Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

MLB Opening Day 2021: ESPN Deploys REMI in Bristol for Weekday Games, Small Onsite Crew for SNB

01/04/2021

MLB Opening Day 2021: ESPN Deploys REMI in Bristol for Weekday Games, Small Onsite Crew for SNB Productions continue to rely on an enhanced' world feed By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor

Thursday, April 1, 2021 - 1:34 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

After a year fraught with unknowns and disappointments, nature is helping as it makes its turn to spring. With the return of Major League Baseball, ESPN will nationally televise a staggering 11 games during the first week of the season, with both REMI productions out of Bristol, CT, and shows with additional enhancements for primetime contests on Sunday Night Baseball.

We will probably have 20% of our games out of Charlotte, [NC], says Phil Orlins, senior coordinating producer, ESPN, but we will still use a production workflow that is primarily centralized in Bristol. This is a place where we probably needed to be eventually. Due to the past year, we arrived there quickly and will stay there.

Inside REMI: Sunday Night Baseball Involves Multiple Control Rooms, Remote Talent Even with the advent of a COVID-19 vaccine, ESPN continues to take necessary precautions to keep all employees safe. Similar to last year's infrastructure, two separate locations under the network's umbrella - Bristol and Charlotte - will serve as hubs for selected productions. On Opening Day, the network will use three separate control rooms for three televised games (Blue Jays-Yankees at 1 p.m. ET, Dodgers-Rockies at 4 p.m., and Astros-Athletics at 10 p.m.).

Talent will continue to work from Bristol or their respective homes for ESPN's MLB coverage.

In terms of equipment, these exclusive games will be shot with 10 or 11 cameras, including half in super-slow-motion, with additional robotics throughout the venue. The super-slo-mo deployments will add another element that is paramount in coverage of professional baseball: precise and accurate replays.

We'll control and trigger [slow-motion replay] remotely from Bristol to play it back in most games, says Orlins. We will get back a camera that will give us around 1,000 frames per second in all of our Sunday Night Baseball games.

Talent will continue to call games from the comfort of a studio in Bristol or their respective homes. For the Sunday Night Baseball package, play-by-play commentator Matt Vasgersian and analyst Alex Rodriguez will be in Bristol, and reporter Buster Olney will be onsite in the ballpark. As for the weekday games, personalities Eduardo Perez, Doug Glanville, and Jessica Mendoza will call the game remotely while Marly Rivera reports from the stadium.

Weekday Slate: RSNs Supply Enhanced-World-Feed Model The regional sports networks have played a major role in producing a large part of ESPN's non-exclusive schedule, and they will once again be critical to these broadcasts. The enhanced-world-feed method, which entails the home broadcaster's sending a clean feed to the opposing team's broadcaster as well as to ESPN, will be deployed to discourage a heavy onsite presence. In 2020, all production staff and operational support were located offsite in a designated location, but, this year, the network is calling an audible by bringing a single-digit crew onsite.

Last year, we produced the non-exclusive games with zero people from ESPN onsite, Orlins notes. This year, we're bringing a small single truck and taking the RSN world feed through that truck back to Bristol.

To do this, the network will rely on a mix of RSN-based employees and a handful of local operators. The onsite truck, which has been deployed for a handful of sports events after the return of sports last summer, will be controlled by a group of six to eight staffers. In Bristol, a group of around 25 will put the pieces of the show together before it's shipped out to fans watching at home. In addition, ESPN will also have a handful of cameras installed in the venue for dedicated use during the broadcast.

We will enhance these games with at least two or more cameras of our own, says Orlins. We'll be able to cut on and off of [the RSN] feed and cover the stories and people that we're looking to talk about with our own highlight packages.

Odds and Ends: StatCast, K-Zone 3D, Miked-Up Players, FaceTime Interviews ESPN has invested heavily in the future of the game, including integration of advanced analytics. This commitment was evident in the network's presentation of the postseason Wild Card Round in 2019 and 2020. This season, execution of Statcast will return in its current form with the help of an MLB-sanctioned operator working in MLB Network's office in Secaucus, NJ, and MLB VP, Broadcast Products and Services, Ryan Zander. Despite its notable advance, Orlins sees Statcast growing into something even better.

