The NBA on TNT is continuing an innovative fan-engagement strategy that began in 2014, in which the network pumps more of the PA-system sound into the broadcast and the fans in the venue will hear more broadcast elements, such as announcers and sound effects. The effort, going into its third season, is an attempt to create a more unified fan experience across live and broadcast environments.
In the arena, you hear only what's around you, especially in the higher seats, Tom Sahara, VP, operations and technology, Turner Sports, told SVG in 2014 at the start of the initiative. Using things like PA systems that can be aimed much more precisely, we can help improve the sound of the game in the arena without affecting the quality of the sound of the broadcast.
However, melding live and broadcast sound has proved challenging, especially for the NBA, which has been at the forefront of the shift in the amount and types of music associated with sports. The urban genres used most often tend to emphasize low frequencies and very sharp percussion transients. Turner Sports' technical staff has been working with individual NBA venues and teams on such aspects as system tuning, equalization, frequency response, pattern coverage, and sound-pressure levels (SPL) in an effort to optimize the sound in the arena and, by extension, the audio on television by, for instance, reducing acoustical reflections that reduce the intelligibility of announcements.
We continue to work with the teams on the sound, Sahara said toward the start of the current season, noting further that some venues have been more cooperative than others. However, as arena PA systems have been upgraded to better accommodate the music, he finds that the challenge of combining the sound with the broadcast audio is only increasing: PA volume levels continue to rise as venues update their systems and want to show off their capabilities. So, while we get them to be more receptive to ideas of directivity and frequency controls, [issues like PA] volume and when the PA is used are going the other direction.
Getting Closer to the Action
On the other hand, he continued, we continue to refine what we do with improved coach and player microphones. As a result, home viewers are getting even closer to the action on the court this season, thanks to improvements in the Quantum5X (Q5X) PlayerMic system that the NBA has been using for the past several years, part of the collective-bargaining agreement signed in 2011 that calls for up to two players per game per team to be wired for sound and one player per team for regionally broadcast games. (A new CBA is being negotiated, but there's no reason to expect that it would limit the current arrangement.)
For this season, Q5X's QT-5100 PlayerMic, supplied to teams in kits of five units each (including one spare) through Bexel, has three important upgrades.
First, the transmitter, which is worn in a special pocket sewn along the side of the player's jersey by Adidas, now has a more powerful 2.4-GHz radio for remotely controlling the transmitter parameters: on/off, frequency, mic gain, output power. Remote control is accomplished through the handheld QG-H1 MicCommander, whose power and functionality have also been upgraded. And the PlayerMic's QR-2150 dual receiver now combines the three 25-MHz UHF tuning bands of previous models into a single 75-MHz wide-band receiver, matching that of the tuning band of the transmitter. The microphone element, at the end of a wire from the transmitter to the inside of the jersey's collar, remains the Countryman B6.
According to Q5X CEO Paul Johnson, the popularity of on-player audio has grown in sports in general and particularly in the NBA. The fans love it, he says. It has become a big way for the league and for individual players to build their brands. [The Cleveland Cavaliers'] LeBron James is miked very frequently.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
The NBA on TNT is continuing an innovative fan-engagement strategy that began in 2014, in which the network pumps more of the PA-system sound into the broadcast and the fans in the venue will hear more broadcast elements, such as announcers and sound effects. The effort, going into its third season, is an attempt to create a more unified fan experience across live and broadcast environments.
