NBC Sports is producing the Twins-Phillies game alongside the streamer, which is deploying drones, Wirecam, UmpCam, Dirt Cams, large-format cameras, RF-heavy specialty complementFour years after Major League Baseball last disappeared into the cornfields of Dyersville, IA, MLB at Field of Dreams is back. This time, however, both the television home and the physical home of the event will look considerably different.
Netflix will stream tonight's Minnesota Twins-Philadelphia Phillies matchup worldwide, marking the first Field of Dreams game to appear on a streaming service. Meanwhile, the temporary ballpark constructed for the celebrated 2021 and 2022 editions of the event has given way to a permanent venue.
For Netflix, which is continuing to expand its footprint in live sports production, the goal is to highlight everything that makes the Iowa setting unique without allowing the spectacle to overwhelm the baseball game itself.
In line with our broader sports-coverage strategy, says Jonathan Mussman, VP, live production of nonfiction and live, Netflix, we are bringing a cinematic visual style and narrative depth to this broadcast, mirroring the premium quality our members love in our SVOD titles, including our baseball-documentary slate. At the same time, our primary focus remains on delivering a memorable live-game experience. It is an honor to cover such an iconic annual event and bring engaging coverage to fans everywhere.
29-Camera Show Takes Over the Cornfields
The Twins-Phillies matchup follows the White Sox-Yankees game in 2021 and Reds-Cubs in 2022. The inaugural event was named Sports Business Journal's Sports Event of the Year and earned FOX Sports the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Special.
Netflix will deploy 29 cameras, including an extensive collection of specialty systems aimed at capturing both the baseball and the ballpark's distinctive environment.
DEFY will provide a Wirecam equipped with virtual capabilities, and GCam will deploy two drones: one dedicated to beauty shots of the cornfields and surrounding Iowa landscape, the other for game coverage with virtual enhancements.
Two RF Ronin systems from Faction Media will add mobility around the venue, and NBC Sports is integrating a RED Raptor X into the live production via an RF system, allowing the production to bring a more cinematic aesthetic into a traditional broadcast workflow.
By integrating RED's Raptor [X] into our existing production infrastructure through an RF system, says Kamal Bhangle, director, remote engineering and technology, NBC Sports, we're able to seamlessly blur the lines between a traditional sports broadcast and cinematic storytelling.
The workflow gives the video team remote access to camera settings and the ability to adjust CDL values during the production, providing greater control over the camera's visual treatment without sacrificing the reliability required of a live show. That capability will be particularly important during the show's opening and other highly choreographed moments designed to showcase the Iowa setting.
Moments like the opening happen only once, notes Bhangle. You get only one chance to capture it.
She adds that the architecture can also be integrated into more-traditional production environments over SMPTE fiber or ST 2110, giving NBC flexibility to deploy similar cinematic systems across future live sports productions.
The show will also feature robotic cameras at mid-home, both bullpens, the low backstop, and the first- and third-base dugouts. NEP Specialty/Fletcher is providing the robotic systems. BSI, Bexel, and CP Communications are among the vendors supporting the production's RF requirements.
We're excited to bring Iowa and the magic of the film to the broadcast, giving our members a new look into baseball and the connection with a game of catch, says Mussman. In working to achieve this, we will have cameras with large-format sensors, PL-mount lenses, and multiple RF cameras, drones, and Wirecams.
The game production will operate out of NEP Supershooter 10, and Supershooter 9 will support the studio operation. Approximately 125 crew members are assigned to the game production, with another 55 working the studio show.
Producer Matt Borzello and director Kaare Numme III will be at the front bench for the game telecast.
Netflix will carry over the visual approach from its on-field pregame show for MLB on Opening Day. All cameras on the set will be Sony HDC-F5500 large-format systems paired with Fujinon Duvo PL-mount lenses.
A Permanent Ballpark Changes the Equation
One of the biggest differences from MLB's previous trips to Dyersville is that the ballpark is not a temporary pop-up facility. It's now a permanent stadium that has been constructed since the MLB was last there.
The 2021 and 2022 games required FOX Sports and MLB to essentially build a major-league broadcast environment from scratch. The new 3,000-seat permanent ballpark adjacent to the site of the 1989 film Field of Dreams was constructed not only for regular events but also with the technical requirements of future productions in mind.
The league worked with Dyersville Events during the design process, supplying guidance on camera positions, player facilities, and broadcast infrastructure. We were intentional to provide them with some of those details, says MLB SVP, Global Operations and Events, Jeremiah Yolkut, much the way we would for a major-league club building a new ballpark.
The scale, of course, is considerably different from a new MLB stadium, but many of the underlying principles remain the same. There are some things that are interchangeable, he adds. We wanted to make sure it was easier for our broadcast partners, for the fans, and everybody involved to put on the game in the future.
That imp
