Fall 2019 Sports Tech Journal

FALL 2019

VOLUME13 ISSUE 2 PUBLISHED BY

VENUE SPOTLIGHT Chase Center Opens; MLS Stadiums Push Envelope

ADVANCING THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, & DISTRIBUTION OF SPORTS CONTENT

SUMMER OF SPORTS FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP PLUS: Indianapolis 500 • U.S. Open Golf • MLB All Star • US Open Tennis

SVG UPDATE

Recaps of the Latest SVG Events, Initiatives, News, and More WHITE PAPERS

Riedel Communications, University of Florida, and Quantum SVG SPONSOR UPDATE

The Latest From 250+ Leading Technology Vendors

Š 2018 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images All Rights Reserved

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in this issue FALL 2019 Volume 13 Issue 2

upfront 4 FROM THE CHAIRMAN Community Key to Tackling Industry Challenges 6 COVERING THE FIELD Looking Back on a Busy Summer of Sports

SVGupdate

8 SVG COLLEGE SUMMIT 10 COLLEGE SPORTS MEDIA AWARDS 12 SPORTS GRAPHICS FORUM 14 RSN SUMMIT 16 SVG VENUE SUMMIT

18 SPORTS CONTENT MANAGEMENT FORUM 20 SPORTS OTT FORUM 22 IP PRODUCTION FORUM 24 SVG SOCCER SUMMIT: AMERICAS 26 INITIATIVES & GROUPS

SUMMER OF SPORTS 28

page 8

page 14

coverstory:

LIVE FROM THE FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 39 SUMMER OF SPORTS 40 INDY 500

page 18

46 U.S. OPEN GOLF 52 MLB ALL STAR 58 US OPEN TENNIS

PAGE65

SPOTLIGHT

page 28 66 CHASE CENTER 72 VENUE Q&A: 1337FACILITIES’ BOB JORDAN, CVE WJHW’S CHRIS WILLIAMS 74 BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM 78 VENUE Q&A: ALPHA VIDEO’S JEFF VOLK DIVERSIFIED’S JUSTO GUTIERREZ and STUART REYNOLDS 80 ALLIANZ FIELD

page 20

page 24

white papers 86 RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS: AUDIO CHALLENGES IN ESPORTS 88 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: RETHINKING DRONE USAGE ON LIVE SPORTS BROADCASTS 90 QUANTUM: WHICH NETWORKING IS BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 92 SVG SPONSOR UPDATE

The latest productions, technology, and news from 250+ SVG sponsors

114 SVG SPONSOR DIRECTORY 120 2

FINAL BUZZER Summer of Sports and the Drive for Innovation SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

page 86

Talkback Communicate with camera operators and production staff.

USB Connection For updating switcher software and settings.

Program Mix Listen to the program audio mix.

Source Select Buttons Input buttons for PGM/PVW or cut-bus style switching.

Reference In Supports black burst or tri-sync reference for use with large broadcast systems.

Source and Control Downstream keyer, media players, fade to black and transition selection.

Source Inputs Connect up to 40 x 12G-SDI inputs for HD and Ultra HD or 10 Quad Link 12G-SDI inputs for 8K.

Spin Knob Control Scroll through on screen menus or adjust audio levels.

Independent Assignable Outputs 24 x 12G-SDI outputs for HD and Ultra HD or 6 x Quad Link 12G-SDI outputs for 8K.

Lock Button Locks front panel settings to protect against changes during production.

Multi View Outputs 4 multi view outputs for HD and Ultra HD or 1 Quad Link 12G-SDI multi view output when working in 8K.

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ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

COMMUNITY KEY TO TACKLING INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

By Mike Davies SVG, Advisory Board Chairman

When you have your name listed after those of Ken Aagaard, Steve Hellmuth, and then Tom Sahara, you know that you have a hard act to follow as SVG Chairman. Needless to say, I am honored to be the new Chairman of the Sports Video Group Advisory Board.

I’ve been involved with the Group since its outset, so the temptation is to look back at the beginning, back to 2006 when Aagaard, Hellmuth, and a small committee were brought together by SVG co-founders Paul Gallo, Marty Porter, and Ken Kerschbaumer to lay out a vision for a new association. The goal was to foster communication and cooperation in this industry, beginning with those of us here in the U.S. Since then, SVG has become a near-household word in our industry and I think many would agree has become the very basis for this special intercompany community we all share.

I’ve always said that when you work in this industry, you achieve a certain degree of fame. Many people know each other, or at least of each other, and the “Bacon Principle” is far tighter than six degrees in our business. In fact, I hereby introduce the “Aagaard Principle”, which posits that anyone working in sports production is no more than two degrees of separation from Ken and all he has done. These strong ties bind this industry as we increasingly use SVG as the method of official exhibition and research for our business.

And this SVG community could not be more needed now. Every year, our business speeds up a bit and gets even more complex. The issues facing us today require a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities new technologies like UHD, HDR, IP, 5G, and more provide. And there is another layer as well, as we need to understand virtualized resources, workplace safety, and even cybersecurity.

All of these areas on their own would be a challenge to sort through. But all at once? Shared knowledge will be key as we tackle these challenges and SVG events — as well as information shared in its newsletter, podcasts, and videos — are important pillars to do that efficiently.

In so many cases, the goal is not necessarily to find the right answer, but the search to find the answer that best suits the unique challenge presented. And the companies represented within SVG — a mix of end users, vendors, manufacturers, and service providers — ensures that a given problem is looked at from a wide range of perspectives. And that, ultimately, means better conversations with diverse opinions and viewpoints. And while our business is about storytelling, it is one rooted in technology. The better we are educated about those technologies the better we all are for it and the better stories we can tell.

I’m thrilled to continue to be a part of it as SVG continues to serve the information and knowledge needs of our industry. But the community we have formed does more than just share knowledge: we share the burden.

The SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund continues to distribute money to those in need due to illness or catastrophe. After seeing first hand the difference that can be made in the lives of the people who work with us, I’m further committed to evangelizing and supporting the unique and meaningful mission that it accomplishes.

As I look over the lists of our members, our advisory board, and our sponsors — along with the institutions of the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame — I see a huge, global community of which I am proud to be a part. < 4

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

>CHAIR

Mike Davies, Fox Sports, SVP, Technical and Field Operations

>EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Ken Aagaard, SVG Chairman Emeritus and HOF Chairman Andrea Berry, PRG, VP and General Manager, Broadcast and Television Eric Black, NBC Sports Digital, CTO Jason Cohen, CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, VP, Remote Technical Operations Mike Connelly, Fox Regional Sports Networks, SVP, Production Scott Gillies, SkyRae, President Steve Hellmuth, SVG Chairman Emeritus and NBA Entertainment, EVP, Media Operations and Technology Jeff Jacobs, Skyline Sports and Entertainment, Principal Patty Power, CBS Sports, EVP, Operations and Engineering Tom Sahara, SVG Chairman Emeritus Susan Stone, MLB Network, SVP, Engineering and Operations

>ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Adam Acone, NFL Network, Director, Media Operations and Planning Glenn Adamo, Ivanhoe Media and Entertainment, President Peter Angell, Lagardère, SVP Onnie Bose, NFL, VP of Broadcasting Chris Brown, Turner Sports, VP, Sports Production Technology Tab Butler, MLB Network, Senior Director, Media Management and Post Production Chris Calcinari, ESPN, SVP, Remote Production Operations, ESPN and ABC Sports Mary Ellen Carlyle, Dome Productions, SVP and GM Ken Clausen, HBO, Director of Production Joe Cohen, The Switch, President, Sports Michael Cohen, Bizzy Signals Entertainment, President/ Executive Producer Don Colantonio, Industry Consultant Scott Davis, CBS Sports, VP of Broadcast Operations Jim DeFilippis, Industry Consultant Ed Delaney, Industry Consultant Jed Drake, Industry Consultant David Dukes, PGA Tour Entertainment, Senior Director, Technical Operations Jerry Gepner, CP Communications, COO Steve Gorsuch, Industry Consultant Ken Goss, NBC Sports, SVP of Remote Operations & Production Planning Mark Haden, NHL, Group VP, Broadcast Technology Ed Holmes, The Holmes Group, Principal Deb Honkus, NEP Broadcasting, Chairman of the Board George Hoover, Industry Consultant Darryl Jefferson, NBC Sports Group, VP, Postproduction and Digital Workflow Robert Jordan, CVE, 1337 Facilities, CEO John Kvatek, University of Central Florida Knights, Senior Associate AD/ External Operations John Leland, PSL International, LLC, Principal Glen Levine, NEP, President, U.S. Louis Libin, Broad Comm, President Jodi Markley, ESPN, EVP, Content Operations and Creative Services Bernadette McDonald, Major League Baseball, SVP, Broadcasting Grant Nodine, NHL, SVP, Technology Ken Norris, UCLA, Director of Video Operations Gary Olson, GHO Group, Managing Director Del Parks, Sinclair Broadcast Group, SVP and CTO Scott Rinehart, University of Notre Dame, Director, Broadcast Technology Larry Rogers, FirstInTV, President Mike Rokosa, NHRA, Technology Executive Scott Rothenberg, NEP, SVP, Technology and Asset Management Oscar Sanchez, CONCACAF, Director of Broadcast Operations Bruce Shapiro, Broadcast Consulting Tracey Shaw, WWE, SVP, Network and TV Operations Jack Simmons, Industry Consultant Don Sperling, New York Giants Entertainment, VP and Executive Producer Jerry Steinberg, Industry Consultant Patrick Sullivan, Game Creek Video, President Jason Taubman, Game Creek Video, VP Design/New Technology Larry Tiscornia, Major League Soccer, VP, Broadcasting Jacob Ullman, Fox Sports, SVP, Production and Talent Development John Ward, iNDEMAND, EVP and Chief Technical Officer Ernie Watts, Turner, Manager, Transmission Operations Center Mike Webb, YES Network, VP, Broadcast Operations Jeff Willis, Industry Consultant Dave Zur, KSE Media Ventures, SVP, Operations & Engineering

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COVERING THE FIELD

PLATINUM SPONSORS

LOOKING BACK ON A BUSY SUMMER

By Karen Hogan Ketchum, SVG, Director of Production and Editor, SportsTech Journal

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6

When the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team hoisted the iconic championship trophy after defeating the Netherlands in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final — and, later, paraded down New York City’s Canyon of Heroes — it was the culmination of not only a month of victories but also years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

The same could be said of Fox Sports, which had been engaged in the production planning process since the previous Women’s World Cup, in 2015. And those efforts paid off for the 14 million viewers who watched Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and the rest of the U.S. squad repeat as World Cup Champions in 2019.

Each edition of the SVG SportsTech Journal devotes its cover story to the biggest sports-production story of the past six months, and this edition is no different: beginning on page 28, relive the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup through the eyes of those tasked with delivering the tournament to audiences all over the globe.

Besides the Women’s World Cup, other high-profile events packed this summer’s sports calendar. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Team SVG was on the road, covering major U.S. events: Indy 500 (page 40), U.S. Open golf tournament (page 46), MLB All-Star (page 52), and US Open tennis tournament (page 58). Turn to page 39 for a special Summer of Sports section and be sure to check out www.sportsvideo.org for additional in-depth reporting from every event we covered this summer.

This summer also offered an unprecedented number of SVG events. Following the Sports Graphics Forum (page 12) in March and the SVG College Summit (page 8) and College Sports Media Awards (page 10) in May, Team SVG hosted the RSN Summit and SVG Venue Summit in June (page 14-16), the Sports Content Management Forum and Sports OTT Forum in July (page 18-20), and the IP Production Forum and — new this year! — SVG Soccer Summit: Americas in August (page 22-24).

These events would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, and we thank them for everything they do.

The Fall 2019 SportsTech Journal also features a special Venue Spotlight, showcasing the top sports-venue builds from the past year. Although the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center (page 66) certainly takes the prize for the most technologically advanced, Major League Soccer venues are making a splash. We include two of them here: LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium (page 74) and Minnesota United’s Allianz Field (page 80). In addition, we feature Venue Q&As from some of the industry’s leading minds: 1337 Facilities’ Bob Jordan (page 72), WHJW’s Chris Williams (page 72), Alpha Video’s Jeff Volk (page 78), and Diversified’s Justo Gutierrez and Stuart Reynolds (page 78). These Q&As have been edited for length; to read the full-length versions, visit www.sportsvideo.org.

Each edition of the SportsTech Journal ends with a look to the future of sports technology: a selection of White Papers explores audio in esports production (page 86), drone usage in live sports broadcasts (page 88), and the best networking for your business (page 90). The Sponsor Update section pulls back the curtain on the latest news from more than 250 sponsors, including a number of new-product releases from IBC 2019.

Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the wonderful work of our departing SVG Advisory Board Chairman Tom Sahara and thank him for all he has done on behalf of SVG and our industry. We are excited to welcome Fox Sports’ Mike Davies as SVG Advisory Board Chairman (turn back a page to read his remarks!) and look forward to continuing SVG’s work of advancing the creation, production, and distribution of sports content. <

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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UPDATE

SPORTS VIDEO GROUP CONFERENCES IN REVIEW has always been a great event for me to come to because I see excitement in people’s faces and I see people that want to grow. The future is now.”

The SVG College Summit kicked off on Wednesday, May 29, with a tour of Georgia Tech Athletics’ broadcast facility and an SVGW Women in Sports Production Networking Event.

Prior to the kickoff, attendees were invited to hone their skills with training sessions on Ross Video’s and NewTek’s production platforms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Day 1 concluded with the Opening Night Networking Reception in the Technology demonstrations, and plenty of Showcase Area, giving networking. attendees their first look This year’s event was chaired at sports-production

by Syracuse Athletics Senior gear exhibited by more than 45 Producer Scott Hecht, who companies. welcomed a packed house on On Thursday, May 30, the Thursday morning. day began with the panel dis“It’s really gratifying to know cussion “Final Countdown: that I got to be a part of [colWhat ACC Network Schools lege video production],” he Learned in Their Facility said. “Everyone wants to leave Buildouts,” featuring ACC a legacy in this business, and, schools Virginia Tech, hopefully, this is mine. This University of Virginia,

University of Pittsburgh, University of Louisville, and Syracuse University.

The day continued with a Keynote Conversation with Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack, who discussed how his past work as an ESPN executive can help colleges grow their productions properly, his expectations for the ACC Network, and the importance of establishing a

SUMMIT

> SVG COLLEGE SUMMIT MAY 29-31 ATLANTA The SVG College Summit attracted more than 600 college sports broadcasters, athletic-video producers, esports enthusiasts, technologists, and students representing a wide variety of universities, collegiate conferences, and technology vendors to the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta for three days of informative panels and presentations, production training, technology

Ball State’s Chris Taylor (left) and Brad Dailey shared how they got started in esports production.

culture on campus.

In the following session, “Bringing the Fire to Twitter: Strategy for Social Video Success,” SVG College Summit Program Director Brandon Costa discussed the latest trends in social video with Twitter Sports Partnerships Manager David Herman.

From left: Virginia Tech’s Eric Frey, University of Pittsburgh’s Kelly Hammonds, University of Louisville’s Jeremy Noe, University of Virginia’s Mike Szlamowicz, and Syracuse University’s Scott Hecht discussed the ACC Network launch.

8

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

From left: SVG’s Karen Hogan Ketchum, University of South Carolina Athletics’ Marissa Cockrell, America East Conference’s Erin Iwaskiewicz, and University of San Francisco Athletics’ Katie Morgan spoke about the college-sports-video landscape during the SVGW Networking Event.

The SVG College Legacy Award Presentations were up next. Raycom Sports was honored with the Technology Leadership Award, and America Athletic Conference’s Tom Odjakjian was recognized with the SVG Pioneer Award for his decades of service to the industry.

After a networking lunch, the day continued with “A Platform To Call Home: The Ivy League’s Migration to ESPN+,” featuring representatives of the Ivy League, ESPN, Harvard University, and Cornell University. “Cinematic Techniques and the Art of Storytelling in Sports” and “In the Trenches: Creative Production Solutions That Have Enhanced (or Saved!)

