ACC Network Launch Day: Inside ESPN's New Sleek, Modern, Colorful ACCN Studio The 2,800-sq.ft. studio in Bristol, CT, features a load of technological capabilities By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Thursday, August 22, 2019 - 2:48 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
With the launch of the ACC Network on Thursday comes the debut of a sharp, sleek, and colorful new studio set on ESPN's Bristol, CT, campus.
Located in Studio G in ESPN's Digital Center 1, the 2,800-sq.-ft. home of the new college-conference network was no simple, templated build. This is a customized set designed to push the envelope in a few areas, including clever camera design and innovative graphics displays.
The ACC Network, which launches on Thursday, occupies a new 2,800-sq.-ft. studio at ESPN's Digital Center 1.
It's a space that not only is ready for launch today but has a lot of room to grow alongside the network over the next few years.
We're going to try to incorporate sort of the two tiers of storytelling, which is the human side, the human-interest side, but then also what is the next level of storytelling through data and analysis, says Amy Rosenfeld, senior coordinating producer, ESPN. We're virtual-ready. We are experimenting with our capabilities on augmented reality. We are going to be pretty aggressive in the execution of data and analytics as it relates to a storytelling device.
MORE:
ACC Network Launch Day: With Buy-In From ESPN and All 15 Schools, Newest College Sports Network Is Poised for Success
ACC Network Launch Day: Packer and Durham Morning Show Will Anchor Daily Programming - From Mark Packer's Basement
Among the studio's most notable tech features are a pair of fully robotic telescoping pedestal cameras in a box that can offer unique views of the various set locations. The boxes are developed by Rhode Island-based production company Creative Conners. They can serve as integrated scene pieces when not in use but can quickly rise into action and transition viewers from one point in the set to another, allowing fun and seamless transitions between segments.
The studio also houses four Grass Valley LDX 86 4K-capable cameras (set to shoot in 1080p), a pair of Grass Valley LDC 4K-capable cameras (also shooting in 1080p), three robotic Vinten cameras, two Vinten Vantage PTZ robotic camera heads, a MOSYS eCrane able to display augmented-reality graphics and StarTracker virtual data, five LED walls (one able to slide around to different positions), two 98-in. monitors, a pair of touchscreens for on-air talent to use for telestration and analysis, six mobile Pak Talent game-viewing monitors, and 262 LED lighting fixtures (including 38 color-changing moving lights and 116 LED controllers wired and networked to the lighting board for all LED set elements).
ESPN's ACC Network studio features a camera in a box that can quickly transition from a set piece into a fully operational mobile robotic camera.
The robust studio is just another demonstration of ESPN's commitment to putting its best resources behind this project. Although the network has learned lessons and has a nice template from the launches of both the Longhorn Network (2011) and the SEC Network (2014), it was a priority to give ACC Network a personality all its own.
We wanted to make a point to make ACC [Network] its own unique space, says Kristy Higgins, supervising director, ESPN, who helped oversee much of the studio's development. One of our goals, and something that the ACC as a whole really embraced, is pushing the individual schools, colors, and flavor. Each of the ACC schools speaks for [itself], and we want them to incorporate that, not only in our studio design but also in the graphic designs and in the colors that we use in some of the animations. I think we've captured a lot of each individual school in some of those designs.
Rosenfeld agrees that the ESPN graphics department outdid itself with the graphics package, which will be used heavily within this studio.
I don't say this lightly, and I'm definitely dating myself, she says, but I've been doing this a really, really long time, and I've worked on really, really big events. I've worked on Olympics, I've worked on World Cups. I have never been a part of an animation and graphics package that is as forward-thinking and innovative and cool as this ACC Network package.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
03/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has opened a docket for comments on the proposed $6.2 billion Nexstar acquisition for Tegna and set deadlines f...
03/12/2025
MILAN, Italy Brightcove has released seven new features designed to expand global reach, improve audience engagement, enhance live-streaming quality and streaml...
03/12/2025
NEW YORK Great American Media said it plans to launch Pure Flix Familia, a dedicated Spanish-language platform, in 2026....
03/12/2025
SOUTHPORT, Conn. Main Street Sports Group has announced that the FanDuel Sports Network app is now available directly on Vizio and on smart TVs with Vizio OS. T...
03/12/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Telia, the second-largest telecom operator in Norway, is modernizing its broadband network with the company's c...
03/12/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. Sinclair said Jay Zollar, vice president and general manager of WLUK-WCWF here, will retire Dec. 31 after 26 years running the stations. Station...
02/12/2025
Case Study: How Mid-Atlantic Sports Network Moved to All-IP Distribution in 60 D...
02/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Lee Corso, Coach, Commentator, FirebrandBy Ken Kerschbaumer
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | S...
02/12/2025
SVG All-Stars: Dan Nabors, Senior Director, Remote Engineering, TNT SportsThe veteran tech leader is helping guide Warner Bros. Discovery's at-home' re...
02/12/2025
National Lacrosse League Opens Season With New Cloud-Based Official Replay-Revie...
02/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: The Cinematic Look in Live Production - Bridging Aesthetic...
