Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NHL Puck Drop 2021: NBC Sports Will Be Onsite for Exclusive Games But Will Lean Heavily on RSNs, Stamford Broadcast Center

14/01/2021

NHL Puck Drop 2021: NBC Sports Will Be Onsite for Exclusive Games But Will Lean Heavily on RSNs, Stamford Broadcast Center Flexibility, COVID-free operations are important considerations in quick-turnaround prep By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor

Wednesday, January 13, 2021 - 3:50 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Tonight, NBC Sports Group embarks on what is expected to be one of the most challenging NHL campaigns in history, with a Wednesday Night Hockey triple-header. To safely produce roughly 100 regular-season games over the next four months, NBC will use a mix of full onsite productions and REMI operations that leverage RSN-produced clean feeds and are centralized at its Stamford, CT, broadcast center.

To make this season work, we're going to use multiple systems on how we produce games, says NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood. In some cases, the entire group will be onsite, traditional broadcast. Other games we will call from back here in the building [in Stamford]. Other games we will have a truck onsite, the talent here [in Stamford]. We're going to be moving things around, a lot of different structures and systems. We learned during the football season that things change at a moment's notice, and we have to be ready and we've got to adjust. We've tested out the systems and are ready to go.

01.13.21

Hockey

is

back. pic.twitter.com/lwHsAcCJOf

-

NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) December

28, 2020

Production Ops: Onsite for Exclusive Games, REMI for Others To minimize travel and limit the number of people onsite, the league is limiting each game to one mobile unit and one production crew for regular-season games. That means that home-team RSNs will be the lone broadcaster onsite for most regular-season games and NBC's production and operations crew will be the only onsite staff for exclusive national broadcasts.

Travel is troubling now, says Flood. You have to be really careful about how many people you send on the road. The non-exclusive games, a lot of them, will be the regionals across all networks that will be supplying host feed. We'll supplement that with a camera and some other elements. There will be a lot of games that way simply because we can't get the folks out on the road to all these games. We have to be really smart about how we deploy our assets.

NBC plans to have its own truck and crew onsite for all exclusive national broadcasts but will be positioned to adapt if circumstances call for it. This onsite model will resemble previous seasons but with enhanced safety protocols, reduced staff that is socially distanced, and a handful of operators in Stamford. Depending on the game, NBC could have up to three EVS operators plus graphics and scorebug ops in Stamford.

The majority of NBC's non-exclusive games will leverage a clean feed provided by the home team's RSN. NBC will take this host feed and have all production staff and operations located in Stamford. The NBC Sports production team will also have one unilateral camera at its disposal and take in five selected camera feeds from the RSN to help augment its telecast. Home RSNs will be responsible for providing this clean feed to away-team RSNs for use in their markets.

According to James Stuart, senior director, operations, NBC Sports Group, taking world feeds from the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton last year gave his team the framework to be confident in taking host feeds from RSN and producing games from Stamford. However, NBC's busy winter season of events and short lead-time prior to the season (the league announced the schedule on Dec. 20) made cementing operations plans for the NHL that much tougher.

Getting our productions up and running has been an immense undertaking, says Stuart. Launching NHL while we are nearing the end of Sunday Night Football and in the midst of Premier League's busiest part of the season is a testament to the engineering, operations, and production teams that are working pretty much around the clock to ensure success on all fronts.

Commentator Setups: A Mix of Onsite, in Stamford, and Even At-Home For the majority of games, home-team announcers will be in the arena, away-team RSN commenters will call the game off-tube (either in the home arena or in the RSN's broadcast facility). When possible, NBC will travel announcers onsite for exclusive national broadcasts but will have announcers call games from Stamford (or, in some cases, from their respective homes) for the remaining games.

Says Stuart, We learned during the playoffs last year, the two bubbles, how we could call off-tube, how we could do things differently. The lessons learned there were the reasons we were willing to have Mike Tirico call an important [NFL Wild Card] game on Saturday night from his home. We did the same thing with Doc Emrick calling a Stanley Cup game from his home.

All season long, he continues, we've been looking at ways to keep our team out of harm's way, keep them safe, keep them COVID-free. Until the vaccine is fully rolled out, we have to constantly be ready to adapt and adjust.

Inside the Arenas: Exploring New Camera Positions, Embracing Artificial Crowd Noise With camera complements varying from arena to arena, NBC will move some cameras lower to provide better angles for the broadcast. The average camera complement this year will be the same as in years past: five hard cameras, two handhelds, and two robos. But, with no fans in the stands, NBC hopes to establish new robo locations as the season progresses. It will also deploy more POV cameras due to restrictions on close contact with players and NHL staff. When announcers are onsite, lower commentary positions are now available, given the absence of fans.

On the audio side, NBC's complement of on-ice microphone remains th
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/01/13/2021-nhl-puck-drop-nbc-sports-w...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 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 Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

16/04/2026

AJA to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

NAB Show 2026: Sony Announces New Cameras, Virtual Production Tools

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Synamedia launches GO Shorts

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Clear-Com Introduces Arcadia and Eclipse HX Updates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

AJA Enters into Agreement to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato

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

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 Celebration

Berklee's First Homecoming Brings Global Alumni to Boston for a Block Party ...

