Live from Final Four: BTN Uses At-Home Studio Model to Bring Michigan Fans to Beautiful San Antonio Remote set on Riverwalk and run-and-gun social team look to transport Wolverines into the heart of the experience By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Sunday, April 1, 2018 - 3:54 pm
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When it comes to mega-events like the Final Four, it's common for a broadcaster to have the roll the dice. That's what BTN did when it secured its scenic location on San Antonio's iconic Riverwalk way back in January.
BTN is shooting loads of segments and interviews surrounding Michigan's presence in the Final Four from a studio set positioned on San Antonio's popular Riverwalk.
There was no guarantee that a Big Ten team would even make the Final Four, but, fortunately for the, Michigan was happy to oblige. As a result, BTN can be here throughout the weekend shooting content surrounding the games for recorded hits throughout the weekend.
Our goal is to show that you can still create a whole lot of content even if we're not right next to the Alamodome, says Mark Hulsey, SVP, Production and Executive Producer for BTN. This is one of the big advantages of a network like BTN, we can provide this extended coverage. This is what makes up so valuable. We have the time and the resources. This is who we are. We live for moments like this.
BTN has set up a simple on-site studio at its Riverwalk location and is using its at-home production model to put it all together. The three cameras on the set are being fed to an at-home control back in BTN's home offices in Chicago where the producer and director are cutting the live-to-tape segments, rolling in B-roll, and overlaying graphics.
All the required feeds, in this case, are being sent back to Chicago via satellite. Typically, when on a Big Ten campus, the network is able to leverage a fiber network. BTN rented a majority of the gear its using on site including the satellite uplink truck from Chicago-based Meinhardt Productions.
In addition, the BTN social media team is out in full force, scouring the city for Michigan fans and other exciting events with the goal of providing an experience for those Wolverines back home and around the country that couldn't be in San Antonio this weekend.
All of us here today are very lucky, says Hulsey. This is not an inexpensive venture to get down here. Our goal is to make you feel like you are here. For every Michigan alum who, for whatever the reason, isn't able to make the trip, hopefully the content we're creating here will make them feel like they did make the trip to San Antonio.
As a non-rightsholder of the event, BTN does need to be careful as there are many restrictions on where they can be, what they can shoot, and when. For example, the option of putting the remote set inside the Alamodome wasn't open to them and the network can't do live hits from the venue at any point during the live broadcast and for sizeable windows prior to and following the games on Saturday and Monday. BTN could shoot Michigan's open practice on Friday and record segments from there on the court.
With Michigan moving on to Monday's championship game, BTN will remain in San Antonio through Tuesday morning. Things won't slow down for the network anytime soon either as there are three Big Ten teams in next weekend's Frozen Four in Saint Paul, MN. There are plans for on-site coverage there, as well, beginning on Thursday.
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Live from Final Four: BTN Uses At-Home Studio Model to Bring Michigan Fans to Beautiful San Antonio Remote set on Riverwalk and run-and-gun social team look to transport Wolverines into the heart of the experience By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