Your Live Productions” capped the day of panels. Case studies by Calrec/DiGiCo and Imagine Communications were also presented.

On Thursday evening, the SVG College Sports Media Awards — in association with NACDA and sponsored by Ross Video — recognized the best in college sports-video production, celebrating those who have pushed the envelope and raised the standard for the quality of live and pre/postproduced college sports-video content. The 11th-Annual CSMA Ceremony was hosted

by ESPN’s Jen Lada.

The SVG College Summit concluded on Friday with SVG Esports Production U, a special morning dedicated to educating creators of college sports-video content on the opportunities in live esports production. From the operational requirements to the creative storytelling techniques behind some of the biggest esports, the session provided a concentrated look at how some of the top esports brands put

Twitch’s Mark “Garvey” Candella delivered a presentation on how Twitch is advising and fostering programs in the collegiate esports space.

together their live-streaming productions and offered advice on how to enhance productions or build an operation from the ground up.

SVG Esports Production U featured “Platform Perspective: Twitch and the Growth of

Collegiate Esports” and a trio of Esports Production U How-To sessions: CS:Go with ELEAGUE, League of Legends with Riot Games, and Rocket League with Ball State Sports Link. <

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION Syracuse’s John Wildhack Provides Perspective on the Future of College Sports Production

John Wildhack (right) with SVG’s Ken Kerschbaumer With more than three decades as an executive at ESPN, Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack possesses a comprehensive understanding of the history and current state of the sports-video industry. At the SVG College Summit, Wildhack joined SVG Executive Director of Editorial Services Ken Kerschbaumer for Thursday’s Keynote Conversation. The pairing discussed how Wildhack’s past endeavors influenced his current role in the college space, how to establish a culture of excellence, and his expectations for the upcoming launch of the ACC Network.

“I really wanted to take the time to get to know people and their issues,” said Wildhack, when discussing his transition from ESPN executive to university AD. “It was incumbent on me to. We built a culture that’s built on collaboration and transparency. We’re a team.”

He continued, “We’re here to develop young people for success, both academically and athletically. If you decide to subscribe to this culture, you’ll be a part of something that’s really special.”

To watch this Keynote Conversation, visit www.svgcollege.com

Relive the SVG COLLEGE SUMMIT with editorial coverage, video interviews, full panel audio, photos, and much more at www.svgcollege.com

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

9

UPDATE

continued

> COLLEGE SPORTS MEDIA AWARDS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MAY 30 ATLANTA The Sports Video Group (SVG) and National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) came together in Atlanta to give praise to this year’s benchmarks in collegesports-video production at the 11th-annual College Sports Media Awards, sponsored by Ross Video.

More than 400 entries were submitted for consideration in five categories (Live Game Production; Live Non-Game Production; Program Series; Special Feature; and Promotional Videos) across four divisions (Professional, Collegiate Conferences and Governing Bodies, Collegiate Athletics, and Collegiate Student).

ESPN College GameDay reporter Jen Lada hosted the festivities. To begin the ceremony, she noted the hard work that it takes to put on quality productions and reflected on welldeserved success.

“Tonight is all about patting ourselves on the back and patting the backs of those beside you,” she said. “It’s about recognizing how talented and terrific you all are. We sometimes need to be in multiple places at once, but, instead of it being impossible, we make it work.”

OUTSTANDING LIVE GAME PRODUCTION PROFESSIONAL Fox Sports | Football – West Virginia vs. Texas COLLEGIATE CONFERENCES AND GOVERNING BODIES Patriot League | Indoor Track & Field – 2019 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Championship COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Auburn University (War Eagle Productions) | Baseball – Auburn vs. Arkansas

St. Cloud State University (Husky Productions) | Men’s Ice Hockey – St. Cloud State vs. Miami (OH) OUTSTANDING LIVE NON-GAME PRODUCTION

COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS University of Louisville | Louisville Live COLLEGIATE STUDENT Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | NCAA Women’s Basketball Tourney Watch OUTSTANDING PROGRAM SERIES PROFESSIONAL Pac-12 Networks | Our Stories COLLEGIATE CONFERENCES AND GOVERNING BODIES West Coast Conference (TheW.tv) | WCC All-Access: Season 2 COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Duke University (Blue Devil Network) | Duke Blue Planet COLLEGIATE STUDENT Ryerson University | #TheJourneyTo – The Road to Nationals

Conference | ACC Game Changers: ClemsonLife COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS University of Notre Dame (Fighting Irish Media) | Remember When (Green Nails) COLLEGIATE STUDENT Palm Beach Atlantic University | ARKADY OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS: HYPE, OPEN, TEASE, PSA, OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROFESSIONAL ESPN | Clemson–Alabama Round 4 Tease COLLEGIATE CONFERENCES AND GOVERNING BODIES American Athletic Conference | American Men’s Basketball Championship Documentary Trailer

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continued

> SPORTS GRAPHICS FORUM MARCH 6 NEW YORK CITY

chairman of the SVG Sports Graphics Committee. “As an on-air presence with the look of our graphics, we hoped that it resulted in something that was incredibly successful.”

Throughout the morning at the Sports Graphics Forum, top creative directors, graphicsproduction executives, and technology leaders took the stage to discuss the most significant design trends shaping the sports-graphics market today, as well as the tools being used to create stunning sports graphics.

The agenda offered a pair of companion panels, “State of the Art” and “State of the Tech,” and also included “Storytelling With Augmented Reality,” which featured best practices in AR design and development. And a case study detailed how the Alliance of American Football (AAF) and Sneaky Big worked with Brainstorm to create a oneof-a-kind virtual studio.

The afternoon featured two workshop tracks: Creative Approaches to Graphic Design, and Data Visualization and Augmented Reality.

In the former, leaders in sportsgraphics production addressed creative workflows and spotlighted their most exciting projects from the past year. The track provided case studies from Turner Sports, SVG’s Sports Graphics Forum logged a Harvard University, record attendance of more than 300.

SVG’s fifth-annual Sports Graphics Forum logged a record attendance of more than 300 to the Microsoft Technology Center in New York City for a day of informative panel discussions and in-depth keynote presentations addressing the latest technological advances and creative achievements in broadcast graphics, with a considerable focus on augmented reality.

The day kicked off with a keynote presentation by the creative team at CBS Sports, which was tasked with refreshing the network’s graphics package for Super Bowl LIII and pulled off an impressive and unprecedented live augmentedreality opener that was the talk of the Sports Graphics Forum. “[The conclusion of the 2018 AFC Championship Game] began a year of endless meetings; sleep deprivation; and blood, sweat, and tears,” said JP LoMonaco, VP, on-air graphics and design, CBS Sports, and

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LIVE • VIRTUAL • VISUALIZATION

Turner Sports’ Jordan Shorthouse presented a case study on the 2019 NBA All-Star graphics package.

AN

FORUM

CBS Sports’ JP LoMonaco, the 2019 Sports Graphics Forum Chair, delivered opening remarks.

From left: Fox Sports’ Michael Dolan, Troika Design Group’s Gil Haslam, Big Studios’ Jocelyne Meinert, ESPN’s Timothy O’Shaughnessy, and Turner Sports’ Jordan Shorthouse shared the top creative design trends of 2019.

and ESPN, as well as panel discussions on 3D modeling and character animation and how great graphics packages are developed through creativity and collaboration.

The Data Visualization and Augmented Reality Workshop focused on player-tracking, AR, and more; offered panel discussions on augmented reality in the field and in the studio;

and provided an in-depth look at player-tracking, betting, and biometrics.

The Sports Graphics Forum concluded with a case study on the NHL, examining the league’s use of puck- and player-tracking technology during the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, and a keynote presentation exploring how Fox and drive studio created the 2018 FIFA World Cup experience. <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all SPORTS GRAPHICS FORUM panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org

> RSN SUMMIT

JUNE 24-25 DENVER As the regional-sports industry undergoes seismic change on multiple fronts, regional sports networks face a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

More than 275 attendees traveled to Denver for SVG’s fourth-annual RSN Summit to network, learn, and exchange ideas about the most pertinent issues facing RSN leaders today.