15/04/2026

BBC World Service TV Selects Open Broadcast Systems IP Decoders for Global Distribution

Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BBC World Service has selected its IP ...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: LiveU Expands Collaboration with Sony to Include File-Based Workflow Integration

LiveU has announced an expansion of its collaboration with Sony Corporation, add...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: Ateme and NVIDIA Announce Immersive Video Workflow for Apple Vision Pro

Ateme has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to support live Apple Immersive ...

15/04/2026

Professional Fighters League Renews Multi-Year Partnership with DAZN DACH

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a multi-year partnership renewal with DAZN DACH, covering Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: Canon Sets New Benchmark with CINE-SERVO 40-1200m Lens; New Remote Camera Controller Supports Up to 200 Cameras

Canon U.S.A. (NAB Booth C3825) today took the lid off of the CINE-SERVO 40-1200m...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: Panasonic and NEP Group to Demonstrate KAIROS and NEP Platform Integration

Panasonic Video and Audio Systems North America and NEP Group will demonstrate a...

15/04/2026

Exclusive Wasabi Report: AI Spending Is Surging, But ROI Tells a Different Story

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

NBC Sports to Broadcast The Soccer Tournament Live on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN, May 30-June 1

The Soccer Tournament (TST) has announced a media rights deal with NBC Sports to...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: JB&A Announces Exhibitors for Pre-NAB 2026 Technology Event

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

NAB 2026: Sennheiser Group to Exhibit with Spectera and AMBEO Updates

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 2026: NAB Show 2026 to Feature Expanded AI, Sports, and Creator Economy Programming

NAB Show 2026 will take place April 18-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, wi...

15/04/2026

NAB 2026: AI-Media Launches LEXI Text Encoder and LEXI Voice Encoder

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

NAB 2026: Cartoni Debuts New Camera Support Products

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

NAB 2026: Lawo and swXtch.io Sign MOU to Explore groundSwXtch Integration

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

NAB 2026: CacheFly to Demonstrate New CDN Features

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

NAB 2026: Synamedia Launches GO Shorts for Mobile-First Short-Form Video

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

NAB 2026 Preview, Central Hall: Everything You Need To Know Heading Into the Show

The NAB Show kicks off on Saturday, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams a...

15/04/2026

AJA Video Systems to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato

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

NBA Playoffs 2026: Prime Vision, Prime Insights Offer New Data-Driven Experiences for NBA Fans

Prime Video Sports' NBA Playoffs coverage, which includes the entire SoFi NB...

15/04/2026

Top Live-Sound-System Manufacturers Team Up To Better Manage Stadium Noise

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

Spotify Podcast Awards Return to Celebrate Latin America's Most Influential Voices

From immersive storytelling to laugh-out-loud comedies, podcasts are booming in ...

15/04/2026

Spotify Expands Audiobook Features, and Printed Book Sales Go Live in the US and UK

Books have always moved with us, whether tucked in our bags or humming in our he...

15/04/2026

Spotify and NIVA Partner to Support Independent Venues Across the US

For many artists, independent venues are where music careers begin and fan communities take shape. Independent venue operators work hard every day to keep local...

15/04/2026

Spotify Editors Reveal Their Picks for Best Book of the Century (So Far)

From gripping thrillers to poignant memoirs, the 21st century has had no shortage of unforgettable books. To celebrate the standout storytelling of our modern e...

15/04/2026

SonicWorld introduce Telsie T

Vintage broadcast experts release second plug-in Telsie T is the second plug-in to be released by SonicWorld, a German audio company who specialise in servi...

15/04/2026

UAD Explore Free from Universal Audio

Includes eight free UAD plug-ins Universal Audio's latest bundle brings together a selection of their renowned plug-ins and virtual instruments, and is ...

15/04/2026

Maximum uptime for broadcasters: Rohde & Schwarz launches R&SBroadcastShield at NAB 2026

Maximum uptime for broadcasters: Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S BroadcastShield at...

15/04/2026

WIDOW: The Mission Software Defining Rotary Strike

Image courtesy of MD Helicopters...

15/04/2026

L3Harris Announces Billion Dollar Expansion to Boost Solid Rocket Motor Production in Orange County, Virginia

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, L3Harris VP Mark Farley, and state and local l...

15/04/2026

Advancing America's Space Defense: L3Harris Completes Critical Milestone on Way to Delivering GBOSS Capability to the Warfighter

U.S. Space Forces Ground-Based Optical Sensor System upgrade at the Maui Space S...

15/04/2026

Winter Olympics, Super Bowl Power NBCU-Versant to Gold Medal Performance in Nielsen's February Gauge Reports

NBCU-Versant notches 13.1% of TV viewing in February, its best since August 2024...

15/04/2026

Nielsen CMI shows New Zealand's over-65s are a growing, cashed-up and still-working audience brands can't ignore

New data reveals older Kiwis are financially resilient, loyal to local products,...

15/04/2026

aconnic launches ACCEED 4430 10 Gigabit system for high volume enterprise and business service aggregation

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, announces the market launch of the ACCE...

15/04/2026

Autocue to Mark 2026 NAB Show Debut of its New PTZ Prompter

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/04/2026

Locality Deploys Nielsen's Media Data Engine

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/04/2026

Viant Announces Agreement to Acquire TVision

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/04/2026

Evergent introduces Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platfor...

Evergent introduces its Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platform, transforming how subscription businesses across direct-to-consumer streaming, pay-TV, telecommun...