Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Paris 2024: A Look Behind the Scenes of NBC's Daily Gold Zone Production

08/08/2024

Paris 2024: A Look Behind the Scenes of NBCs Daily Gold Zone Production By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.

Thursday, August 8, 2024 - 4:18 pm

Print This Story

NBCUniversal has offered up no shortage of ways to consumer the Paris 2024 Olympics. From live coverage streaming on Peacock and airing on NBC, USA Network, or E! (plus CNBC on weekends) during the day to curated, deeper storytelling at night on NBC's Primetime From Paris, fans have a multitude of flavors to get their Olympics fix.

The Gold Zone studio in Stamford is manned by four hosts, including Scott Hanson (seconf from left)

However, with little argument to be had, the most buzzed-about and beloved medium has been Gold Zone. The daily whiparound show reminiscent of NFL Redzone offers fans non-stop action ranging from Athletics at Stade de France to Handball at Stade Pierre-Mauroy to water polo at Paris La D fense Arena and anywhere else where key moments and potential medals are to be had.

It's all about the idea of discovery, says Amy Rosenfeld, SVP of Olympics and Paralympics production. We want to expose people to more sports than just [the big events like] swimming, gymnastics, and track and field. Gold Zone shows key moments in equestrian, Judo, and fencing. Hopefully, through that discovery, we're growing Olympic fans for that sport.

A 16-box multiviewer is available to the Gold Zone on-air talent and production team to monitor the action.

While the concept of Gold Zone is nothing new - NBC first debuted the coverage model at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics - the comprehensive execution has taken things to a new level for Paris. And the eyeballs have followed.

There's so much live competition going on that there's simply no way you could sit in front of one screen and drink it all in, says Darryl Jefferson, SVP, engineering & technology, NBC Sports & Olympics. So with Gold Zone, we're able to quick cut to whatever action is most exciting or relevant at any given moment. Maybe we just heard something hot is happening over at water polo or rugby - we just cut to that feed and you're right in the middle of the action. So it's a really high energy show.

The Gold Zone production team is split into two shifts: 7 a.m.-12 p.m. and 12-5 p.m. ET with a shift change at noon that takes under two minutes. Each shift has one director and two producers - one producer is in the chair executing, the other is directing traffic and keeping an eye on everything taking place in in 16-box Multiview. Several other traffic cops help guide the organized chaos , while ADs monitor what feeds are going into the router at any given moment.

It is organized chaos in the most beautiful way possible because so many feeds are coming in, says Rosenfeld. What's amazing is, we ran out of space on the router in that room so these folks are like Liberace, trying to pound on the router and get stuff in the right place. We go through some stretches when we'll have one gold medal after another every few minutes, so you better have great chemistry with your colleagues. There's no time to think; you just have to react.

Housed in PCR 12 - one of two new fully ST 2110 IP control rooms (along with) at NBC's Stamford, CT broadcast center - Gold Zone is by far the most fast-paced in NBC's army of Olympics production units with as many as 60 feeds streaming into the control room from Paris at once.

It's been one of the more interesting productions because it's just a different tempo and pace than our other shows, says Jefferson. It's a bit ADHD with everything always moving, moving, moving.

PCR12 serves as the Gold Zone control room

PCR 12, which was built primarily for NBC's golf remote productions, was specifically designed to look and feel like a production-truck environment. This makes it ideal for the quick-cut style needed for Gold Zone.

Studio 3, a new state-of-the-art facility normally housing NBC's Premier League coverage, serves as the home of Gold Zone. The 360-degree studio is equipped with a jib and a Steadicam, which allow for plenty of movement inside the studio, as well as a slick new LED floor.

It's great for Premier League because it gives you multiple areas to get up and move around the studio between the home base, the hero standups, and the telestrator area says Tom Popple, VP, Studio Operations, NBC Sports. For Gold Zone it's even more unique because it's such a fast-paced show. The flexibility in there is awesome and it looks spectacular.

Since a lot of it is voicing over live feeds and it's not all on camera, they have a lot more flexibility in how they can use that studio - both [on-air] and as a way to track all 16 feeds coming in, continues Popple. They can shoot this 360 and are ok with [the audience] seeing researchers, runners, and producers right on the floor during the show. They're not protective of seeing certain things on the camera, which I think adds a fun different kind of element.