I believe its potential is off-the-charts extraordinary, he says. I don't think we've put all the pieces together to make it the full spectacular that I know it will eventually be.

K-Zone 3D, an innovation honored with the 2019 George Wensel Technical Achievement Award, will be deployed throughout the entire MLB schedule. Prior to the 2019 season, the network was poised to leverage the system to track both pitching and hitting statistics, including exit velocity and launch angle.

Another production element to keep an eye on is the future of miked-up players and FaceTime interviews. During this year's Spring Training, streamlined technology deploying an Apple iPhone and AirPods was used to host real-time interviews with players in the dugout, on the field, and in other locations around the complex. Despite the positive feedback on this implementation, Orlins believes there is still a far way to go until it is seen on a steady basis in the regular season.

We had a lot of success last year in the regular season with
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/04/01/mlb-opening-day-2021-espn-deplo...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

30/06/2025

Discover Weekly Turns 10: Celebrating 100 Billion+ Tracks Streamed and a Decade of Personalized Discovery

There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...

30/06/2025

Spotify's Editors Pick Their Best Songs of the Year (So Far)

When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...

30/06/2025

SBS On Demand boosts global news offering with launch of France 24 FAST Channel

SBS On Demand boosts global news offering with launch of France 24 FAST Channel 30 June, 2025 Media releases SBS is expanding its international news offeri...

30/06/2025

The Forsytes Season 2 Commissioned by MASTERPIECE on PBS

Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season [June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...

30/06/2025

Artemis II Mission Advances with Successful RS-25 Engine Checkout Tests

The Artemis II Space Launch System core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy S...

30/06/2025

WRAL-WRAZ Raleigh Names Heather Gray as VP and GM

RALEIGH, N.C. Capitol Broadcasting Co. has named Heather Gray vice president and general manager of WRAL-TV and WRAZ-TV here....

30/06/2025

VAB Awards JJ Freeman Engineering Award to Bill Sewell of WTKR/WGNT

The Virginia Association of Broadcasters has recognized Bill Sewell, Director of Engineering at WTKR & WGNT in Norfolk, Va. as the recipient of the 2025 J.J. Fr...

30/06/2025

SBE Recruits 49 New Members

The Society of Broadcast Engineers said its annual member drive resulted in the recruitment of 49 individual members....

30/06/2025

Avid Releases Full Integration of MediaCentral, Wolftech News

BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid today released its fully integrated news platform, uniting MediaCentral and Wolftech News in a single newsroom solution, and will demonst...

30/06/2025

FCC Fines Sinclair $500,000

WASHINGTON The Federal Communication's Enforcement and Media Bureaus have entered into a Consent Decree with Sinclair Broadcast Group to resolve a variety o...

30/06/2025

Qu-Bit announce the Bloom v2

Eurorack sequencer module reimagined California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...

30/06/2025

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy. By Colette Greenstein June 30, 202...

30/06/2025

PremiumBeat Tips and Tricks

PremiumBeat Tips and Tricks Brie Clayton June 30, 2025 0 Comments When editing to impress, you'll need quality music, and if your studio happens t...

30/06/2025

Techivation launch T-De-Esser Pro Mk2

Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...

30/06/2025

German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases electromagnetic combat from the air

German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...

30/06/2025

Beln Cuesta and Karra Elejalde Star in 'El nio', the New Film by Mariano Barroso

Back to All News Bel n Cuesta and Karra Elejalde Star in El ni o, the New Film ...

30/06/2025

A New Dangerous Troll Awakens: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for 'Troll 2'

Back to All News A New Dangerous Troll Awakens: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for Troll 2Play Video Play Video Entertainment 30 June 2025 GlobalNorwayDenmarkSwe...

30/06/2025

The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on

The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more. Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...

30/06/2025

Yellowstone origin story 1923 starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren comes to RT One and RT Player

All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...

30/06/2025

Thales 2025 Global Cloud Security Study Reveals Organizations Struggle to Secure Expanding, AI-Driven Cloud Environments

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn 52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...