“It is once again a time of great change across the regional-sports-network landscape,” said RSN Summit Advisory Committee Chairman Jon Slobotkin, SVP, content and live programming, NBC Sports Regional Networks, during his welcoming remarks.

“But the mission remains the same. Regardless of network ownership, our customers — the fans — will always find their teams. As long as there are local sports fans, the most rabid and passionate of the species, all of us must continue to feed the appetite of this rooting beast.”

The event kicked off on Monday with a trio of Keynotes outlining the current state of the industry. The first, a Keynote Presentation on the state of the rights market by Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures co-founder Chris Bevilacqua, took a look at recent rights deals affecting the industry and provided a deep look at the future of regionalsports media rights.

The RSN Summit also reflected the current moment, when the

UPDATE

business is undergoing a tectonic shift with Sinclair Broadcast Group’s acquisition of 21 Fox Sports RSNs from Disney and its plans to co-launch the Marquee Sports Network with the Chicago Cubs in 2020. Sinclair VP, Corporate Development, Scott Shapiro, who helped lead negotiations in the company’s recent RSN deals, offered insight into why Sinclair views RSNs as valuable assets and how he sees the market evolving.

A Keynote Panel brought together two stalwarts of the RSN industry. KSE Media Ventures President/CEO Matt Hutchings and Pac-12 Networks President Mark Shuken laid out current challenges and opportunities, from the evolving distribution landscape to the impact of sports betting. Much of the discussion centered on how RSN operations must adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape largely driven by the younger generation of fans.

A presentation on the state of labor in the RSN world by Program Productions Chairman/ CEO Robert Carzoli followed.

Tuesday began with “RSN Production Perspectives: Storytelling, Technology, and Evolving Workflows,” moderated by Slobotkin and

NBC Sports Regional Networks’ Jon Slobotkin chaired the 2019 RSN Summit.

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SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

The Palmer House Hilton •June 26-27, 2018 • AN

EVENT

From left: NBC Sports Regional Networks’ Deven Persaud, NESN’s Theresa Spencer, and KSE Digital’s Matt Williams talked OTT strategy.

featuring executive producers and production leaders from Fox Sports Regional Networks, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, Pac-12 Networks, Altitude Sports and Entertainment, and Spectrum Networks.

The following panel addressed the hottest topic at the RSN Summit — sports betting — and comprised speakers from NBC Sports Philadelphia, VSiN, Sportradar, and STATS Perform. Next up was a discussion on streaming and OTT strategy, featuring NBC Sports Regional Networks, NESN, and KSE Digital.

After lunch, social-media strategy took center stage with reps from SNY, Pac-12 Networks, and Midco Sports Networks sharing their tools, tips, and tactics for social-media success. Rounding out the day were panels on RSN/team partnerships — featuring the Colorado Rockies and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain —

and on original programming — featuring Pac-12 Networks, Spectrum Networks, Altitude Sports and Entertainment, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, and NBC Sports Regional Networks.

That afternoon, the Tech and Engineering Workshop hosted back-to-back roundtable discussions: “In the Studio and at the Broadcast Center” offered tech leaders from AT&T Sports Networks, SNY, Imagine Communications, NESN, and KSE Media Ventures; “In the Truck and on the Field” spotlighted NEP Broadcast Services, Canon, Mobile TV Group, and Fox Sports Networks. Rounding out the Workshop, a discussion of at-home production and the virtualized truck featured Gearhouse Broadcast, AT&T, Midco Sports Network, Mobile TV Group, Pac-12 Networks, and Spectrum SportsNet. <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all RSN SUMMIT panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org

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UPDATE

continued

> SVG VENUE SUMMIT JUNE 26-27 DETROIT

SVG continued its whirlwind summer in late June, traveling to Detroit for the SVG Venue Summit at Little Caesars Arena. More than 150 industry professionals representing a wide variety of pro and collegiate teams, venues, systems integrators, consultants, broadcasters, technology vendors, and more attended the annual event, touring the venue and learning about the latest production, technology, and integration trends impacting fan engagement and entertainment.

The event kicked off on Wednesday night, with an Opening Night Reception at the Detroit Foundation Hotel.

On Thursday, it shifted to Little Caesars Arena for a day-long program that offered a behindthe-scenes tour and in-depth panel discussions and presentations. The first presentation More than 150 industry professionals attended the event.

16

JUNE 26-27 • LITTLE CAESARS ARENA • DETROIT of the day, a detailed overview of Little Caesars Arena, was delivered by Olympia Entertainment’s Pete Skorich, VP, entertainment services and broadcasting, Detroit Red Wings; Eric Angott, video production engineer, Detroit Red Wings; and Dan Mannes, coordinating producer, Detroit Red Wings.

“In 2019, the in-arena show is every bit as complicated as the television product,” said Skorich. “Our control room is as complex as any [production] truck you’ll see in any compound.”

Following the presentation, representatives of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, and University of Michigan took the stage to share their strategies for engaging fans through invenue video.

Next on the agenda, attendees were treated to a tour of Little Caesars Arena, making stops in the control room, the gondola

While touring Little Caesars Arena, attendees made stops in the video control room, the gondola area, and the Belfor Training Center.

area, and the Belfor Training Center. A networking lunch followed.

After lunch, a pair of panel discussions pondered what’s next in venue technology.

The first comprised technology leaders from Daktronics, Anthony James Partners, and Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment. The second focused on the systems-integrator perspective, shining a spotlight on Diversified, Alpha Video, and KMH Audio-Video Integration.

Looking toward the future of sports venues, the SVG Venue Summit examined the hottest emerging market in the industry: esports. Leaders from Populous, MES Events, Washington Justice, and Grass Valley discussed the relative merits and drawbacks

of building esports-specific venues and hosting esports tournaments in traditional venues and provided a primer on what the sports-venue industry should know about this burgeoning sector.

An afternoon case study by Venuetize explored how its mobile platform keeps fans at Little Caesars Arena and The District Detroit connected, setting the table for the event’s Closing Keynote. The District Detroit SVP, Operations and Development, Keith Bradford capped off the day by sharing his insights into the vision and execution of The District Detroit — a 50-block entertainment district encompassing Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, and Ford Field — as well as his goals for this entertainment destination. <

For in-depth reports and photos from all SVG VENUE SUMMIT panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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UPDATE

MANAGEMENTFORUM Westin New York at Times Square • July 24, 2019

> SPORTS CONTENT MANAGEMENT FORUM

JULY 24 NEW YORK CITY More than 300 media-asset– management (MAM) leaders from major broadcasters, leagues, teams, OTT outlets, and vendors convened at the Westin New York at Times Square to share first-hand perspectives and behindthe-curtain looks at their respective workflows. The day-long Sports Content Management Forum covered a wide range of pressing topics, from the current state of MAM and archiving to cloud and virtualization, AI and machine learning, and objectstorage and next-gen–storage technologies.

Welcoming attendees to the annual event, Tab Butler, senior director, media management and postproduction, MLB Network, and this year’s Sports Content Management Committee Chair, noted how far the industry has come in a few short years and what he expects the future to hold.

“I cannot help but feel a sense of awe at the challenges ahead for preserving the visual history of the past century, and

the years ahead. … There is so much content and all of it a snapshot in time, a story to be told, a memory to be cherished,” he said. “We have our work cut out for us as we navigate the future, defining and capitalizing on the technological advancements that assist us in preserving history.”

Immediately afterward, a panel of industry leaders representing NBC Sports and Olympics, NHL, Fox Sports, WWE, and IBM Aspera discussed the state of the industry and how the multiplatform revolution has changed sports-content– management workflows.

Two late-morning sessions shone the spotlight on AI and machine learning. A presentation by Genre-X Consulting Partner Xena Ugrinsky addressed obstacles in data science and management, and a panel of experts discussed the financial drivers, workflow advantages, and obstacles that influence AI and machinelearning decisions.

MLB Network’s Tab Butler, the 2019 Sports Content Management Forum chair, delivered opening remarks.

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SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

More than 300 mediaasset–management (MAM) leaders from across the sports industry convened for the annual event.

