Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

With 180 Games in 12 Days, Champ Week Tests ESPN's Production, Operational Versatility

14/03/2019

With 180 Games in 12 Days, Champ Week Tests ESPN's Production, Operational Versatility An array of production styles will be deployed to meet programming plans By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 3:23 pm

Print This Story

Story Highlights

Few points on the ESPN calendar get busier - and more thrilling - than Championship Week, the pre-March Madness series of conference tournaments.

Covering both men's and women's college basketball, the ESPN family will broadcast 180 games spanning 32 tournaments (including 24 conference title games) during the span of just 12 days.

How in the world do they do it? As with anything that happens in sports-video production on a grand scale: with a lot of planning and collaboration.

Champ Week truly tests the range of capabilities of the network's basketball coverage featuring everything from the biggest productions featuring all the high-end toys, such as in-arena Spidercams at professional venues, to at-home (REMI) productions out of small mid-major gyms. According to Erin Orr, remote operations manager, ESPN, 15 tournaments will be full-fledged onsite ESPN productions, seven will be covered via at-home production workflows, and 10 will be handled by third-party packagers.

When it comes to deploying specialty production tools, the Power 6 conferences will receive the most love. The SEC men's and women's tournaments will have onsite studio coverage, aerial cameras (Spidercam at men's, Supracam at women's), and added behind-the-scenes, all-access shoots. There will also be onsite studios at the ACC and Big 12 men's tournaments, with ACC getting a Spidercam.

The Power 6 coverage will also feature what ESPN calls REMNAS (Remote Near Access Storage) for file transfer. It allows postgame press conferences and melts to be sent to both Charlotte, NC, and Bristol, CT, facilities in a quick, file-based fashion.

Orr says REMNAS is helping aid the edit process not just onsite but back in Bristol and Charlotte. Every night, feeds are archived directly to Bristol, and using this system and essentially linking Charlotte, Bristol, and all the sites enables information to be passed around quickly. It proves tremendously helpful for personnel working onsite, and they no longer need to stay late following a broadcast day to send melts to the mothership. That work can now be uploaded to staff back home.

The graphics of ESPN's college-basketball property are also receiving a refresh this week. Additional flare for the current package will be weaved in to enhance the magnitude and gravity of the games. ESPN makes it a point to use this variation of its college-hoops graphics package only during Champ Week to add to its special and rare feel. In addition, ESPN's ART and Stats systems will be on many sites, adding enhanced statistical information to feed those graphics.

When it comes to logistics, mid-major conferences present some of the greatest challenges, according to Orr. Top seeds serve as the host in many instances. In fact, tournaments like the America East (men's and women's), Atlantic Sun (men), Big South (men), and NEC (men's and women's) can have a turnaround time of just 48-72 hours between determining the site and opening tip.

Communication with crewing, travel, mobile units, production, and operations personnel is key to the overall success of Champ Week, she says, noting that at least 35 mobile units are deployed to produce tournaments across the country.

Another critical part of the overall process of Champ Week is collaborating with other broadcast partners and rightsholders on truck takeovers and/or interconnects. A truck takeover refers to when one broadcaster produces early-round games of a tournament, and ESPN comes in to produce the semis and/or final using the same mobile production facilities onsite. This year, ESPN has participated in truck takeovers with CBS Sports (Atlanta 10 women's), Pac-12 Networks (Pac-12 women's), Raycom Sports (ACC women's).

ESPN will also work side by side with Raycom for the ACC Network at the ACC men's tournament and Pac-12 Networks for the Pac-12 men's tournament. Trucks will be parked together and interconnected to share various resources.

As mentioned, at-home production will also play a key role in seven of the tournaments featured in Champ Week. On-air talent (and a small collection of below-the-line personnel will be onsite, with a majority of the production handled at REMI-capable control rooms on ESPN campuses in Bristol, Charlotte, and Orlando (Wide World of Sports).

ESPN's studio-operations teams will be plenty busy as well, supporting the live coverage coming in from all across the country while also providing high-profile coverage around the NCAA Tournament when that official bracket is announced on Sunday evening.

In the eyes of Nanci Hyburg, director, production operations, ESPN, it doesn't get bigger for the studio-operations side of the business than on Selection Sunday. The network's Bracketology show (which airs 7 9 p.m. ET, immediately following the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament field) is one of the biggest - and most-watched -studio shows that ESPN produces all year. That show will be produced out of one of Bristol's most-advanced studio spaces, Studio Y, which features some of the newest virtual technology at the company and pushes the limits in terms of in-studio augmented-reality graphics.

