On the Hardwood: Philadelphia 76ers Continue Treasured Traditions at Wells Fargo Center A blend of new and old elements maintains the energy inside of the venue By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Monday, February 22, 2021 - 3:35 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The doldrums of 2020 may be in the past, but 2021 is still presenting challenges to in-venue production teams. Now out of the Orlando bubble, NBA organizations are hosting games in their home arenas and navigating the continuing difficulties of the pandemic. Like SVG's At the Ballpark and On the Gridiron series, On the Hardwood will take a look at the hardships, creative ideas, and teamwork of NBA franchises.
The Philadelphia 76ers, currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, are playing their best basketball inside of the Wells Fargo Center. The team's stellar play is a result of a talented and stacked roster, but also the in-venue production team's role of maintaining a familiar environment without fans.
The biggest thing we're trying to do is keep that home-court atmosphere for the players, says Derrick Hayes, director, game presentation, Philadelphia 76ers. We're keeping the traditions that our fans and our organization love.
MORE ON THE HARDWOOD INTERVIEWS:
After Assisting Fox Sports Sun, Miami Heat Retrofit Control Room for Games in AmericanAirlines Arena
Milwaukee Bucks Leverage NBA Bubble Experience for 2020-21 Slate at Fiserv Forum
Sacramento Kings Improve In-Venue, At-Home Experience With Intel True View at Golden 1 Center
Atlanta Hawks Honor Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in First of Season-Long Unity Nights'
Houston Rockets Work With League, RSNs To Produce Away Radio Broadcasts in Toyota Center
Golden State Warriors Connect Team, Chase Center to Fans at Home Through Dub Hub Experience
Despite Limited Fans, Cleveland Cavaliers Keep the Energy Up at Renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Charlotte Hornets Redesign Mobile App To Bring Spectrum Center Content to the Home
Portland Trail Blazers Manage LED Displays at Moda Center To Educate, Entertain Fans on League Pass
Minnesota Timberwolves Feature On-Court Media Day With Drone Flyover at Target Center
Chicago Bulls Use Year-Old Videoboard, Mobile Predictive Gaming To Draw Up Production Plan
Denver Nuggets Repurpose RSN Broadcast With Some In-Venue Flavor
With Empty AT&T Center and Reduced Game-Day Staff, Spurs Add Digital Arena' to Mobile App
Longtime Staples: Ringing the Bell, Frosty Freeze-Out Remain at Wells Fargo Center Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons ring the bell prior to tip-off.
In a city that owns a steep, historical lineage that goes back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia knows a lot about honoring the past. Despite the team playing in front of seats that are mostly empty, the production crew is staying true to what gives character and flavor to games at the Wells Fargo Center. One element harkens back to the city's foundation and one of its most famous icons, the ceremonial ringing of the Liberty Bell.
We worked with President [of Business Operations] Chris Heck and Head Coach Doc Rivers to get this done, says Hayes. We ended up creating a rotation where the players ring the bell.
Sponsorship integrations has been one of the harder boxes to check off this season. Normally, fans would digest a litany of in-game content that is attached with a participating sponsor. For example, Frosty Freeze-Out, a time where fans make a lot of noise to distract an opposing player shooting two free throws, is one of the more notable activation. This is still occurring during a game, but with the help of security, team staffers, and others that are allowed into the building.
We hand out props to our executive team and staff, so they're holding up thunder sticks, rally towels, and signs, he continues. On Media Day, we shot footage of Dwight Howard with a Frosty Freeze-Out sign and he was so amped up that he actually broke it, so the players are into it. It's funny because you'll sometimes see [the players] pump up the crowd from the bench.
Staffers hold up signs for the Frosty Freeze-Out.
In addition to these activations, pyrotechnics are still being infused during player introductions like they have been for 15 years. Along with these classics, new additions are being put into the rotation. Drip Cam is leveraging the fashion of the players prior to getting onto the court and even the select few sitting in the stands.
We're taking photos of them when they enter the arena, and when they're in the huddle, they'll peek up at the video to see if their outfits made it up there, adds Hayes. We're also highlighting staff and media, so one game, we highlighted GM Elton Brand and he showed off his blazer and sweater.
The Philly Faithful: Fake Crowd Noise Replicates Passion of the Fans Known for their deep-rooted passion, sports fans in the metropolitan area are invested in everything related to the Sixers. Over the years, these fans have become the heartbeat and soundtrack of games in South Philadelphia. While they're away, the production staff is poised with generating that same sound through fake crowd noise.
My DJs and my crew are operating the equipment because it's important to know the energy of our fans, says Hayes. When the officials make a questionable call, we know that our fans would be vocal, so we make sure that the crowd noise is loud.
In-game entertainment is still heavily involved at Wells Fargo Center.
Noise and chants used during a game are mostly generated from NBA 2K, but to add additional authenticity, the Sixers are re-using sounds from other seasons where the seats were packed. For instance against the Boston Celtics, Hayes and company are tapping into the archive to rile up their Eastern
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
18/08/2026
Riedel Communications has announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, ...
18/08/2026
Company launch with stereo-imaging tool
Panoramic is the debut release from Panorama Labs, a new company formed by mastering engineer Nicholas Di Lorenzo. C...
18/08/2026
Control software now available for older interfaces
Focusrite have just announced the launch of an update that extends Control 2 software support their Scar...
18/08/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Lightware announces an integration with SpectralBot that helps system integrators and AV operators troubleshoot faster using augmented reality (AR), AI-assisted...
18/08/2026
Command Frame for After Effects
Scott Black August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Free download, demonstrations, hands-on tests, and creator resources
Want to t...
18/08/2026
At Stand 14.A57, the data company will demonstrate GreenDot and IBM Aspera together, giving media and entertainment businesses real-time visibility of what thei...
On the Hardwood: Philadelphia 76ers Continue Treasured Traditions at Wells Fargo Center A blend of new and old elements maintains the energy inside of the venue By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
