Tennis Channel Moves to Sinclair's Santa Monica Facility With IP-Based Workflows, New Studio Devlin Design Group is responsible for the look of the new studio By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor
Thursday, November 11, 2021 - 2:41 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
As the home of 24/7 tennis, Tennis Channel spent an extended time at its headquarters in Culver City, CA. One pandemic later, the network has moved to owner Sinclair Broadcast Group's operations center in Santa Monica, CA, to leverage a full SMPTE 2110 IP backbone and a new studio designed by Devlin Design Group.
This is a state-of-the-art facility, says Bob Whyley, SVP, production/executive producer, Tennis Channel. Where we were [vs.] where we are now is black and white. Our first live show was a month after [the building opened], and we never would've been able to do that in our old building.
COVID-Era Construction: Safety Protocols, New Workflows Serve Up Challenges The project began two years ago. The initial stages progressed without many issues, but then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the Los Angeles metro area and halted construction. Once the project was back online, staffers and third-party vendors had to adhere to stringent safety protocols established not only by the company but also by local and federal agencies.
Tennis Channel's lobby at Sinclair's facility in Santa Monica, CA. (Photo: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging)
Near the end of the process, in October 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group VP, Engineering and Technical Operations, Bruno Brunelle joined the company to push this ambitious endeavor over the finish line. With him on board, the network worked closely with Diversified to install an Imagine Communications IP-based infrastructure comprising the company's Selenio Network Processors, Versio playout platform, and Magellan SDN Orchestrator. COVID-19 presented its own set of issues, but these new SMPTE 2110 technologies meant a difficult learning curve.
You have to be fearless to go in with the new technologies, says Brunelle. They sometimes don't communicate, so the translation that happens [requires] a lot of support. It was quite a challenge, and we needed to be organized.
The resulting organization prompted development of certain tech redundancies. As the Tennis Channel slowly closed out its former home in Culver City, Brunelle and his tech team created a copy of each of the new products now in the Santa Monica facility to practice with before making the move. This decision also synchronized crews in the old building to the new building during the transition, and, with Sinclair improving workflows throughout the year, the facility now houses other operations besides Tennis Channel.
The Wall of Tennis Stars in Tennis Channel's new facility celebrates the sport's champions. (Photo: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging)
We had some connection to [Tennis Channel] in order to track the activity in each of the two buildings, he says. We changed a few things [to flatten] the learning curve, but, as we started progressing, we've added another control room and studio for Bally Sports West.
Santa Monica Studios: New Set Features Dynamic Movement The Santa Monica facility is now being used more than 300 days a year, but a packed tournament schedule has made Tennis Channel one of its busiest occupants. To usher in a new era of the network, Whyley; Tennis Channel Executive Director, Creative Services, Chris Hiller; and Sinclair Director, TV Production, Mark Nadeau recruited Devlin Design Group (DDG) to construct a new-look studio. Because the project was greenlighted by Tennis Channel and Sinclair at the onset of the pandemic, weekly discussions about the design happened over Zoom. The resulting concept invoked the kinetic energy and dynamic movement that have become synonymous with tennis.
From left: Martina Navratilova, Steve Weissman, and Jon Wertheim at the new studio's main set. (Photo: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging)
We had to create not only a very immersive environment for tennis fans but also a flexible environment that blends design with technology, explains Kartik Dakshinamoorthy, VP/scenic design director, Devin Design Group. The contemporary and modern materials are inspired by the sport, including the organic shape of the desk that looks like the arc of a tennis racket and background elements that represent the strings of the racket.
Other tennis-centric elements are a background with a changing dot pattern to emulate the bouncing of a tennis ball, Tennis Channel's branded colors, and white accents exemplifying the white lines on a tennis court.
To encourage large-scale movement, DDG constructed 18-ft.-high ceilings to allow sweeping shots with a jib camera. In addition, the studio features four storytelling backdrops representing the tennis majors: the color of clay for the French Open, green and purple for Wimbledon, etc. DDG wanted the on-air talent to feel comfortable enough in their new home to interact with these elements and use every square foot of the studio by moving around the set.
The studio's LED backgrounds feature elements of the sport, including tennis balls around the network's logo.
We wanted them to have the freedom to walk and talk around [the set], says Diane Fiolek, VP/creative services director, Devlin Design Group. [Tennis Channel was] going through a rebrand that was much more dynamic, so it felt like a whole new channel.
The new studio has become something of a symbiosis: the physical set is inspired by the on-air look, and the graphics package reflects some of these physical elements. Overall, Tennis Channel and Sinclair Broadcast Group are satisfied with the result.
Both the clients and the fans have enjoyed this look, adds Dakshinamoorthy. We're extremely prou
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...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
21/07/2026
When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR
coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...
21/07/2026
High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall
Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...
21/07/2026
Relies on same DSP as plug-in range
Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...
21/07/2026
Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals
Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...
21/07/2026
SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...
21/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...
21/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...
21/07/2026
Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...
21/07/2026
COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...
21/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...
21/07/2026
Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47
Beyond bigger
For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...
21/07/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...
21/07/2026
nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...
21/07/2026
C2PA content signing helps broadcasters, public institutions, and publishers give audiences a verifiable record of where their video content came from and how i...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
New capability centralizes collaboration, feedback, security and status tracking within VIDA, providing a structured, auditable approach to master quality contr...
21/07/2026
Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SI...
21/07/2026
Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Brie Clayton July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist blends vintage film looks to shape...
21/07/2026
Which USS Defiant Pulse Phaser effect is better?
Graham Quince July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Aargh, ever since @DarkRavenProductions posted a comment ask...
21/07/2026
The AI era runs on AI infrastructure. Many of these advanced systems are built a...
21/07/2026
X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's...
Tennis Channel Moves to Sinclair's Santa Monica Facility With IP-Based Workflows, New Studio Devlin Design Group is responsible for the look of the new studio By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor 