ESPN's Studio E in Bristol will also play a key role, having been reconfigured with a new look that launched during this Champ Week. It's bigger than the previous set used for wrap shows and is largely built around a 1080p infrastructure. Its cameras are 1080p as is the new Evertz studio support router. The studio has three fully-robotic Vinten pedestals and
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/03/14/with-180-games-in-12-days-champ...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

29/03/2024

Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB Show

PARIS Dalet has announced that during the 2024 NAB Show (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows that ...

29/03/2024

DirecTV Inks Deal to Carry 2024 Colorado Rockies Games

DENVER AND EL SEGUNDO, Calif. DirecTV has announced a new agreement with Major League Baseball that will allow Colorado Rockies fans to see this season's ga...

29/03/2024

S&P: Media, Telecom M&A Plunges to 13-Month Low

S&P Global Market Intelligence has released new data showing that dealmaking in the North America for media and telecom companies remains in the doldrums....

29/03/2024

NAB Show: Pebble Launches PRIMA Software Platform

EPSOM, Surrey, UK The automation, content management, and integrated channel specialist Pebble, has announced that it will be launching a new software platform ...

29/03/2024

Gray Television to Air Arena Football League Local Games

ATLANTA Gray Television Inc. has inked a multi-year agreement with the Arena Football League to bring Saturday arena football games over-the-air to local audien...

28/03/2024

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know 8 Women Filmmakers With Shorts at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

A still from Jasmin Baumgartner's Bye Bye, Bowser, which screened as part ...

28/03/2024

The Best Shared Storage For Video Production

alt= class=wp-image-12214 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Best-Shared-Storage-EVO-logo-960x540-1.jpg/> Embarking on a cinematic journey or crafting a ...

28/03/2024

Future-Proofing the B-52

L3Harris is upgrading critical electronic warfare systems to ensure the iconic aircrafts spectrum superiority for decades to come....

28/03/2024

Supporting the RCAF for more than 25 Years with L3Harris' WESCAM MX-Series

L3Harris' WESCAM MX-Series EO/IR systems have supported the RCAF for more than 25 years....

28/03/2024

ENCO to Add AI News Anchor to Qimera Virtual Production Set

NOVI, Mich. During the 2024 NAB Show, ENCO will be showcasing an AI-driven virtual anchor delivering live news from a realistic 3D virtual news set....

28/03/2024

Johan de Nysschen Named President and CEO of ARRI Americas

MUNICH ARRI has announced that Johan de Nysschen has been put in charge of the ARRI Americas team as president and CEO ARRI Americas Inc....

28/03/2024

Fubo Inks Carriage Deal with YES Network

NEW YORK The YES Network and FuboTV have reached a multi-year carriage agreement that will allow Fubo to launch YES in its Pro base channel plan in time for YES...

28/03/2024

Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB 2024

PARIS Dalet has announced that during its 2024 NAB showcase (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows t...

28/03/2024

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design congratulates the many film professional...

28/03/2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments New option for BLADE//runner ke...

28/03/2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Maxon returns to NAB with presentations by artists from around the world and demos of t...

28/03/2024

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Huntington

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night'...

28/03/2024

2024 Big Night In Raises $145k to Support Triangle Arts Councils

Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV once again proudly supported our local arts community with the broadcast of Big Night in for the Arts Thursday, March 7, 2024. ...

28/03/2024

JIC, MRC Announce Accord On Roles In Judging Measurement Companies

With more companies offering different approaches to measuring television viewing and campaign effectiveness, two of the groups that evaluate potential media bu...

28/03/2024

Hulu Added to Disney Plus App for Bundle Subscribers

The Walt Disney Co. said that it launched Hulu on Disney Plus, which makes Hulu programming available via the Disney Plus app....

28/03/2024

GroupM To Double Ad Spending On Women's Sports Programming

Giant media buyer GroupM said it plans to double its media spending on women's sports....

28/03/2024

Scripps Renews State Farm As Sponsor of Friday Night WNBA on Ion

Scripps Sports said that State Farm has signed a new multi-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor of Ion's Friday night WNBA telecasts....

28/03/2024

Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington Sign On for Imperfect Women' on Apple TV Plus

Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington will star in, and executive produce, Imperfe...

28/03/2024

Telemundo Station Group Addresses Climate Change With Month-Long Initiative

Telemundo Station Group launches the month-long climate change initiative Our Planet Thursday, March 28. The multiplatform campaign ends on Earth Day, April 22,...

28/03/2024

Circle City Broadcasting Renews Nielsen Ratings Deal

Nielsen said that Circle City Broadcasting, owner of WISH-TV in Indianapolis, has renewed its local TV measurement deal....

