ESPN's Megacast simulcast of the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship across multiple ESPN networks and platforms included a nat-sound feed to ESPN Classic produced using a DiGiCo SD9 digital audio-mixing console.
The audio for ESPN Classic's telecast - including performances by the Oregon and Ohio State marching bands, Aloe Blacc singing America the Beautiful, and Lady Antebellum performing The Star-Spangled Banner - was drawn from more than 100 microphones positioned throughout AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The audio was mixed by freelance A1 Jason Blood of Happy Helmet Productions. The CFP Megacast reportedly comprised 32 separate, simultaneous transmission paths. In contrast, most game broadcasts include no more than a dozen and sometimes as few as four.
According to ESPN, its CFP Megacast of the championship game, played on Jan. 12, delivered not only the highest rating in cable-television history but also the largest audience, as reported by Nielsen. ESPN provided more than a dozen ways - including multiple cable-television outlets, radio, and streaming - to watch the title contest between No. 2 Oregon and No. 4 Ohio State and attracted a combined average of 34.1 million viewers and an 18.6 U.S. household rating.
I was basically focusing on trying to capture the essence of what it would sound like if you were watching the game inside the stadium, explains Blood, who has mixed broadcast audio for such sports events as the X Games, NASCAR, IndyCar, college basketball, and college football for such as outlets as Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, and ABC. From an audio standpoint, it was great, because we were just focusing on how to bring the best experience to the viewer at home.
Although more than 100 microphones were located throughout AT&T Stadium by Game Creek Video, which had six remote units onsite, Blood reports that he was able to mix using a much more manageable number. The SD9 console made it convenient for us because we were able to take just a couple of MADI streams from the submix truck and some AES feeds from the game truck and we were ready to go, he says. So we were operating on a more efficient scale. VER (Video Equipment Rentals) supplied the SD9 console system.
Basically, I got a game effects mix from the submix truck plus some other individual mixes passing through the submix truck, he continues. I had both the Oregon and Ohio State bands, the Oregon and Ohio State student sections, a PA feed, a referee mic, over eight mics surrounding the field for the marching bands [which they covered both pregame and during the halftime], plus a crowd mix. We weren't necessarily dealing with an overwhelming number of independent microphones from the game, but we had a lot of feeds and mixes from it, and we were able to do our own show independent from the show that game truck was doing.
Unlike a traditional broadcast, during which the commentators call the play-by-play and analyze the on-field action, Blood adds, it really allowed us to focus on what the marching bands sounded like or what the student sections sounded like. It was a lot of fun to bring that atmosphere to the viewer at home, because that's not something you get unless you're sitting in the stands.
It was an impressive show to be on, and I've been on Super Bowls and other big events before. This was right up there with them, he continues. The number of programs that were happening simultaneously was impressive.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
ESPN's Megacast simulcast of the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship across multiple ESPN networks and platforms included a nat-sound feed to ESPN Classic produced using a DiGiCo SD9 digital audio-mixing console.
