Philip Garvin, Mobile TV Group Founder and Live-Production Titan, Dies at 76 Garvin was a leader and pioneer in the regional-sports-production community By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Friday, September 6, 2024 - 9:35 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Philip Garvin, the founder and former CEO of Mobile TV Group and a giant in the live-production industry for five decades, died on Thursday surrounded by his family in Colorado. Responsible for the production of hundreds of thousands of live sports, news, and entertainment events, Garvin helped to pioneer the HD revolution of the early 2000's and is one of the most widely respected figures in the sports-video-production industry. Garvin was 76 years old.
He left his mark on the industry and in our hearts. While nothing can ease the grief we all feel today, his memory will touch us all in the work we do every day, says Garvin's son and MTVG CEO Nick Garvin. His legacy will endure through the incredible accomplishments of our team at MTVG.
In addition to his leadership of MTVG, Garvin also served as president of Colorado Studios - an audio/video manufacturing facility specializing in building mobile units and supporting live video transport - and co-founded HDNet, the first all high-definition national television network in the U.S., with Mark Cuban in 2001.
Philip was an amazing man. Smart. Honorable. And as hardworking as anyone ever, shared Cuban.
Garvin built his businesses around his experience as a creative producer and technologist. By combining both skills, he was able to offer cost-effective production solutions that were unique in the industry. And he did it all while maintaining a reputation as a straight-shooter and trusted partner. His success grew in tandem with many loyal and equally talented industry partners, many with whom he worked with for over 40 years.
Born in New York City, Garvin was passionate about telling visual stories from an early age and pursued a career in still photography. A graduate of Yale University, Garvin published multiple photography books and produced several documentaries, including the groundbreaking docuseries Religious America for PBS in 1974. He continued to innovate throughout the 1970's and launched Colorado Studios in 1978. He also continued his work for PBS, becoming managing producer of the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1983 and spearheading the launch of PBS News' western production center in Denver.
In the early 1990's, Garvin saw an opportunity as regional sports networks began to proliferate across the U.S. and launched what would become Mobile TV Group in 1994. MTVG quickly became the foremost provider of mobile production facilities for regional sports networks throughout the country and pioneered the dual feed production model that would become commonplace across the industry.
Under Garvin's leadership over the ensuing 30 years, MTVG would cement its status as a pillar of the live-sports-production business, rolling out dozens of mobile units and helping pave the way for the first-ever live HD sports broadcasts. MTVG also was among the first to launch 4K- and HDR-capable mobile units and introduced Cloud Control, the first fully remote production managed service, in response to the evolving industry.
Both inside and outside of his role with MTVG, Garvin was a champion of HD broadcasting and helped to bring HD content to the masses for the first time in the early 2000's. He co-founded HDNet, the first HD national television network in the U.S., with Mark Cuban in 2001 and served as general manager of the cable network (which became AXS TV in 2012) for 12 years. Under Garvin's stewardship, HDNet was among the first to distribute HD content to the home, including sporting events, concerts performances, and news coverage.
Today, Mobile TV Group produces more than 4,000 major live events each year, covering professional and collegiate sports, live music, entertainment, esports and business events. Garvin's son Nick, took over as the company's CEO in June, while Philip shifted into the role of Chairman of the Board.
Garvin was a pillar of the sports-production community, serving as a longtime member of the SVG Advisory Board and was a fixture at SVG conferences. He also served on the board for various technology startups and helped to champion a variety of industry technology initiatives.
Outside of the office, Garvin's passion was spending time on his ranch with his wife, riding horses, mowing fields, and building fences. In his last months of life, he was frequently telling people, no one has had a better life than mine.
His family, wife Angela, children Jana, Leah and Nick, and three grandchildren celebrate him for all his valuable achievements, dedicated relationships and generous heart.
Please send any messages for the Garvin family to [email protected] so no messages are missed or lost. Further details regarding memorial services will be available at a later date. Stay tuned to SVG for a deeper in memoriam piece next week.
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
14/10/2025
Spotify is committed to bringing the best listening experience to all our users, and that includes parents and families. That's why we're expanding mana...
14/10/2025
Since its debut, the Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been more than just a story; it's been a cultural sensation. The science fiction thriller captivat...
Philip Garvin, Mobile TV Group Founder and Live-Production Titan, Dies at 76 Garvin was a leader and pioneer in the regional-sports-production community By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
