Production leverages innovative camera technologies, AI, and data to capture the action in four-week inaugural competition
The first-ever professional dunking league, dubbed DUNKMAN, is changing what it means to produce the sport of basketball for live television.
Launched this summer by TNT Sports, Authentic Brands Group, and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal, who serves as commissioner, DUNKMAN heads into Week 2 of competition tonight at 8 p.m. ET on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Four weekly hour-long stage events, held at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, will eventually culminate in the world championships on Aug. 25. Twenty-four of the world's top dunkers compete throughout the season for a $500,000 grand prize.
We're excited about the opportunity to help bring a new sports and entertainment property to audiences in a way that feels true to the energy of the event, says Daniel Nabors, senior director, remote engineering and operations, studios technology, TNT Sports. Producing something new gives our team a chance to think creatively about how we capture the competition, the personalities, and the atmosphere, while also leaning on TNT Sports' deep experience producing basketball and live event programming.
Our goal, he continues, is to deliver a broadcast that feels fresh and engaging for fans while maintaining the quality and storytelling viewers expect from TNT Sports.
Although there are some similarities to TNT's production of the Slam Dunk contest at NBA All-Star Weekend, the new sports and entertainment property has its own distinct identity, energy, and format, Nabors says. TNT Sports' deep basketball experience across all levels has been instrumental in identifying unique camera angles and shaping the overall production approach.
Behind the technology, data, and AI
The DUNKMAN broadcast is in 1080p HDR, produced fully onsite in Atlanta out of NEP Supershooter 27 and ST36 mobile units.
According to Nabors, the production strategy offers TNT Sports greater flexibility as we develop a new product, while keeping the full team onsite to support stronger communication and closer collaboration with the league.
Professional dunker Joel Henry shows off his skill during DUNKMAN competition. (Photo: Authentic Brands Group)The production, he explains, integrates several new technologies. An Owl AI system, for example, uses optical tracking to capture dunk metrics, and EVS Extra Motion is deployed to slow down replays to give at-home viewers clearer looks from different angles.
The camera complement for the DUNKMAN productions features two Sony HDC-4300 hard cameras: one placed high in a traditional game location, the other camera courtside in a slash location. Also deployed are two Sony HDC-5500 RF handheld cameras transmitting in 3X super-slow-motion, an RF Sony FX3 on a Ronin RS4 Pro, a Sony HDC-5500 on a courtside jib, a two-point cable camera, and, located above the rim, a Sony HDC-P50 PTZ robotic transmitting in 3X super-slow-motion.
TNT Sports also incorporates two Nucleus camera systems into the broadcast - one in the lower stanchion, one on the backboard - in addition to a Muybridge system and multiple Proton 4K POV cameras situated around the basket to capture dunk metrics. The Muybridge volumetric camera array is placed on the reverse side of the key, says Nabors, to provide a distinctive tracking angle for each dunk.
To capture audio, DUNKMAN is using a setup similar to that of a traditional basketball broadcast, but additional QFX microphones are sewn into players' jerseys to offer greater access.
TNT Sports' design team, led by VP/Creative Director Jordan Shorthouse, developed the graphics package and on-screen visuals for the broadcast.
From the beginning, says Nabors, the goal was to make the event feel like a premier competitive sporting event. Every graphic was designed with a sleek, technology-driven aesthetic that felt premium, modern, and innovative while reinforcing the intensity of each athlete's performance.
The broadcast leverages real-time performance data through cloud-based Owl AI, which uses advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence to capture dunk metrics, such as vertical leap, distance traveled, and dunk power. All the metrics are factored into each competitor's score.
Those statistics were seamlessly integrated throughout the broadcast via the Ross XPression graphics system, giving viewers deeper insight into the athleticism behind every dunk, Nabors explains. The result was a graphics package that not only elevated the storytelling of the competition but also helped legitimize the judging process by making the scoring more transparent and data-driven.
TNT Sports' DUNKMAN production team includes, besides Shorthouse, EVP/Chief Content Officer, Sports, Craig Berry; SVP, Production, Steve Fiorellom; VP, Production Technology, Chris Brown; Director John Tackett; Producer Bert Bondi; Manager, Remote Operations and Engineering, Josh Wiggins; Manager, Technical Operations, David Cabeza; Technical Managers Shaun Reid and Jay Dunlap; and Production Manager Caz Grabowski.
In addition to Owl AI and NEP, the DUNKMAN production is supported by Faction (Ronin rig), CP Communications (video/audio RF systems), and Filmwerks (generator support).
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Production leverages innovative camera technologies, AI, and data to capture the action in four-week inaugural competition