30/06/2025

Thales Alenia Space to develop SOLiS very-high-throughput laser communications demonstrator

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...

29/06/2025

Roland introduce the Mood Pan

Handpan-inspired instrument announced Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...

29/06/2025

A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curse Netflix and YRF Entertainment's 'Mandala Murders' Premieres July 25

Back to All News A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curs...

28/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Marks Youth Month by Empowering Future Creatives Through Film & TV Bursaries

Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month 2025, the N...

28/06/2025

FCC Chair Brendan Carr Promises Very, Very Busy, Productive Summer

WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...

28/06/2025

Spectrum Awards $1.1 Million in 2025 Spectrum Digital Education Grants

STAMFORD, Conn. Charter Communications has awarded $1.1 million in Spectrum Digital Education grants to 55 nonprofit organizations that work to expand access to...

28/06/2025

Sonnet Announces Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock Now Veri...

LAKE FOREST, Calif. June 19, 2025 What's New: Sonnet Technologies today announced the certification of its Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock as an Engin...

28/06/2025

IDC Names MASV One of Three Most Innovative Companies in...

MASV (massive.io), the fastest and most reliable large file transfer platform for media professionals, has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: Me...

28/06/2025

TV SKYLINE Expands Live Production Capabilities with Late...

Grass Valley today announced that TV SKYLINE GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with 30 LDX 135 UHD/HD...

28/06/2025

AgileTV has been selected to develop and implement LIWEST...

AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, signed an agreement with Austrian telco LIWEST to develop and implement its TV service in Austr...

28/06/2025

Scaler 3.1 update from Scaler Music

Music theory plug-in updated Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...

28/06/2025

The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K

The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments Filmmaker Cameron Mackey relied on Bl...

28/06/2025

Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment

Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment Andy Marken June 27, 2025 0 Comments I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spir...

28/06/2025

Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala

Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and DaVinci Resolve St...

28/06/2025

Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural

Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments If you've used AI video tools...

27/06/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Eva Victor, the Writer-Director Behind Sorry, Baby

By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...

27/06/2025

Spotify Launches K-Pop Performance Video Series . . . Next Up, TWS

K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...

27/06/2025

Family Cybersecurity CEO: Protecting Kids, Parents, and My Sanity From Scams

In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...

27/06/2025

FCC Sets Comment Deadlines on Proposed Foreign Ownership Rules

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has set deadlines for comments to a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to codify certain foreign ownership re...

27/06/2025

FCC Chair Brendan Carr Promises Very, Very Busy, Productive Summer'

WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...

27/06/2025

Klevgrand introduce Walls reverb plug-in

From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...

27/06/2025

GIK Acoustics: Room EQ Wizard Tutorial

Learn to use REW for room analysis Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...

27/06/2025

HDMI Forum Introduces v2.2 of the HDMI Specification

SAN JOSE, Calif. The HDMI Forum has released Version 2.2. of the HDMI Specification with 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology to provid...

27/06/2025

TV Skyline Expands Live Production Capabilities with Grass Valley Cameras

MONTREAL Grass Valley has announced that TV Skyline GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with the acquis...

27/06/2025

Fubo Adds Weigel Broadcasting's Networks

NEW YORK & CHICAGO FuboTV Inc. and Weigel Broadcasting Co. have announced a multi-year agreement for distribution of seven networks including MeTV, H&I, Movies!...

27/06/2025

Americans' Favorite Pastime is Watching TV

NEW YORK A national survey of U.S. consumers shows 66% of us watch TV all or most of the time and also multitask while doing it....

27/06/2025

Sunbeam, Findal Media Ink Deal to Broadcast ABC Miami

MIAMI Sunbeam Television has reached a multiyear agreement with Findal Media & Technology Group to broadcast the new ABC Miami beginning Aug. 4....

27/06/2025

AccuWeather Signs Weather Data Deal with AI Search Provider Perplexity

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. AccuWeather has announced a deal with Perplexity, a AI-powered search and answer engine, that will bring AccuWeathers weather data and severe...