
Paris 2024: NBC Sports' Comms Infrastructure Redefines Complexity' 24 trunked intercoms, 1,028 trunks between them, more than 15,000 trunk sources By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Thursday, August 8, 2024 - 11:48 am
Print This Story
The largest intercom system assembled for a single sports production in history. That's how John Pastore, senior director, broadcast communications, NBC Sports, describes the sprawling infrastructure connecting hundreds of technicians across the expansive Paris 2024 campus and the broadcaster's technical mothership in Stamford, CT.
NBC Sports' John Pastore: A seamless web of communication options [allows] the NBC production folks to create just about any workflow they could dream up.
Comms is one of the most complex things broadcast engineers have to deal with. Then, he says, there's comms for the Olympics, which completely redefines complexity. We're breaking records all over the place!
Pastore, who managed broadcast communications for nine previous Olympics productions, notes how NBC Sports' broadcast center in Stamford has evolved since replacing the IBC as the hub for the NBCUniversal's Olympics coverage. For instance, intercom trunking was introduced, and analog and copper gave way to digital and fiber. Miles of analog audio and RS-485 data via Cat 5e cable were replaced with Dante and OMNEO AoIP networking via the same Cat5e. Dozens of TIFs using analog telephone lines were upgraded to RTS VLink SIP and Telos VX SIP interfaces.
We brought Clear-Com's LQ VoIP into the mix to launch simple two-wire comms remotely via raw internet at smaller locations, he explains. Topping things off, we introduced an RTS VLink 128-port virtual intercom. This allowed us to use cellular connected iPhones paired with Jabra headsets to behave like portable intercom panels while roaming the streets of Paris.
The location change alone from Games to Games, he continues, forces us to be super-flexible and open-minded to new designs and ideas while capable of thinking outside the box. All of this together pushed our technical know-how and hardware outside [our] comfort zones at times, but it allowed us to find new and creative workflows that often surprised the manufacturer, inspiring future features and product ideas.
Innovative Trunk Design The massive use of intercom trunking for the large Paris Olympics campus was innovative and inflective.
RTS's trunking has been around for a while now, Pastore points out. We've used it more and more over the past few Olympic Games, but, for Paris, we went all-in: 24 trunked intercoms, 1,028 trunks between them, over 350 trunks in use on average at any given moment - not only historical for my team and NBC but possibly a record in the world's community of comms. However, the size alone doesn't win us the gold. That combined with a great design, organized deployment, and careful management sets us apart.
Venues in Paris are trunked to each other and to NBC Sports' broadcast center in Stamford.
Another innovation for the Paris Games was the use of cascaded trunking: traversing one intercom via a second intercom connection to communicate with a third intercom in series. A very complex plan was needed to ensure that no NBC intercom user ever ran out of trunks while communicating with any number of the 15,000-plus trunked resources in the system.
With most venues trunked to the new Olympics mothership in Stamford and each other, Pastore says, we engineered a seamless web of communication options, allowing the NBC production folks to create just about any workflow they could dream up.
He credits his team of a dozen operators and engineers: his Comms A-Team he calls them. The Olympics [are] my excuse to bring the most talented broadcast-communications engineers on the planet together every two years to make this happen. With the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics already in our sights, I'm excited to see where the world of broadcast comms will go next.
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...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
14/07/2026
Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...
14/07/2026
Plug-ins for heavy music
Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...
14/07/2026
Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model
IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...
14/07/2026
Registration open until 1 September 2026
The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...
14/07/2026
88-note model completes MK4 range
Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of the Nemotron Labs blog series, which exp...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
14/07/2026
Tuesday 14 July 2026
First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...
14/07/2026
When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...
14/07/2026
Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...
14/07/2026
Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...