As Boxing Coverage Goes Beyond the Ring, RF and Intercoms Are Key for Audio Soundtronics Wireless Las Vegas keeps wireless sound for boxing loud and clear By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 8:00 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
HBO, the platform that created modern pay-per-view for some of boxing's biggest battles, said farewell to the sport last September after 45 years as the broadcaster for many of the main bouts in professional pugilism. Since then, others have picked up some of the slack, including Showtime with Championship Boxing and ShoBox: The Next Generation and, more recently, subscription video-streaming service DAZN, which has carried events from Matchroom Boxing USA and Viacom-owned mixed-martial-arts promoter Bellator.
Soundtronics Wireless Las Vegas has partnered with both for close-up audio, underscoring the fact that, for boxing on television, the ring is only part of the picture.
From Locker Room to Ring
We have to cover a lot of ground for boxing now; it's not just about what's going on in the ring, says Jason Waufle, principal, Soundtronics Wireless Las Vegas, and its RF and comms technician. That's on top of having to deal with all the changes from RF reallocation and how each city we work from has different RF requirements.
Getting more intercom audio from more locations has become easier, with venues' Cat 5 and fiber infrastructure allowing intercom operators to plug into house patch panels for antenna systems.
He notes that intercoms have taken on new importance for both reasons lately. Wireless comms are increasingly necessary to cover the locker rooms and the televised and streamed walks as the boxers make their way to the ring, part of the pageantry and drama of the sport. And the multiple locker rooms expand where wireless partyline needs to reach.
Doing that has become easier, as more venues now have Cat 5 and fiber infrastructure in place. We can plug into the house patch panels for our antenna systems, says Waufle. Before that, we were mostly analog over traditional BNC cabling, on which you'd lose roughly 3 dB for every 150 ft. of cabling. That's not a problem on Cat 5.
In the wake of RF reallocation, Soundtronics Wireless - which also manages wireless audio for other broadcast events, including the Grammy Awards, American Idol, NFL on Fox, and the Academy of Country Music Awards - has been deploying Shure's Axient Digital wireless microphone system's G57 package, which uses the 470.175-615.575 MHz range.
In addition, the company also relies on Pliant Technologies' CrewCom wireless intercom system, which operates in both 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz bands. On Showtime Championship Boxing, it deploys 16 four-channel beltpacks, with a total of six radio transceivers (RTs) to cover three separate zones: three RTs inside the main arena bowl, two RTs in the locker room, and one RT near the broadcast truck or production office for full coverage of all users throughout the facility.
When we started researching all of the new communications systems available, says Waufle, we knew we needed a system that was small, incredibly reliable for travel, priced well, could handle at least 18-24 RF beltpacks, and worked in large stadium-like venues without RF multipath or reflection issues all over the country. CrewCom fit that description better than any other wireless intercom system on the market today.
The other main benefits of using CrewCom, he continues, is the easy Cat 5 loop through radio transceivers, simple interface with other systems, and the six-beltpack-per-RT capacity, which allows for fewer antennas needed per zone. The system also has four-button beltpacks and internal iso channels built into each button, which allows a total of eight different channels on a single beltpack. CrewCom's use of Cat 5 cables comes with a lot of additional benefits in terms of housing patch panels, ease of cable runs, cost, and covering a large area during events.
Soundtronics Wireless has been sticking with the 900 MHz range in larger cities in the West, where T-Mobile, the most active user of the recently reallocated spectrum, has been lighting up its recently acquired bandwidth.
A lot of arenas can create phase issues for other comms systems that operate in the 1.9 DECT band, and the 2.4 options also operate in the same space as some house Wi-Fi systems, says Waufle. Boxing takes place mostly in arenas, so that's something we have to be especially aware of. We like to be the people who say yes when a client asks if something can be done, so it's been great having systems like CrewCom that we can rely on for wireless as that environment becomes trickier to navigate.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
As Boxing Coverage Goes Beyond the Ring, RF and Intercoms Are Key for Audio Soundtronics Wireless Las Vegas keeps wireless sound for boxing loud and clear By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