02/12/2025
SVG India Announces Advisory Board; JioStar's Prashant Khanna Named ChairmanBy Ken Kerschbaumer
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 11:15 am
Print This Story |...
02/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: New AI Production Tools Workshop' Features ESPN, F...
02/12/2025
Written and directed by Hailey Gates, Atropia won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival....
02/12/2025
The lightweight and highly portable CORVUS-RAVEN, recently demonstrated at the V...
02/12/2025
The lightweight, rugged Panther 2 tri-band VSAT delivers high-speed data communications for Internet, VPN connectivity and video transmission over commercial an...
02/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
02/12/2025
NGID volunteers in the United States
NGID volunteers in Mexico
NGID volunteers in India
NGID volunteers in Spain
NGID volunteers in Australia
NGID voluntee...
02/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau has issued a reminder that stations in DMAs 111 through 120 must implement its audio descrip...
02/12/2025
SAN DIEGO Sony Electronics today introduced the Alpha 7 V (ILCE-7M5), the fifth generation of its Alpha 7 full-frame mirrorless lineup, powered by the newly dev...
02/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has opened a docket for comments on Nexstar Media Group's proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna and se...
02/12/2025
WASHINGTON The National Association of Broadcasters has added a trio of media executives, Veronica Rodriguez, Matt Schnaars and Jeff Warshaw, to its board of di...
02/12/2025
MILAN, Italy Brightcove has released seven new features designed to expand global reach, improve audience engagement, enhance live-streaming quality and streaml...
02/12/2025
BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced a new Service Provider Partner agreement with NPC Media, the Australian managed p...
02/12/2025
DPA Microphones today announces the immediate availability of its new N-Series Digital Wireless Microphone System for customers throughout the U.S. In addition ...
02/12/2025
Hiltron Communications reports a well attended and successful Space Tech Expo exhibition, held at the Messe Bremen from Tuesday November 18 through Thursday Nov...
02/12/2025
The beginning of September saw Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust, in association with Channel 9 and Triple M, kick off the 2025 Brisbane Festival in spec...
02/12/2025
SGM Lighting is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with ACT Entertainment, under which ACT will serve as the exclusive distributor for SGM's ne...
02/12/2025
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that Telia, the second largest telecom operator in Norway, is modernizing its broadband network with the company's i...
02/12/2025
European cloud data protection specialist Keepit is expanding its sales network in the DACH region and has gained TIM AG, one of the leading value-added distrib...
02/12/2025
Featured products at ISE 2026
This year s ISE 2026 theme "Push Beyond" reflects Calrec s direction of travel. The company is dedicated to supporting the AV an...
02/12/2025
Czech Television, the national public broadcaster, has deployed one of the largest LiveU live production projects in the region for live sports and news coverag...
02/12/2025
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics, has announced the release of v8.2 software for its ZEN and ZEN-W Series, bringing advanced cinematic camera se...
02/12/2025
Global provider of video streaming software and services, Accedo, and OTT platform provider, Magine Pro, have signed a binding agreement to carve out and merge ...
02/12/2025
With proven success in broadcast, OTT, and content supply chains, K.S Avinash set to scale Skandha's service-first approach across APAC
Skandha Media Servi...
02/12/2025
AJA Video Systems has joined the RAVENNA community, a network of partners devoted to advancing the RAVENNA standard for distributing real-time audio over intern...
02/12/2025
HUNT VALLEY, Md. Sinclair and its wholly-owned subsidiary One Media Technologies have released a new report focused on how ATSC 3.0, the IP-based NextGen TV sta...
02/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau has issued a reminder that stations in DMAs 111 through 120 must implement its audio descrip...
02/12/2025
WASHINGTON Members of the Advanced Television Systems Committee have elected four industry veterans to three-year terms on the organization's board of direc...
02/12/2025
A new survey from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan highlights how important social media is for younger consumers, with Gen Z spending 5.1 hours a day on so...
02/12/2025
Faculty Notes: Fall/Winter 2025 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
December 1, 2025
By
Editorial Staff
The cast of Kind of M...
02/12/2025
Today, Mistral AI announced the Mistral 3 family of open-source multilingual, multimodal models, optimized across NVIDIA supercomputing and edge platforms.
M...
02/12/2025
Ring In The Holidays With Our Biggest Sale Ever On Ivory II Pianos!From now until December 31st, you can save 50% or more on every Ivory II piano and collection...
02/12/2025
Back to All News
Made in America: How Stranger Things' Electrified the US Economy
Entertainment
02 December 2025
GlobalUnited States
Link copied to cl...
02/12/2025
Back to All News
Culinary Class Wars' Season 2 Trailer Teases New Rules, R...
02/12/2025
--
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Telecommunication Unio...
02/12/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Will Redefine Subscribers' Quality of Experience, Lowering Churn SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 2, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today...
02/12/2025
At AWS re:Invent, NVIDIA and Amazon Web Services expanded their strategic collab...
ACC Network Launch Day: Inside ESPN's New Sleek, Modern, Colorful ACCN Studio The 2,800-sq.ft. studio in Bristol, CT, features a load of technological capabilities By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
