreement to acquire Comprimato, a live video encoding and processing software company. The deal will unite the two companies...
15/04/2026
Prime Video Sports' NBA Playoffs coverage, which includes the entire SoFi NB...
15/04/2026
Just announced, the SDE standard provides a unified method and file format to ensure consistent and reliably comparable noise predictions
Sports and entertainm...
15/04/2026
From immersive storytelling to laugh-out-loud comedies, podcasts are booming in ...