CFP National Championship 2021: ESPN Ops Takes Over Hard Rock Stadium With Huge Compound, Comprehensive REMI Plan The onsite team will work in a 270,000 sq. ft. space outside the venue By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor Monday, January 11, 2021 - 3:44 pm
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As one of ESPN's most important properties, the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Game spurs increased innovation and ingenuity. Such events typically generate intuitive ideas, but the magnitude of the game and the curveball that is COVID-19 has intensified efforts in pushing limits. For tonight's game at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, the broadcaster is rolling out one of its biggest efforts for the title game, including a 270,000-sq.-ft. compound, 75 in-game and studio cameras, and heavy reliance on remote workflows.
To support the operation and keep a socially distant area, we've had to come up with a unique plan here in Miami, says John LaChance, director, remote production operations, ESPN. We really transformed into a unique, one-of-a-kind broadcast compound.
Outside Hard Rock: 13 Trucks, Detailed Broadcast Infrastructure Major sports events normally call for a large television compound, but ESPN's current setup next to Hard Rock Stadium is something totally different. COVID-19's impact resulted in reduction of more than 150 onsite positions. Even so, 465 credentialed personnel are on hand for tonight's game. With total control of the exterior loading docks, LaChance and his colleagues devised a detailed layout of each team's location within the 270,000-sq.-ft. compound. An essential component to the operation is ensuring that everyone is healthy before they step foot in the area.
ESPN has constructed a 270,000-sq.-ft. compound for the National Championship game.
This year's national health crisis, LaChance says, required a strategy that features enhanced safety protocols, multiple rounds of testing, health screenings, heightened cleaning and sanitation standards, and ample distribution of PPE.
The compound houses 13 mobile production units and ancillary support vehicles. Game Creek Video has a large presence for the production of the main telecast, College GameDay, and the MegaCast. Live Media Group's Gracie is responsible for SEC Network's live coverage, and a BSI truck is handling all RF audio and video elements. In addition, a 15,000-sq.-ft. office facility is adjacent to the compound.
The massive compound is providing a lot of firepower, but, to prepare for any production emergency, the team has developed a handful of backup plans to keep the linear and surrounding content on-air.
There is complete redundancy for power, transmission, and infrastructure of the broadcast, notes LaChance. We published an eight-page document with all of the backup plans and what-if scenarios that we hope we'll never have to execute, but it's comforting to know that we'll be prepared should the need arise.
Camera Complement: Skycams, Bevy of Super-Slo-Mo Systems A total of 75 cameras and other broadcast gear will be deployed to capture every play and sound of the title game. The broadcster is bringing back a dual Skycam system (the traditional one close to the field and a hi-sky version) to get a full look at the playing field. When not traversing the field, the AllCam will be positioned at an elevated vantage point for isolated shots of players and wider shots of plays. Up in the air, a fixed-wing aircraft and the Goodyear Blimp will transmit aerial views of the venue and the surrounding city.
At field level, ESPN is once again leveraging its extensive arsenal near the goal line and first-down line. A total of 28 POV cameras will be embedded within the front and rear PylonCam systems. Those in the back-line pylons will have pan, tilt, zoom functionality, which was introduced for last year's Championship Game in New Orleans. There will be two styles of Marker Cam, one regular and one c360 with 180 degrees of movement, and two RF line-to-gain cameras will be on each sideline.
Offices occupy 15,000 sq. ft. of the compound at Hard Rock Stadium.
Capping the complement will be 26 specialty cameras: 11 Sony HDC-4300's with super-slo-mo capability, 10 robos, three 4K cameras (two Sony HDC-4800's and a Sony HDC-P43), and two RF handhelds on the field.
Bringing the total to 98, 22 cameras will cover College GameDay and shows on SEC Network.
Even with the protective measures, this is still a marquee event, says LaChance. The company is going to make sure that we have the appropriate coverage.
On the audio side, more than 100 microphones will be dispersed on the field and in the stands to give in-venue noise to fans watching at home.
Offsite Assistance: Remote Technologies Connect Miami and Bristol As was done throughout the college football season, onsite operations will receive help from offsite staffers in Bristol, CT. LaChance and company have established a transmission plan with 70 total paths - 54 outbound and 16 inbound - and six dedicated data circuits. The structure will support both REMI and GREMI (remote graphics) applications.
Our onsite presence is pretty different from how we've done this game in the past, says Tommy Mitchell, operations manager, ESPN. The viewers at home shouldn't be able to tell a difference other than there are fewer fans in the stands.
From a REMI perspective, more than 150 channels of replay will be processed on 12 EVS and two Evertz DreamCatcher machines. As for GREMI, there will be one Bristol-based Viz graphics operator and an additional Viz Libero telestration operator. In addition, a dedicated 500-Mbps circuit will support KVM GREMI control. And eight channels will be available for comms between onsite and offsite crews. Technological