NBC's four Gold Zone hosts Matt Iseman, Jac Collinsworth, Andrew Siciliano and Scott Hanson are able to see both the 16-box Multiview on a massive LED wall display as well as a four-box breakout on a monitor right in front of them.

With as many as 40 events happening at once, it's up to the team in the control room to split the 16-box Multiviewer up based on the most pressing action, while the host can call for specific feeds in their personal four-box multiviewer.

Studio 3 is typically home to NBC Sports Group's Premier League coverage.

We understood how challenging the show would be to execute, and particular people were put on the show very purposefully because this takes a certain type of personality and skillset, says Rosenfeld. The show has been incredible so far and keeps getting better ev
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/08/08/paris-2024-a-deep-look-behind-t...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 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...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

30/04/2026

Avid powers faster workflows and next-generation immersive audio with latest Pro Tools release

Avid powers faster workflows and next-generation immersive audio with latest Pro...

30/04/2026

Ocean Blue Software Launches ATSC 3.0 Inspector for Smart TVs

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

Digital Azul positions Lisbon as a remote production hub...

Scalable broadcast-grade production over public internet, replacing traditional OB workflows...

30/04/2026

V Nova Brings DTV Deployment LCEVC Ecosystem Progress and...

Live demonstrations highlight LCEVC ecosystem momentum, AI-powered video pipelines, and expansion across broadcast, streaming, and social media. DTV (TV 3.0) ...

30/04/2026

Student Spotlight: Matthew Leon

Student Spotlight: Matthew Leon The dual major shares his path from community college to Berklee, and how his heritage influences his work. April 29, 2026 B...

30/04/2026

Berklee Artists to Perform at Major Global Music Festivals

Berklee Artists to Perform at Major Global Music Festivals As part of the Berklee Popular Music Institute, students will perform at Lollapalooza, Governors Ba...

30/04/2026

Study: Rokus Low-Cost, Ad-Free Howdy Streamer Hits 1 Million Subs

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

MLS Innovation Lab Selects AI Partners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

NRB Files FCC Complaint Over Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Monologue

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

D.C. Court Denies Emergency Stay of Nexstar/Tegna Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

NAB Criticizes FCC for Ordering Early Renewal of ABC-Owned Stations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

FCC Approves Station Swaps Between Scripps and Gray Media

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/04/2026

Telestream Introduces Pulse - a Software-Defined Test an...

A flexible monitoring platform designed to simplify ST 2110 operations, consolidate vendor tools, and support modern live production environments. See it at NAB...

30/04/2026

Langlev Takes Run Amok to Sundance with Zeiss Supreme Pri...

Sundance-premiering Run Amok is an expressive, unconventional take on today's teen experience, replete with musical numbers. When cinematographer Shachar ...

30/04/2026

Studio Technologies Elevates Jacksonville State Universit...

JACKSONVILLE, AL, APRIL 29, 2026 Jacksonville State University, known as Jax State and a proud NCAA Division I member of Conference USA, has transformed its a...

30/04/2026

Knowledge Network selects ThinkAnalytics to launch AI-pow...

Transforming viewer and content data into real-time intelligence to deliver relevant streaming experiences at scale ThinkAnalytics, the global leader in AI-pow...

30/04/2026

Sports Production, Delivery is Big Biz at NAB

Sports Production, Delivery is Big Biz at NAB Andy Marken April 29, 2026 0 Comments Hero image source: NAB One of the neat things about trade shows i...

30/04/2026

Former Kerry footballer and broadcaster Dara Cinnide investigates the century-old murder of a Kerry man in new RT documentary

Rian na Fola airs on RT One and RT Player on Monday May 4 Rian na Fola is a o...

30/04/2026

It's Gonna Be May: 16 Games Hit the Cloud This Month, With More NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Power

It's gonna be May - and the cloud's in full festival mode. 16 games ar...

30/04/2026

April 29, 2026

Scripps Research ranks third in 2026 Cure Innovation Index April 29, 2026 LA JOLLA, CA Scripps Research ranked third in the inaugural 2026 Cure Innovation In...

29/04/2026

Churchill Downs Racetrack Lifts Curtain on New Big Board Ahead of Kentucky Derby Week

It was a delicate job in a 150-year-old venue laden with traditions. Begun at th...

