
NBA Finals: ESPN Operations Team Looks To Tie a Bow on Peculiar NBA Bubble in Orlando In a once crowded compound, ESPN is the last network standing By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 1:49 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
After an interesting playoff format inside the NBA bubble at the Wide World of Sports complex, the NBA will finally crown a champion within the next two weeks. One of the main broadcasters to set up shop in Orlando in late July, ESPN is poised to put a proper ending on this unique scenario. During the two-month period, the broadcaster's operations team has gained a wealth of experience and knowledge after an arduous planning process.
When we first laid out the design, says Eddie Okuno, senior remote operations specialist, ESPN, the goal for all of us was to build a robust compound and broadcast environment. We had to endure the summertime weather, thunderstorms, and all of the different things that would normally come in a remote setting but over a long stretch of time. Along with Turner and the NBA, it paid off for all of us because we were all on the same page on how everything was stable throughout [the postseason].
In the Rearview: Lessons Learned From an Olympic-Style Production In August, ESPN was joined by Turner Sports and others in a congested television compound at the Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando.
When you're stuck in one spot for a long time, a fair amount of that time is used in outward and internal reflection. Prior to Turner Sports' exit from Orlando, the two broadcasters established a strategy for a smooth departure to ensure that the correct infrastructure was broken down and crews would remain safe. A similar strategy was used internally when ESPN disconnected from Court 3 after games were concluded at that site.
We had a layered exit plan, so that, when Turner left, there was no disruption to how [cabling] was pulled out and how [sets] were struck, says Okuno. It was a clean break, but the most important part is that everybody is abiding by the rules, protocols, and safety measures. The bubble has created an incredible sense of safety and security that everybody needed during this very challenging time.
The broadcaster's NBA team is accustomed to constant travel and getting to different cities before executing a broadcast. Without games' being played in alternating arenas, the team had to deal with a situation more typical of international contests like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics.
A closeup look at ESPN's position outside the venue
While there are no headaches with travel, Okuno notes, two months is a long time to stay in one place. It's a huge sacrifice made by families and everybody to work pretty much every day in an unusual environment. It's more of an Olympic-style [production], but from an NBA perspective, we've never had to do that.
Dealing with a single location means dealing with a specific set of weather concerns. With the sports calendar flipped on its head, the entire postseason and upcoming Finals are being played in Florida during the heart of hurricane season. In the event of inclement weather and potential safety hazards to the crew, Okuno and company needed to take those possibilities into account.
We had to leave extra space within the compound if bad weather came through, he explains. All of this was planned in advance, but we would have to remove the truck tents if a Category 5 storm came by.
In retrospect, there might have been a few elements that would have provided an even smoother production from the beginning. Despite the various unknowns and unresolved questions, the ESPN operations team would be more aggressive with the technology if it had a second chance.
We already knew how to produce television, Okuno points out. We did have technology in mind, but, since everything went smoothly, it would've been nice to have played with a little bit more of some of those elements.
What's New: Team Upgrades Cameras to HFR, Tries Different Angles and Lenses At the height of hurricane season in Florida, extra spacing was provided at the compound at Wide World of Sports in case trucks had to be moved when inclement weather arrived.
As the last network left in Orlando, ESPN is implementing extra technologies to cover this year's championship series. After the departure of Turner Sports, NEP EN2 and EN3 are the two mobile production units outside the venue, and equipment congestion is no longer a factor inside. Some additions include new camera angles and a handful of cameras that had been used in previous rounds.
We've boosted a lot of our regular cameras to high frame rate for better clarity, says Okuno. We also had an opportunity to try out some new lenses.
Besides upgrading cameras to high frame rate, ESPN is experimenting with several new lenses during the Finals, including Canon's CJ20ex5B 4K UHD portable lens, which simultaneously extends both extremes of the focal range (a wide 5mm and a telephoto 100mm). The lens is being used for handheld shots under the basket, as well as in other handheld situations and on robos.
The lens came to the Finals soon after being evaluated on Monday Night Football in several configurations, including SkyCam and Steadicam.
The Greater NBA Family: ESPN Succeeds Through Collaboration With Turner Sports, Other Partners In 18 NBA Finals at ESPN, Okuno has never had to produce the completion of an NBA campaign under these circumstances. When there is no blueprint to follow or playbook to rely on, answers and solutions are found through ingenuity and assistance from those around you. After enduring the highs and lows that the NBA bubble has presented, all involved have helped ESPN get to tonight's Game 1.
I'm extremely proud of
North America Stories
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
07/05/2026
Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS' next-generation media vision
Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Br...
07/05/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering v...
07/05/2026
Lightware Visual Engineering has developed Rack Taurus for rack-based environments such as education and corporate training spaces. It enables clean and simple ...
07/05/2026
Jigsaw24, the UK's leading media equipment supplier and systems integrator, will showcase its expanded end-to-end workflow capabilities at MPTS 2026, signal...
07/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, today announced that it has been granted a US Patent for its proprietary graphical overlay technology, the foundation for interact...
07/05/2026
Test & measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe will present an extensive range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement solutions at...
07/05/2026
At Broadcast Asia 2026 (Stand 5H3 8), LiveU is redefining live production with its most powerful IP-video EcoSystem to date built to help broadcasters and con...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Recreating the 1974 Doctor Who Time Tunnel in After Effects
Graham Quince May 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Time Tunnel from Doctor Who titles is one of th...
07/05/2026
Less typing, more tanking.
Faster logins mean more time in the gaming action - and this week provides GeForce NOW members with a smoother path straight into th...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...