After a networking lunch, a panel of technology providers and M&E end users from SwiftStack, Caringo, Object-Matrix, NFL, and Turner Sports took the stage to discuss object storage. Leaders from Quantum, IBM, Media Translation, Spectra Logic, and MLB Network followed with a conversation on high-capacity archive storage. The decision on whether to store assets on-premises or in the cloud was debated by representatives of Masstech, Nutanix, A+E Networks, University of Notre Dame, and WWE. The day concluded with a Vendor/Broadcast Q&A, which paired leading contentmanagement executives from sports leagues and broadcasters with their respective MAM vendors for one-on-one conversations. Attendees heard from MSG Networks

From left: SwiftStack’s Vince Auletta, Caringo’s Tony Barbagallo, NFL’s Kendall Ginsbach, Turner Sports Library’s Anne Graham, and Object-Matrix’s Nick Pearce discussed object storage.

and CineSys-Oceana, NFL and Levels Beyond, and St. Louis Blues and CatDV. In addition to the full program of panel discussions, the Forum offered a series of case studies: “Arizona Coyotes Score a Hat Trick With Sony’s Intelligent Media Services” (Presented

by Sony), “YES Network’s Virtual Migration: Reality vs.

Perception” (Presented by Avid), and “NASCAR Revs Up Cloud and AI Workflows With AWS” (Presented by AWS Elemental). <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all SCM FORUM panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org

UPDATE

PRESENTS

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> SPORTS OTT FORUM JULY 25 NEW YORK CITY Over-the-top distribution and direct-to-consumer livestreaming packages are poised to dramatically change the world of live sports video.

At the second-annual Sports OTT Forum, more than 220 attendees from across the sports-media industry shared their unique challenges and opportunities and discussed the new technologies and business opportunities facing their organizations.

“This is our second OTT event,” said NBC Sports Digital CTO Eric Black, who was chairman of the event and serves as SVG Digital Advisory Chair, “and I’m really excited to see the big turnout and the growth in the industry. We’ve all seen the headlines and the changes in the industry recently, so it’s a really exciting time to be in the space since things are evolving so rapidly.”

The day-long event began with a panel discussion titled “Traditional Broadcasters in an Age of Streaming Growth”, DAZN’s Arbesa Kastrati (left) and fuboTV’s Geir Magnussion Jr. talked digital-native media entities.

20

and featuring leaders from NBC Sports Digital, CBS Sports Digital, Fox (Sports, News, and Entertainment), and WSC Sports.

Later in the morning, BA Winston, global head of digital video playback and delivery, Amazon Prime Video, took part in an SVG Digital Keynote Conversation with SVG Director of Digital Brandon Costa. The two discussed the latest in live sports streaming at Amazon Prime Video, including the evolution of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football package over the past two years, the increase in live-sports properties in its portfolio (including NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, PGA TOUR, ATP Tour, Premier League, and, most recently, the French Open), creating personalized and alternative streaming-video experiences for fans, and what his team has learned since entering the livesports-streaming business.

“From a product and customer-experience perspective, there are three main learnings,” said Winston. “No. 1 is that sports is clearly a significant driver to linear viewing worldwide. No. 2, with OTT, clearly, we are able to bring sports content to more customers on more devices … [which has] opened the door for more options for customers, and, therefore, customers engage with us on more devices. And third, [OTT] gives

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

SPORTS

OTT FORUM

From left: Major League Lacrosse’s Sandy Brown, Octagon’s Dan Cohen, and the NHL’s Dave Lehanski lended their league perspective to the event.

a great opportunity and platform for companies to innovate and bring interesting experiences at a faster pace to customers, which I think is going to be a great advantage for businesses like us.”

A panel of direct-toconsumer newcomers — DAZN, fuboTV, and FloSports — took the stage to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital-native media entities, touching on their technical strategies and workflows.

Following lunch, leaders from Major League Lacrosse, NHL, and Octagon offered the league perspective and the global impact of OTT distribution on the U.S. sports business. Streaming protocols were up next, as representatives from NBC Sports Digital, IBM Aspera, and Limelight Networks explored CMAF, HLS, and DASH, including where they expect delivery backbones to go.

NBC Sports Digital’s Eric Black chaired this year’s Sports OTT Forum, which returned to NYC.

The day concluded with another technology-centric panel, this one focused on data visualization, user experience, and gaming.

Key executives from Sportradar and Bleacher Report discussed their current work and offered tips for what makes a streaming experience truly special in today’s sports-media world.

A trio of case studies from Sony, Encompass Digital Media, and Zixi explored ad insertion for OTT, managing and monitoring next-gen streaming, and lowlatency live-event contribution over IP networks, respectively. <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all SPORTS OTT FORUM panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org

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UPDATE

continued

> IP PRODUCTION FORUM AUGUST 20 MIAMI

At SVG’s 2019 IP Production Forum in Miami, more than 200 attendees gathered at one of the newest IP-based facilities in the nation: Telemundo Center, the Spanish-language network’s headquarters. Along with a tour and insightful presentations, the event featured informative panel discussions, lively debates, and networking opportunities for those interested in the future of IP-based production.

Jeff Mayzurk, SVP, operations and technology, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, kicked things off with an overview of the facility and the philosophy behind the state-of-the-art IP-driven facility.

“IP is not an end game,” he said. “It’s part of a suite of technologies that allow automation and virtualization.”

Chris Swisher, director, production systems engineering, NBCU, and Intoto Systems partner David Potter then took the stage for an in-depth look at Telemundo’s new home, the challenge of getting it up and running, and how IP has improved the

network’s internal operations, enabled at-home operations, and connected the Telemundo Deportes team with NBC Sports Group in Stamford, CT. The Telemundo Center features 13 production studios and seven control rooms and is home to the largest SMPTE ST 2110 IP installation in the world (as of its launch in spring 2018), consisting of more than 12,000 unique HD sources and 150,000 multicast audio/video streams.

Ken Kerschbaumer, executive director, editorial services, SVG, moderated a pair of companion panels addressing the latest developments in IP standards and the challenges introduced for those currently working in baseband/SDI video. The first panel, “When Hype Meets Reality: Making the Move to IP,” offered IBM Aspera CTO Mike Flathers and MediaKind SVP, Technology, Matthew Goldman in a discussion of SMPTE’s ST 2110 suite of media-over-IP standards and how engineers will need to approach their jobs differently.

The second session, “Weighing Your IP Options: Knowing

From left: SVG’s Ken Kerschbaumer, IBM Aspera’s Mike Flathers, and MediaKind’s Matthew Goldman took part in the panel discussion “When Hype Meets Reality: Making the Move to IP”.

Which Protocol Is Best for Your Needs,” tackled alternatives to ST 2110, including Sony’s NMI, NewTek’s NDI, and Evertz’s ASPEN. After a networking lunch, the sessions resumed with a look at the latest IP-based mobile units. Leaders from NEP, Game Creek Video, and Grass Valley explored the way IP is changing live sports production.

Capping off the program was a session that connected to SVG’s back-to-back IP Production Forum (Aug. 20) and SVG Soccer Summit Americas (Aug. 21) in Miami: “Soccer, IP, and the Move to Remote Production.” Leaders from Telemundo Deportes, Bizzy Signals Entertainment, and VISTA Worldlink (who team up to produce NWSL, SVG’s IP Production Forum drew more than 200 to Telemundo.

USL, and other North American soccer properties) discussed how they have embraced IP-based workflows to cut production costs without negatively impacting the quality of the coverage.

The IP Production Forum also featured a pair of case studies: the first, from Evertz, spotlighted the Telemundo Center as the world’s largest SMPTE 2110 facility; and the second, from Imagine Communications and CTG (Comprehensive Technical Group), chronicled their collaboration in delivering a mixed-vendor COTS-based ST 2110 IP control-room solution for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Fiserv Forum in 2018.

Attendees were also treated to a tour of the Telemundo Center and its ultramodern infrastructure, as well as a networking reception. <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all IP PRODUCTION FORUM panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org 22

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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UPDATE

continued

> SVG SOCCER SUMMIT: AMERICAS AUGUST 21 MIAMI

SVG’s inaugural Soccer Summit: Americas welcomed more than 200 soccer-production and technology professionals from across North, Central, and South America to Miami for a full day of networking, informative panel discussions, one-on-one conversations with industry leaders, and technology exhibits.