28/03/2024

Lionsgate Extends Deal With Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures

Lionsgate Television said it extended its deal with Point Grey Pictures, the production company led by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver....

28/03/2024

Ariana DeBose Back as Tonys Host

Ariana DeBose returns as host of the Tony Awards Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount Plus. It is her third consecutive time hosting, and it will be the 77th T...

28/03/2024

The Steve Wilkos Show' Renewed for Season 18

The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for its 18th season in national syndication, Tracie Wilson, executive VP, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News, sai...

28/03/2024

Sinclair Selects Embrace as Its Media Orchestration Engine

PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...

28/03/2024

Nielsen and Circle City Broadcasting Renew Local TV Measurement Deal

NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...

28/03/2024

JVC to Demo Its First Ever 40x Zoom PTZ Camera Series at 2024 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....

28/03/2024

Brightcove Launches Cloud Playout 2.0

BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...

28/03/2024

NBC Sports Chicago to Air First-Ever Animated Real-Time Local Sports Telecast

The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....

28/03/2024

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional Andy Marken March 28, 2024 0 Comments Hero image source News of the World, Perfect Wo...

28/03/2024

TNT Sports Gets Its College Game On for March Madness Audio

TNT Sports Gets Its College Game On for March Madness Audio Marching bands, crowds make up for lack of court FX and wired players By Dan Daley, Audio Editor ...

28/03/2024

Cosm/ESPN Deal Will Bring NBA, NHL, Tennis, College Football, and More to Shared Reality' Venues

Cosm/ESPN Deal Will Bring NBA, NHL, Tennis, College Football, and More to Share...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: The Famous Group, Miami Marlins Team Up for AI-Powered Intro for All 2024 Home Games

MLB 2024: The Famous Group, Miami Marlins Team Up for AI-Powered Intro for All 2...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: MLB Network Showcase Opts for Secaucus-Based Remote Production

MLB 2024: MLB Network Showcase Opts for Secaucus-Based Remote Production The league's production arm marks 15th-anniversary season with packed schedule By ...

28/03/2024

MLB Opening Day: ESPN Brings Sunday Night Baseball Into Analytic Age With Volumetric Replays, Win Probability' in Scorebug

MLB Opening Day: ESPN Brings Sunday Night Baseball Into Analytic Age With Volume...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: FOX Sports Steps Up to the Plate With Big Audio Plans

MLB 2024: FOX Sports Steps Up to the Plate With Big Audio Plans More player and field sound will be on tap By Dan Daley, Audio Editor Thursday, March 28, 202...

28/03/2024

Netflix Announces Agatha Christie Series 'The Seven Dials Mystery' by 'Broadchurch' Writer Chris Chibnall

Back to All News Netflix Announces Agatha Christie Series The Seven Dials Myste...

28/03/2024

Haivision Showcases World-Leading Live Video Contribution Ecosystem at the 2024 NAB Show

Makito X4 video encoders, Haivision Pro mobile transmitters, StreamHub receiver,...

28/03/2024

FOR-A shows production flexibility for entertainment and sports at CABSAT

Compressed and uncompressed IP solutions alongside SDI...

28/03/2024

Greater Scope: Doctors Get Inside Look at Gut Health With AI-Powered Endoscopy

From humble beginnings as a university spinoff to an acquisition by the leading global medtech company in its field, Odin Vision has been on an accelerated jour...

28/03/2024

Get Cozy With Palia' on GeForce NOW

Ease into spring with the warm, cozy vibes of Palia, coming to the cloud this GFN Thursday. It's part of six new titles joining the GeForce NOW library of ...

27/03/2024

Inside the Archives: It's Lights, Curtains, Action When Sundance Films Become Stage Productions

By Jen Scott It's time to unwrap those noisy candies and put your phone on ...

27/03/2024

Sencore and Showfer Announce Collaboration at NAB 2024, With a Brand-New Content Management and Distribution Solution

Las Vegas, NV, April 14-17, Booth W2401 Sencore, a leading provider of profess...

27/03/2024

I Am L3Harris - Sam Bonelli

I'm proud to be a woman in aerospace making an impact on our world and among my peers, team and future generations of women in STEM....

27/03/2024

Bitmovin to Show Live Encoder Running on Akamai Cloud at NAB Show

DENVER Bitmovin has launched its Live Encoder running on the Akamai Cloud Computing, optimizing live streaming and reducing total streaming costs by up to 90%, ...

27/03/2024

Hulu Launches on Disney+

BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has officially launched Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. in a move that brings together the extensive Disney+ and Hulu librar...