NBC Sports Boston Preps for the Future With State-of-the-Art NBCU Boston Media Center The new SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based production facility houses four networks By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Friday, February 14, 2020 - 2:49 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Last month, NBC Universal opened the doors to the state-of-the-art NBCU Boston Media Center, the new home of NBC Sports Boston, NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, and NECN (New England Cable News). With a SMPTE ST 2110 IP infrastructure and sprawling studio space, the multimillion-dollar, 160,000-sq.-ft. facility immediately put NBC Sports Boston among the elite regional sports networks when it comes to production quality.
NBC Sports Boston's new studio inside the NBCU Media Center is home to its Celtics pre/postgame programming.
As we look at the way the world is changing, we wanted to make sure we had a facility that we could grow into in the future so we would be prepared to change with it, says Chris Wayland, GM, NBC Sports Boston, and Station Manager/SVP, NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, and NECN. Also, our audience expects us to provide a deeper level of detail and context so that they have a better understanding of the game. This new facility and the technology behind it allow us to take the viewer deeper into the intricacies of the game in a way that we simply weren't able to do in the old space.
The move from an aging production facility in Burlington, MA, to the sparkling new Media Center in Needham, MA, represents a major upgrade for the NBCU Boston networks. NBC Sports Boston, in particular, benefited from the move, gaining a picturesque new 50- x 100-ft. studio capable of fitting the entire parquet floor of TD Garden.
The NBCU Boston Media Center finished construction last year and opened on Jan. 15.
The stature of the set has been a game-changer from a production standpoint for our producers, directors, and talent, says Kevin Miller, VP, content creation and strategy, NBC Sports Boston. They view it as, they owe it to the space to ramp up their game. And I have already noticed a major uptick in our production value -on both [linear TV] and digital platforms - since we've moved in here.
Inside the Media Center: Six Control Rooms for Six Studios
NBCU began work on the project in 2016 and settled on an existing structure in Needham, which was stripped down to the concrete and steel to create an almost greenfield start for the new facility.
From that moment on, it was a path of discovery in terms of reaching out to all of the staff involved in the four businesses to ask some key questions, says Keith Barbaria, VP, technology, NBC Sports Boston, NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, and NECN. Then, we took that information and merged it with some best practices to create a functional requirement document that listed out everything this building needed - from amenities and conveniences to the technology and the on-air goals.
One of six control rooms at the NBCU Boston Media Center
The Media Center features six production studios and six control rooms as well as a dedicated podcast studio for digital/social content. The facility is designed so that any control room can serve any studio at any given moment (although, for operations purposes, each of the four networks has been assigned its own control room and studio).
If we ever need to swap a studio and a control room for coverage reasons, big events, even maintenance, we can hop around control rooms as needed, Barbaria explains. The building also has 60 different places where we can plug in equipment and cameras, so that we can use the entire building as a studio. As a result, we spent more time and resources on interior design because we wanted to show off this whole place and give the content teams the ability to present outside the confines of the studio.
All-in on 2110: A Look at the IP-Based Future in Needham
One of the key design requirements for the NBCU technology team was to build the facility with an IP backbone to ensure that it is prepared for the future. With the SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards ratified during the project's development, Barbaria and company embarked on a mission to make as much of the facility ST 2110-compliant as possible.
The NBCU Boston Media Center is built on SMPTE ST 2110 IP infrastructure.
We're pushing the margins of what's possible today with the SMPTE 2110 standard, he says, but the real reason [we went IP] is less about now and more for the future. We've built this building to [be able to] scale and adapt with the industry without major additional investments. It may be a little pain upfront going 2110 - a lot of vendors aren't quite ready so we've still got a lot of conversion in the building right now - but it made sense for the future.
NBCU worked with systems integrator Diversified to create a facility built around an Evertz EXE2 IP router that could serve today's needs while preparing for tomorrow's.
We want to be ready for whatever is coming, says Barbaria. While we're a 1080i facility today, we did think about 4K and HDR, and, as soon as that kind of content is wanted by the consumer and transmission is more readily available, we'll be ready to adapt to those for sure.
Early Edition is one of three daily programs produced by NBC Sports Boston in Needham.
Other key equipment in the facility includes Video Acuity switchers, Ross Overdrive production automation and Cambot robotic pedestals (with SmartShell remote control), Evertz evMV multiviewers (ST 2110-native), a mix of ChyronHego and Ross Xpression graphics, RTS ODIN intercom matrix, Haivision IPTV for in-house monitoring, Evertz Vue VCS and Tektronix Prism scope (ST 2110-native) for QC, and Cisco Catalyst network backbone.
Insid
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
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...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
The NHL has announced Adobe as an Official Creative, Marketing and AI Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will provide the league and its...
28/09/2026
MultiDyne will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (October 5-7, Dubai Exhibition Centre), showcasing an expanded technology portfolio following its June 2026 acquisition of...
28/09/2026
ARRI and HONOR have announced the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max, a flagship smartphone carrying ARRI branding on the device and packaging as the first product-level expr...
28/09/2026
Net Insight has added the Nimbra 1020G to its pan-Asian live media trial network, giving customers and partners in the region a way to evaluate ST 2110 and JPEG...
28/09/2026
Vindral has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology and Engineering Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the category of We...
28/09/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (Stand B2-37, Dubai Exhibition Centre, October 5-7), demonstrating its BATON QC platform, ORION monitoring solutions...
28/09/2026
Two years into its new production facility, the TOUR is expanding centralized wo...
NBC Sports Boston Preps for the Future With State-of-the-Art NBCU Boston Media Center The new SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based production facility houses four networks By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