Throughout the event, which took place at Mediapro’s U.S. headquarters, attendees discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the industry as the number of competitions grow, digital technologies transform the industry, and much more.

“Mediapro U.S. is pleased to join Sports Video Group for what will be the first of many Soccer Summit: Americas. I hope this event spurs ideas and technologies for sports production,” said Mediapro U.S. CEO Irantzu Díez Gamboa.

“Today, we will be addressing the challenges and difficulties that currently face the industry.

As technology and soccer competitions continue to grow, events like this that promote innovation and collaboration are really important.”

The day-long event commenced with two industry leaders engaging in conversation about the state of soccer in the Americas. The first conversation featured CONCACAF Chief Commercial Officer Heidi Pellerano, who shared her experiences with the Confederation and further explored the growth opportunities for soccer across the hemisphere, like the Nations League and Gold Cup. “More competitions are the catalyst for development,” she said. “Allowing nations to compete on a more regular basis provides fans with a better product and more countries to become engaged with the game. We have incredible commitment [to this mission] throughout the organization.

We believe there is tremendous upside for a federation that continues to invest.”

In the second, LaLiga North America CEO Boris Gartner discussed the league’s ambitions in North America and how it plans to increase its presence and fan base on this side of the Atlantic. “[Our initiative] is competing

From left: National Women’s Soccer League’s Dana Rubin, Fox Deportes’ Orlando Silver, Mediapro US’s Mario Sousa, and MLS’s Larry Tiscornia chatted about the state of soccer in the Americas.

for attention and time,” he said. “We understand that our product is an entertainment product, and we need to be in front of as many people as we can. It’s about leveraging our weekly matchups, so comparing El Clásico [Real Madrid vs. Barcelona] to the Super Bowl for the U.S. audience. Ultimately, what we can do collectively to grow the game is beneficial for all [soccer organizations] involved.

It’ll translate into more focus and investment on the game of soccer and raise the value of what we’re doing.”

Following the two conversations, a panel discussion on soccer’s AR and virtual-advertising future featured representatives of technology leaders Ncam Technologies, Supponor, TUDN, TV Azteca, and Vizrt. A panel addressing the state of the game from the SVG’s inaugural Soccer Summit: Americas welcomed more than 200.

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SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

broadcaster perspective offered representatives of Major League Soccer, Fox Deportes, National Women’s Soccer League, and Mediapro.

After a networking lunch, automated workflows and artificial intelligence were spotlighted, with panelists from United Soccer Leagues, TVU Networks, Tedial, and Mediapro exploring how leagues and teams take advantage of technology to cut production costs without compromising the on-air product.

The day concluded with a special look back at the summer of 2019, which was highlighted by two major soccer events: the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the Americas. The hour-long session featured production leaders from both events: key personnel from Fox Sports, Telemundo Deportes, CONCACAF, and IBM Aspera took center stage to discuss their impressive efforts. <

For in-depth reports, full audio recaps, and photos from all SVG SOCCER SUMMIT: AMERICAS panel discussions, visit www.sportsvideo.org

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UPDATE > INITIATIVES & GROUPS In a continuing effort to better serve the informational needs of the sports-venue industry, SVG’s Venue Initiative sponsors once again welcomed industry leaders to their booths at the 2019 NAB Show for tailored technology demos and in-depth conversations. In June, SVG traveled to Detroit for the annual SVG Venue Summit, which was hosted by Little Caesars Arena (page 16).

The launch of the highly anticipated ACC Network kept college sports video production in the spotlight this year and SVG College was right there alongside the 15 schools and ESPN leading up to the debut. SVG College has hosted regional events outlining efforts at Duke University, the University of Louisville, the University of Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech while profiling many others in SVG’s editorial coverage. The SVG College Regional Event Series is also rolling on strong with a visit to Harvard University scheduled for October 30, 2019, to engage the New England collegiate community and to tour the Crimson’s impressive facilities built around NDI IP workflows. The SVG College Sports Summit, the annual destination for college video professionals, returns to Atlanta on May 27-29, 2020.

Direct-to-consumer subscription-based streaming services are all the rage in sports video distribution today, so what does that mean for the rapidly scaling world of live streaming and OTT tech? SVG Digital is a rapidly growing segment of the SVG community with a series of events for you and members of your team to enjoy. This

continued

past July, SVG hosted its annual SVG Sports OTT Forum (page 20). Next year’s Sports OTT Forum will be bumped up to earlier in the year and is expected to be held in March 2020.

In an effort to better serve the sportsproduction community coast to coast, SVG Platinum Series meetups focus on a wide variety of markets across the country. Following a successful SVG Platinum Series event at Sneaky Big Studios’ facility in Scottsdale, AZ, SVG traveled to Seattle on May 8 for an evening of drinks and networking. The next SVG Platinum Series meetup will take place in Boston this fall. In recent years, SVG has visited Coloado, Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Toronto.

WOMEN IN SPORTS PRODUCTION

SVGW has had a busy 2019, with no signs of slowing down! At the 2019 NAB Show, more than 50 women attended a networking lunch that featured a keynote conversation with Imagine

Communications’ Dr. Glodina ConnanLostanlen. The following month, SVGW returned to the SVG College Summit in Atlanta with a networking event that featured a keynote conversation with ESPN’s Jen Lada, followed by a panel discussion comprising three leading women in college sports video. This fall, SVGW will host networking receptions in New York City (Oct. 17) and Los Angeles (Nov. 18), and will cap off the year on December 16 with the group’s annual meeting at the SVG Summit in NYC.

The SVG Content Security Work Group was created to strengthen the processes by which content is protected throughout the lifecycle of production, distribution, and archiving, based on the input of SVG’s membership, including broadcasters, rights owners, and production service providers. The Work Group’s recent efforts have focused on two fronts: working with SVG members to introduce its Best Practices to their production teams and discussing technology network security efforts with key equipment partners. <

ADVISORY COMMITTEES In addition to SVG’s industry initiatives, we also cultivate thought-leadership groups within several different sectors of the business to advance the creation, production, and distribution of sports content. These include Advisory Committees dedicated to Sports Content Management, Sports Graphics, Regional Sports Networks (RSNs), TranSPORT (sports-content transmission), and a soon-to-be formed SVG Esports Production Advisory Committee. These thought-leadership groups — along with the SVG College, SVG Digital, and SVG Venue Advisory Committees — gather regularly to address topof-mind issues and help to program the agendas for SVG’s corresponding annual events in an effort to help better educate and unite their respective industries.

For more information on SVG’s Advisory Committees, visit www.sportsvideo.org/svg-advisory-board/

For more on SVG’s Initiatives and Groups, visit www.sportsvideo.org/initiatives 26

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP T

he 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be remembered by soccer fans for a great performance by a talented U.S. squad. But for those in the sports production community, the event will be remembered for next-generation technology that allowed production teams working thousands of miles apart to work as one thanks to fiber; improvements in file-based All FIFA WOMEN’S workflows; and challenging weather conditions that WORLD CUP photos by Carrie Bowden featured soaring temperatures, gusting winds, and pelting rain. On the following pages, please enjoy our For in-depth reports, video interviews, photos, reports from Paris and beyond as we relive the 2019 and much more, visit www.sportsvideo.org FIFA Women’s World Cup. 28

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG SPECIAL REPORT FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Fox Sports’ FIFA Women’s World Cup Operation Takes Technical Step Forward, Leverages L.A. Facilities

By Ken Kerschbaumer

T

he beginning of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris marked the end of a long period of planning in which Fox Sports made use of skills the team developed in Canada, home to the previous Women’s World Cup in 2015, and in Russia during the Men’s World Cup last summer.

“Our spirits are good, and we are ready to kick off the tournament and show everyone back in the States what we’ve been working on,” said Kevin Callahan, director, technical operations, Fox Sports, prior to the tournament. “We’ll have all the things covered, and we’re ready.”