29/04/2026

How the MLS Innovation Lab Enhances Everything From Athlete Performance to Production to Ticket Sales

In annual event, the league gives startup companies the opportunity to prove the...

29/04/2026

Save the Date: SVG Venues & Teams Summit Travels South to Miamis Kaseya Center on Aug. 12

Panel discussions, networking, and a facility tour will take place in the renova...

29/04/2026

The Cast and Crew of Conbody VS Everybody Have Each Other's Backs for Life

(L-R) Derek Drescher, Coss Marte, and Syretta Wright have each other's backs. (Micheal Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Veronika Lee Cla...

29/04/2026

Free Tilt EQ plug-in from Techivation

Combines EQ and harmonic distortion Techivation's latest release is a simple EQ designed to offer quick control over a source's overall tonal balanc...

29/04/2026

Expressive E launch the Osmose CE

Two new MPE controllers announced Expressive E caused quite a stir when they released the Osmose, making the sort of expression that was once reserved for p...

29/04/2026

iZotope RX 12 is here

New modules & enhanced machine-learning The latest version of iZotope's flagship restoration suite is now available, and now offers over 50 tools design...

29/04/2026

Surgeon Dr Jasmina Kevric wins 2026 Les Murray Award

Surgeon Dr Jasmina Kevric wins 2026 Les Murray Award 29 April, 2026 Media releases Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Dr Jasmina Kevric...

29/04/2026

YEP Spotlight: Julissa Padilla

Some people stumble into their passion. Julissa Padilla walked straight into a film vault. For her, entertainment was never just about the movies themselves. It...

29/04/2026

Clear-Com Promotes Brian Grahn, Ben Turnwell to Expanded Roles

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/04/2026

The CW Unveils Major Streaming Deals with ESPN and Roku

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/04/2026

Clear-Com Announces New Roles for Brian Grahn and Ben Tur...

Clear-Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Outreach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA live, expanding their ...

29/04/2026

Reduce Workflow Complexity with nxtedition at MPTS 2026

nxtedition is bringing its range of consolidated production tools to MPTS 2026, with new developments spanning transcription, editing, graphics and AI-assisted ...

29/04/2026

Telxius taps Synamedia to unlock seamless global multi-CD...

Quortex Switch to boost the streaming experience for Telxius customers, reaching millions of viewers worldwide Synamedia and Telxius, the leading global connec...

29/04/2026

freispace and Projective Announce Joint Showcase of Integ...

freispace, the leading ERP-as-a-Service platform for media and entertainment production, and Projective, a leading provider of post-production collaboration tec...

29/04/2026

DHD Celebrates 30th Anniversary at 2026 NAB Show

DHD reports strong interest in its broadcast audio product range, exhibited at the April 19th-22nd NAB Show in Las Vegas. The event attracted a claimed 58,000 a...

29/04/2026

Student Spotlight: Alan Catz

Student Spotlight: Alan Catz The Argentine film and game composer talks about working on League of Legends, receiving Berklee's BMI Award, and the lifelon...

29/04/2026

Jay Jennings Builds the Worlds You Hear on Screen

Jay Jennings Builds the Worlds You Hear on Screen The supervising sound designer behind A Minecraft Movie, The Meg, Letters from Iwo Jima, and dozens of other...

29/04/2026

Paramount Will be 49.5% Foreign Owned After WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/04/2026

NAB Show 2026: AI, Vertical and BPS Dominate Broadcasters' Discussions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/04/2026

IAB Tech Lab Announces New OpenRTB Attributes

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/04/2026

Meet the eight finalists for RT Today's TV Home Cook competition

Voting opens at 4pm today RT 's Today show have announced the eight finalists for their TV Home Cook competition. Amateur cooks from Cork, Dublin, Galway ...

29/04/2026

VEON and Kyivstar Fulfill Commitment to Invest USD 1 Billion in Ukraine over 2023-2027 Ahead of Schedule

29 Apr 2026 VEON and Kyivstar Fulfill Commitment to Invest USD 1 Billion in Ukr...

29/04/2026

U challenges stars and their dogs to compete for Wagging Rights

Rhod Gilbert, Harriet Kemsley, Kae Kurd, Sara Pascoe and Vicki Pattison to take part in brand new series on free streaming service U London, 29th April 2026: F...