SVG All-Stars: Barney Carleton, Senior Director, Broadcast Planning and Strategy, NBA

SVG All-Stars: Barney Carleton, Senior Director, Broadcast Planning and Strategy, NBA The NYC native keeps the league on the tech cutting edge nationwide By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 11:27 am

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In an era when sports production is evolving faster than ever, a new generation of leaders is beginning to make its mark on the industry. Our new SVG All-Stars series explores the journey of the industry's rising executives, showcasing their experiences and career highlights in the business, overarching philosophy and leadership strategy, technological and creative innovation, and where they see the industry headed. Join us as we uncover the story behind their ascent and the impact they are having in an ever-evolving industry.

The NBA has long been recognized for staying at the forefront of media, broadcast technology, and digital innovation. Behind much of this forward-thinking approach is Barney Carleton, a key figure driving the league's cutting-edge efforts.

A New York City native and St. John's University graduate, Carleton joined the NBA in 2015 and quickly rose to lead initiatives that push the boundaries of video production and fan engagement. His team has been instrumental in pioneering groundbreaking projects, including outfitting participants with wearable cameras at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, deploying the Canon Free Viewpoint volumetric video system for the 2021-22 season, and creating the Michelob Ultra Courtside virtual fan experience during the 2020 NBA Bubble - just to name a few.

Carleton collaborates with teams, broadcast partners, vendors, and venues to redefine the live-game-viewing experience across both linear and digital platforms, implementing the latest in broadcast technology. And his promising career is only just beginning.

In this week's edition of SVG All-Stars, Carleton discusses his journey, the innovations he's excited about, and his insights for those looking to make their mark in the live sports industry.

Nine-year NBA vet Barney Carleton provides strategic guidance and consultation on broadcasting to league teams, broadcasters, and venues.

What are the key responsibilities of your current role?

As senior director, broadcast planning and strategy, I'm primarily focused on providing strategic guidance and consultation involving broadcasting to teams, broadcasters, and venues across the NBA ecosystem. This includes maintaining relationships with our broadcast vendors and manufacturers and collaborating with our Venue Development team on how to elevate the experience at new arenas, such as the Intuit Dome [in Los Angeles]. I also help advise teams and network partners on ways to innovate and improve the production of their games. But I'd say the most gratifying aspect of my role at the NBA is managing a small team that is passionate about broadcast strategy and constantly seeking opportunities to enhance the live-game-viewing experience.

What is one key industry trend that you believe is having a major impact on your organization right now?

It's hard to single out just one, but the cloud - specifically, the use of hyperscalers and private clouds - is certainly allowing us to create content more efficiently. The NBA is in a unique position with our high-speed arena network (HSAN) enabling us to send and receive high-quality, low-latency video between our venues and NBA HQ in Secaucus, NJ, which streamlines various key areas of the business, including the Replay Center and our media operations. The continued maturation of the cloud and virtualization of media services is a compelling trend that will allow us to scale our offerings by leveraging distributed compute and improving remote workflows.

Carleton (far left) early in construction of the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with (from left) Steve Hellmuth, Ken DeGennaro, and Nik Georgiev. The Inuit Dome hosts its first NBA game on Wednesday.

What is one core philosophy you try to live by when managing your team/operation?

We're all working toward the same goal and contributing to a greater cause, so I always try to remind my team that no task is too small. It's important to stay prepared to support your colleagues at any given moment, and that means understanding what your team is working on. I also try to lead by example by listening to my team and learning from them. Everyone has a unique perspective, so I make it a point to seek input from colleagues.

What is your favorite event(s) you've ever worked?

I've worked NBA Summer League every year since 2018, with a focus on integrating and testing new broadcast technologies. This is always one of my favorite events of the year because there's so much collaboration and shared excitement between vendors, partners, and the league. NBA Summer League has become an ideal testing ground for tech innovation with a focus on enhancing live production and the viewing experience, among other areas.

Former NBA EVP of Operations and Technology Steve Hellmuth was a visionary and led these efforts to use Summer League as an opportunity to elevate NBA coverage from a broadcasting standpoint. I'm excited to continue building on the foundation he laid out under the likes of [SVP, Media Operations and Technology] Ken DeGennaro and [SVP, Broadcast Operations and Engineering] Dave Barry. My goal is to elevate what we're doing from a traditional-broadcasting standpoint and find opportunities for cross-functional technological applications that can improve processes related to the on-court product, including coaching, officiating, and player development.

My favorite Summer League memory came in 2019 when we started discussions regarding live referee communication and tested the first iteration of the RefCam. This tes

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