One of the first things viewers noticed was the studio-show set, which was located at the Café de l’Homme. Paris has plenty of iconic views, but it is the sight of the Eiffel Tower that resonates with people around the world, and the view from the Café — part of the Musée de l’Homme — did not disappoint. “[EVP, Graphics,] Gary Hartley and his team designed a magnificent set,” said Callahan. “There was only one rule: don’t mess up the view. The set blends into the museum as much as it can, and the back house of the restaurant has been turned into our operations and production office.”

Callahan noted that the studio has 10 cameras, including a 50-ft. SuperTechno50 crane with a Stype

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SVG SPECIAL REPORT FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Kevin Callahan (right) with the team at the IBC Remote Operations Center, where transmission, venue engineering, ingest, and media management were merged. kit for augmented-reality graphics that could show sweeping shots of the Palais de Chaillot and the Trocadéro. There was also a beauty camera that used LiveU’s Matrix IP cloud video-management platform to make it available to Fox TV stations that wanted to integrate live shots into their newscasts.

There were three shooting locations: the main set, a café set, and a shooting position for the digital team, which was located on the second terrace. From there, the digital and social-media team produced FIFA Women’s World Cup Now for Twitter every night of the tournament.

“We’ve taken over every square centimeter of space there to maximize efficiency,” said Callahan.

“Down the hill is where our technical compound is located. NEP’s Aurora OB truck is there as our control room, and we have 40 Gbps of data leaving that compound: 20 Gbps to Los Angeles and 20 Gbps to the IBC in Paris.”

One interesting note is that the EVS XT-VIA operations, graphics, and playout were done in Los Angeles and the technical director in Paris cut to tape machines located in Los Angeles, not in a B unit.

“We basically moved the B unit 6,000 miles away,” noted Callahan.

Similarly, the graphics team in Los Angeles controled three Viz engines in Aurora, and the prompter crew also worked remotely. Bexel helped outfit two trailers located in Fox Sports’ Pico studio lot, and a CenturyLink trailer helped pull in 120 Gbps of data from Paris.

This was the first time that a Women’s World Cup had a proper building for its International Broadcast Center (in 2015, the IBC was housed in office trailers). Although Fox had a relatively small footprint of only 300 sq. meters, it packed a lot of technical punch. NEP UK, as it did in Russia last year, provided the equipment and technical support.

“It’s our technical hub for interfacing with the venues and HBS for match coverage,” said Callahan.

“It is also the hub for ingest and our archive system that is required for features, and is the source for all of the feeds that those in the remote tape room in Los Angeles need.”

At the core of the IBC facilities was what Fox called the Remote Operations Center (ROC).

“We’ve merged all of the technical rooms — like transmission, venue engineering, ingest, and media management — and the assignment desk so that they have the same set of monitors and can talk to each other directly,” explained Callahan. “There is a space saving, but they are also all looking at the same thing on one monitor wall.”

Another key improvement from FIFA is that access to the content on the FIFA MAX servers was expanded beyond the walls of the IBC. That move made it easier than ever for the features-production unit in Los Angeles to mine the content for the best clips, interviews, and highlights from FIFA TV. Fox Sports also had two ENG crews traveling around France and sending content to Los Angeles. continued on page 36

For in-depth reports from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, check out SVG’s onsite coverage on www.sportsvideo.org 32

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG SPECIAL REPORT FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP Kevin Callahan Reflects on Fox Sports’ Solid Planning, Execution

T

he Fox Sports technical and production plan for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup took years to pull together and months to make a reality. Kevin Callahan, VP, technical operations, World Cup, Fox Sports, sat down with SVG in Paris to discuss this year’s effort.

How have things been going in France?

I’d say everything has gone according to plan and the team has done a fantastic job. We’ve used more host services than we have in the past, which has been refreshing. I think that we picked the right commentators to do that — [they] are used to [calling a match off-tube] — and I would say that, as a result, there’s no degradation in quality of the product.

We’ve had matches where we haven’t had venue kits out, and it changes our communications a little bit, but it goes to the flexibility we’ve built into the system so that we can make changes at a moment’s notice.

How have a couple of the big changes and improvements worked out? What are some highlights?

A big change that we did this year was, we’ve moved to [hitless redundancy] on our transmission paths. That’s been a game changer for us. We haven’t been without our fiber cuts, and I love playing the game of, ‘Where is today’s latest back-home incident?’ but it’s been seamless on-air. It’s been seamless to us. The biggest effect that we’ve seen is that, depending on where the fiber has been cut, we’ll lose our IPTV contribution from Los Angeles, and that’s because of the way we decided to route certain things. It’s easier not to let that traffic go on the backup.

The biggest part of the operation here in France is the studio show, which is produced completely here in Paris, except for graphics and replay, which are produced in Pico.

Was there any thought to just home-run all the cameras for the studio show to Los Angeles?

There was, but, for production reasons, we decided to bring the production staff and the control room here to Paris but keep it as minimal as we could. The feeling is that the interaction the producers are able to have with the presenters being right there, being able to walk up and talk to them in person during the matches, right after halftime, is invaluable. That personal interaction is why we still have that control room here, and, quite honestly, part of the reason the Fox Soccer Tonight show is being completely done out of Pico, where the talent and the production team are together.

It would seem that, from a storytelling standpoint, you can’t have that energy and feedback loop if you are working apart.

There’s no substitute for being able to be in the bar at the end of the day and talk to somebody or being able to just walk up and have a conversation in person and not over an intercom, not over an IFB. That’s something that I think is going to remain.

Before you began working on the 2015 World Cup, would you have expected to be where you are today with respect to operations and production?

We’ve definitely progressed on all fronts since 2015. We were very lucky in that our first World Cup was in Canada. In Canada, we knew everyone in terms of all of the players up there, and you can always get stuff in quickly from the U.S. I think, in 2015, we underestimated the size of the project. We allowed delivery dates to be later than we should have, and quite honestly, we didn’t have enough staffing. Then, in 2017,

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Kevin Callahan (left) and Gabe Nucci, engineering manager, World Cup IBC, Fox Sports, inside the IBC. because the U.S. men’s team wasn’t in the Confederations Cup in Russia, we kept a lot of people back in Los Angeles, and our studio presence was really a home-run production. We also stepped up things on the media-management front because all of our tape playback and the whole studio show were produced out of Los Angeles. So we need to get all the content back to Los Angeles.

How did things evolve for this year’s World Cup? This year, we’ve taken what we learned from 2018, and we’re starting to do more production anywhere. I don’t want to call it at-home production or home-run production because we have some aspects of things here in-country that are being controlled in Los Angeles.

When you start to dive into it more, it doesn’t even have to be in Los Angeles. It could be any place where we have the connectivity. Right now, Los Angeles makes the most sense for everything because it is still new to us, and that’s where the operators are, but there’s nothing to say that we couldn’t have our graphics operation out of Charlotte, NC, and our playback operation out of Los Angeles. It’s really just a convenience factor right now.

Looking at how you and the team have dealt with the World Cups since 2015, one thing I notice is that you have a long run-up window and then you have to master change management. How do you do that when plans might change?

Communication is key in terms of making sure that whatever is going on is communicated to everyone. We’ve rolled with the punches pretty well. When we were planning the Men’s World Cup, we had a U.S. team in it. When you don’t have a U.S. team in it, it changes things, and it changed a lot of our plan. The one thing that’s constant is there will always be change. It’s very difficult to get production people to agree to a plan and stick to a plan, and it’s very difficult to get engineers to deviate from a plan and understand that there’s a need to deviate from a plan. Right now, I walk the fine line between the two groups, being the engineer and trying to say, ‘We need to get this plan in place,’ but understanding that production needs flexibility.

I guess that’s the beauty of all the technology: it makes it easier to respond quickly. Are you already looking to new technology for 2022?

We’re out there looking. This year is going to be a very big year for us to try and figure out what we’re going to do for the next three-year cycle. The venue kits first came out in 2016 for us at Copa América Centenario. That was the first [real-time test], and they’ve been the same since 2017, same equipment, traveling site to site. — KK This interview has been condensed and edited. To read the full-length interview, visit www.sportsvideo.org.

