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 guarantee that there would be a season in 2026. With labor negotiations turning positive and a new collective-bargaining agreement being signed just in time for an on-time start, ESPN has ramped up its production and operations efforts to produce native 1080p HDR shows for all 29 regular-season games, including Saturday's doubleheader of Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever at 1 p.m. ET and Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces at 3:30 p.m. as well as the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 25.

We are looking forward to launching our 29-game season following a challenging and, at times, uncertain offseason, says Larry Wilson, senior manager, remote operations, ESPN. The combination of commitment and teamwork makes the start of this season especially rewarding.

At the Last Minute: Possibly Delayed Start Presents Logistical Challenge

Not many people were optimistic about the upcoming season. As signatures were put on paper and players began offseason workouts, ESPN could fully focus on the games that would officially be played. Preliminary conversations - a customary activity - still went as planned, but, when the free-agency period came and went and production assignments needed to be delegated, the team had to adapt.

While foundational planning for the season began months ago, says Wilson, the delayed release of the regular-season schedule in April created some challenges. In particular, it limited our ability to lock in certain staffing, technical resources, and facilities until the final few weeks leading up to the opener.

Reporter Holly Rowe interviews Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.ESPN is putting the final touches on the season with many elements still up in the air. For example, Wilson and his team have secured a mobile-units provider, but the finer details will be squared away after Opening Day this weekend.

All mobile units will be provided under contract by Game Creek and will be natively capable of supporting 1080p HDR production, he notes. At this time, the specific trucks within the Game Creek fleet have not yet been finalized, due in part to the late release of the schedule.

Upgrade to 1080p HDR: Cloud-Based Slow-Motion, Mix of Workflows

The 1080p HDR productions will be a season-long endeavor, but, to maintain this higher quality, the broadcaster is relying on ample support from production partners and vendors. This will require reliable and problem-proof distribution as well.

As the industry continues to move toward higher-resolution and higher-bandwidth workflows, Wilson adds, the larger signal footprint of 1080p has increased our reliance on fiber-optic signal transport throughout the production chain.

To capture the game, ESPN will roll with a standard complement of three hard cameras (adding a fourth for selected games), a robotic camera atop each basket, and fixed POV cameras behind each basket. Selected games will also have traditional super-slow-motion camera enhancements, and others will deploy cloud-based slow-motion workflows enabled by AWS software.

Holly Rowe speaks with 2025 WNBA Finals MVP A'ja Wilson after the Las Vegas Aces won their third championship in four seasons.Away from the venue, the broadcaster's trusted REMI [remote] and REMCO [remote-controlled] workflows will be key at multiple touchpoints on all shows. In some cases, Wilson explains, integration will occur within the mobile unit. In others, production elements will be integrated at an offsite production facility, depending on the needs of the individual telecast.

Starting in the Studio: WNBA Countdown Taps Resources in Bristol, L.A.

Before, during, and after each game, WNBA Countdown - ESPN's premier studio show featuring host Malika Andrews and analysts Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, and Monica McNutt - will break down the action on the court. The quartet will be onsite in Indianapolis on a set similar to the one at last year's All-Star Game since it's in the same venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse. For the studio show's 24 confirmed appearances in the regular season - up from last year's 14 - the crew will adopt a hybrid production approach with camera integration handled either onsite or remotely from facilities in Bristol and Los Angeles.

To honor the WNBA's 30th season, trailblazing and award-winning journalist/broadcaster Hannah Storm - who called the league's first game, in 1997 - will join Andrews, Carter, Ogwumike, and McNutt this season. She will host editions of WNBA Countdown and contribute on the program and on SportsCenter.

Game commentary will be provided by ESPN's lead broadcast trio - play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco, analyst and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, and veteran reporter Holly Rowe - in their 14th season together. In addition, selected games will feature play-by-play announcer Tiffany Greene, analyst Carolyn Peck, and reporter Angel Gray and play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins, analyst Debbie Antonelli, and reporter Brooke Weisbrod.

Riding With the Best: Production, Ops Crews Eye Another Season Together

Marquee matchups this season will include the games of expansion teams Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. Also on the schedule are the league's top teams: 10 games with the Indiana Fever, eight games with the New York Liberty, five games with the Las Vegas Aces, and four games each with the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx.

ESPN broadcast the 2026 WNBA Draft last month from The Shed in New York City.Besides the regular-season contests, the 2026 WNBA All-Star will be a two-night event in Chicago. The 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skil

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/05/08/espn-pieces-together-production...
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