CrossFit Games Expand Pursuit of Fittest on Earth' With New Network Partner, New Venue The annual event continues to grow in both size and scope By Karen Hogan Ketchum, Senior Editor
Friday, August 4, 2017 - 8:22 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Not every production can max out NEP's EN-1 fleet - better known as the four trucks that power ESPN's Monday Night Football - but the CrossFit Games have found a way. And the annual event, which pits the finest athletes against one another to determine the Fittest on Earth, just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Last October, it was announced that the CrossFit Games would no longer take place at StubHub Center in Carson, CA. Although the Games found great success in Southern California, the minds behind the operation opted to move to a new city and a new host venue that could open the possibility to new fitness tests and challenges.
This year's CrossFit Games are taking place at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI. The multibuilding complex includes the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which houses indoor athletic events; and the Arena, which offers a gathering space for fans; and plenty of park area for outdoor competition.
We're probably 35% larger across the board this year, and that affects everything that we're doing, not only on the broadcast side, says Senior Coordinating Producer Joe Novello. The numbers of people we're bringing in, the numbers of volunteers that we're requiring, the number of judges that we're bringing in, the competition teams that support getting all the equipment in and getting all the equipment out. Everything is about 35% larger. That's a big step. But it looks good, and the new venue's going to be amazing. It's going to transform the Games into what we've always hoped it could be, which is a festival of fitness.
CrossFit Games recently inked a multiyear television and digital partnership with CBS Sports Network, which will broadcast the Games live tomorrow, starting at 1 p.m. ET. During the Games (Aug. 3-6), the network will televise two hours of main competition coverage each night at 10 p.m. A highlight show recapping the Games will air on Saturday Aug. 19 at 1 p.m.
CBS Sports Digital will stream up to 40 hours of live coverage on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app for mobile devices and connected TVs.
We are pleased to partner with CrossFit and bring this exciting and intense competition to the CBS Sports platforms, said Dan Weinberg, EVP, programming, CBS Sports Network, in a press release. CrossFit is more than just a sport; it's a lifestyle with a dedicated worldwide following. And we are eager to showcase these physically gifted athletes.
With nearly 400,000 athletes from more than 175 countries, the CrossFit Games is the largest participatory sports event in the world. Participants can range from 14 years old to 70, competing as individuals (by age and/or by gender) or on teams.
As the Games grow in size and scope, so too do the production plans.
In addition to EN-1, the CrossFit Games also has NEP's Double Eagle onsite, for a total of seven trucks. This blows my mind to even consider this, says Novello, but we will have seven control rooms going on most of the day.
The 40-45 cameras deployed include one Spidercam in the Coliseum, a second Spidercam in the outdoor competition area, and a variety of RF and robotic cameras. Cameras on a fixed-wing plane, a remote-controlled car, and two drones provide additional coverage.
CrossFit Games worked with IMG to structure an agreement with CBS Sports Network in which the Games could retain digital rights and work with Facebook Live while also sharing broadcast and digital content with CBS Sports. As a result, CrossFit fans are able to watch a live stream through the CrossFit Games website and Facebook Live.
Novello estimates that, with up to three events going on at any given time for more than 12 hours, his team live-streams about 30 hours of content a day. With four days of competition, that's around 120 hours of content for fans of the Games. Nearly 400 production staffers are onsite to make it all possible.
It's not doing basketball or football, Novello explains. It's a completely different sport, and we've had to literally train people to understand our sport over the years, but, fortunately, we've got a tremendous group of contract players and freelancers that now really love coming to the CrossFit Games every year. Interestingly enough, many of them have embraced CrossFit, and I'll tell you, he adds, it's probably the fittest crew you'll ever find.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
CrossFit Games Expand Pursuit of Fittest on Earth' With New Network Partner, New Venue The annual event continues to grow in both size and scope By Karen Hogan Ketchum, Senior Editor 
