NBC Sports Brings Robust Production Plans to Boston For Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final The network traveled to 16 cities in a postseason that began back on April 10 By Kristian Hernandez, Assistant Editor
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 10:28 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
In a Stanley Cup Final that was 49 years in the making, it's only fitting that a boisterous crowd in Boston will witness the first Game 7 since 2011. After either St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo or Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara lifts the 34.5-lb. trophy in the air, NBC Sports will close up shop on its two-month-long coverage of the NHL postseason with a strategy similar to last year's.
Our setup for the Stanley Cup this year closely resembles that of last year, says James Stuart, senior director, operations, NBC Sports Group. Our crew size of roughly 160 people is mainly the same as well. We continued with our two-A-unit plan for the game and studio shows that was implemented last season.
A Similar Final But With Some Additions
Under the dedicated-mobile-unit plan, NEP is handling all activities in St. Louis and Boston. For contests in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, the game has been produced in the ND6 truck, and studio programming has been generated inside NCP8's A and B units. In Beantown, ND5 controlled the game broadcast; Pegasus A and B units, studio content.
A total of 54 camera have been deployed throughout the championship series: 46 feeds for the game, eight for the studio. Five Sony HDC-4300's with super-slow-motion playback, one Sony HDC-4800 with 4K capability, an RF wireless handheld, three Grass Valley super-slow-motion robos, and an RF M VI for pre/postgame content on the ice are just a few tech highlights at the network's disposal.
Stuart and company have made some notable changes to the layout. A noteworthy addition to the super-slow-motion complement is the 6X hothead camera inside the scoreboard. Others include the use of new camera lenses as well as six new POV locations dispersed throughout each arena. One particular addition hovers above the skies of the city.
A memorable moment [for us] is getting clearance from the FAA to fly a helicopter over Boston for Game 7, says Stuart. The Red Sox are in town and have a no-fly [zone]' in place for their games. We applied for a waiver with the help of our Boston affiliate, WBTS NBC10, and received approval.
A Balancing Act: Working Around Logistical Hurdles
The process of receiving clearance from the FAA is an arduous task in itself, but that wasn't the only obstacle that needed to be overcome during the past two months. Along with teams from NBC Sports Boston, the operations team needed to work around restrictions laid out by the city.
The main challenge this year was having to set-up and strike our outdoor set in Boston for the Stanley Cup. This was due to being on the street and having the city close [the area] only on game days, says Stuart. For Game 7, we will be able to produce only our pregame [show] from our outdoor set, and [we'll] have to strike it before the game ends and the crowd lets out.
Series always have their conundrums. A long postseason unfortunately comes with conflicting schedules.
Another challenge was working in cities/markets that also had NBA teams [that] qualified for the playoffs, such as Denver, Brooklyn, Toronto, Boston, and Golden State, says Stuart. We also worked in cities with a large college/university presence during graduation season, which made securing hotels and transportation difficult.
Amongst all the chaos, the network is receiving a much-needed boost from its Stamford, CT, headquarters.
Stamford is housing all of our edit [crews], says Stuart. All of the content produced from onsite is fed back via file transfer. We increased the size of our data pipe from 600 MB to 1 GB for the Stanley Cup Final.
And that's not all. NBC Sports has leveraged its collaboration with multiple Canadian networks to alleviate some of the stress.
A highlight [of this postseason] was collaborating with Rogers Sportsnet on the broadcasts in Calgary and Winnipeg, says Stuart. We worked closely with them to streamline production by taking their feed and adding in our own announcers, replay wipe, and score bug.
Specifically for the Stanley Cup Final, Rogers Sportsnet is supplying two POV feeds, one feed from a Grass Valley robo, and ankle cams on the ice. In addition, TVA Sports will also offer a helping hand with two rendered, super-slow-motion feeds from inside the goalposts.
Putting the Beast to Bed: A Proper Send-Off for the Series
Throughout a journey that included 16 cities, four time zones, and countless miles traveled, the operations team has enjoyed the entire playoff run. And, although the network has witnessed Game 7's in five series this season, NBC Sports will do its best to provide a fitting end to yet another one going the distance.
There's nothing better than a Game 7 to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, says Stuart. The feeling produces a shot of adrenaline that will carry everyone across the finish line. Being a part of something special will provide memories that will last a lifetime.
Game 7 coverage of the Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBC.
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...
NBC Sports Brings Robust Production Plans to Boston For Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final The network traveled to 16 cities in a postseason that began back on April 10 By Kristian Hernandez, Assistant Editor 