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SVG SPECIAL REPORT FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP continued from page 32 “It’s always interesting to see what other broadcasters at the IBC deem important to have onsite,” said Callahan. “We haven’t had real editing onsite for any of the FIFA events.”

Helping to move the content to and from Los Angeles was a combination of equipment from Telestream (Lightspeed Live Capture), IBM Aspera (FASPStream), and Levels Beyond (Reach Engine).

Other improvements included the Unity Intercom, which now has wireless capability, and the CyanView Cy-STEM camera-control system. The Cy-STEM lineup includes the Cy-RCP, a universal remote-control panel that allowed any number of cameras or feeds to be controlled from a single unit.

Fox Sports was onsite at a minimum of 30 matches, and Callahan said the in-venue workflow really hadn’t changed since last year. The Lawo V_remote4 video core played a key part alongside intercom equipment from Studio Technologies. <

Efforts Rise, Excitement Abounds for FIFA TV, HBS During World Cup Final

T

he FIFA Women’s World Cup Final between the Netherlands and the United States brought to a close a month-long showcase for some of the best athletes in the world. Ratings were up, often impressively, compared with 2015. The quality of play and competitiveness of the matches also improved. And for the FIFA TV team and HBS — the appointed host broadcaster for this event — behind-the-scenes improvements paid off.

The two semifinals and final were played at the home of women’s football in France, the 57,900-seat Stade de Lyon. It was a fitting location, and, with enough compound space for both an expanded unilateral presence by rightsholders and the FIFA TV multilateral production at the core of the matches, it became the de facto home of a number of activities the final week.

“The IBC in Paris is still fully staffed, but the difference was that Lyon became the main FIFA and LOC headquarters,” said Neil Darroch, senior manager, TV operations, FIFA TV, during the tournament. “It allows us to support the venue team with the increased attention and activates around the final matches and makes it easier for us to manage some of the things face-to-face.”

The final week’s matches saw an uptick in the number of cameras deployed. A helicopter shot, cable cam, and an external camera mounted on a 60-meter crane and used primarily to receive transmissions from the helicopter made a difference from above; an ultra-slow-motion Polecam behind each goal and a super-slow-motion camera level with the 6-meter line in front of each goal made a difference on the pitch.

“We picked a camera plan for all of the matches that ensured a high level of coverage, and we found that it could fit every stadium,” said Darroch of the challenge of outfitting coverage for venues that vary in seating capacity by as much as 30,000 fans. “Some stadiums had better locations for certain cameras than others, but they all host football or rugby matches on a regular basis, so the main camera positions were where we needed. For some, we needed to kill a few seats or upgrade a platform, but, in general, they were all the right size.”

The Stade de Lyon location proved to be a boon prior to the U.S.-England match. U.S. fans gathered behind the set to give it an enthusiastic atmosphere that is uniquely American. And co-hosts Jenny Taft and Canadian five-time World Cup veteran and CONCACAF Head of Women’s Football Karina LeBlanc were within selfie distance, giving fans a digital souvenir to share with friends and family back home.

Other rightsholder improvements included expanded pitchside presentation opportunities, which were available behind each goal and

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FIFA TV’s Neil Darroch, standing pitchside at Stade de Lyon also on both sides of the touchline. “Now a rightsholder can get into a position with their team warming up behind them,” said Darroch. “They can stay in their position longer, until just before the teams come out, resulting in a better product.”

Another major challenge for all rightsholders was getting interviews with players and coaches before and after matches. FIFA TV took steps to improve that as well, asking teams to make a player, not just a coach, available for a prematch interview.

“It enriches the content as they have a different perspective from the coach,” said Darroch, adding, “The teams have been really cooperative as the athletes are well-trained for media interviews. And it’s important [in promoting] the athletes as there are only a handful who are well-known globally.”

Stade de Lyon also offered plenty of space for a mixed zone, which served as an extension of the flash area for prematch interviews. In addition, a prebuilt room was available as a studio for longer postmatch or sit-down interviews.

“Some rightsholders have a specific style of show they like to produce,” Darroch noted. “That studio offers a cabled, soundproof studio with backdrops that they can use.”

When the next edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup comes around in 2023, FIFA TV will likely once again raise the production a notch, embrace new workflows, and new technologies. Some of its decisions depend on broadcasting trends around the globe, but the goal will once again be to grow the game.

“As much as this is about showcasing the women’s game on TV, this is the pinnacle for all of the players who come here,” said Darroch.

“If they’re working that hard on the pitch, we should be doing the same off the pitch.” — KK <

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SVG FOCUS

SUMMER OF SPORTS

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he summer of 2019 was chock full of tentpole sporting events and SVG was on-site to cover all the technology driving these massive live productions. While USWNT’s historic run in the Women’s World Cup captured the American zeitgeist for much of the summer, the season was filled with a cavalcade of other big-time events — from the Indianapolis 500 to the U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach to MLB AllStar Game in Cleveland to the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing, NY. This special report pulls back the curtain on the technology, workflows, and people behind these historic live productions.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500

NBC Sports Revs Its Engine in Inaugural Indy 500 Coverage

By Kristian Hernandez

W

hen Memorial Day Weekend rolls around in the U.S., racing fans know what time it is. At the world-renowned Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 33 drivers revved their engines and embarked on a mechanical sprint towards history in the 103rd Indianapolis 500.

The weekend also marked a massive milestone for the team at NBC Sports, who took over as the host broadcaster this year, bringing “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to homes across America for the very first time.

NBC deployed an impressive arsenal of live video technology to give this year’s race a truly elite on-air look. Much of it was made possible by working alongside the racetrack’s experienced in-house operations unit, IMS Productions.

“From the engineering and operational side, it has been a success working directly with IMS Productions,” said Ken Goss, SVP, remote operations and production planning, NBC Sports Group, speaking before the race. “They’ve been great partners, and they did a terrific job [with helping us] converge all of our operations here. We’re looking forward to our first Indy 500 and are happy to forge a strong, ongoing partnership with IMS Productions.” continued on page 44 The Pit Stop Challenge entertained fans on Friday’s Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For more in-depth reports from the Indianapolis 500, visit www.sportsvideo.org 40

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 IMS Productions Waves a Checkered Flag at Racing’s Greatest Spectacle

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nce a year, the city of Indianapolis becomes the epicenter of the racing universe. As thousands of fans flock to the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual pilgrimage, IMS Productions (IMSP) gears up for one of the most historic and important events of the year: the Indianapolis 500. For this year’s edition, the company assisted NBC Sports in its first year as lead broadcaster, providing start-to-finish services that upheld the 103-year-old tradition of the prestigious race.

“For a small company in the middle of Indiana by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this day is tremendous since we’re [facilitating] the main race,” said Kevin Sublette, president, IMS Productions, prior to the race. “This race is our Super Bowl.”

Having covered NASCAR’s running of the Brickyard 400, NBC Sports was no stranger to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Although the broadcaster is dealing with a different beast in the IndyCar circuit, IMS Productions leveraged its previous experiences with NBC and its five-decade-long partnership with ABC to ensure a smooth transition.

“The planning has been the same,” said Sublette. “[Supervising Engineer Steve Sontag] has worked on it for over a year, since he was the architect that did the first two weeks for ABC for the last few years. He understands what [NBC] is looking for. He had bimonthly meetings on the phone with all the engineers-in-charge to make sure that we have everything checked off the list. It’s a massive show, but we’ve been planning it for over a year, and, for the most part, we have the roadmap.”

The main twist that NBC provided was an additional prerace studio show nearly four hours long. To support a good chunk of NBC Sports’ 200 staffers and an entire show’s worth of equipment, IMS Productions called on its new HD-6 mobile unit to take care of all pre/postproduction operations.

“In years past, ABC has always done the pre- and postrace [production] out of their main [NEP ND7] truck,” said Sublette. “That’s been something we tweaked and made sure everything is the way that everybody wanted it. It has been a huge learning [experience] that we’ll sit down afterward and make sure we did correctly and see what we can change for next year. It’s massive from what we’ve done in the past.”

The HD-6 was not the only mobile unit available in the expansive TV compound outside the skeleton of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. An additional four mobile units also joined the party, including HD-3 and HD-5 for race-day coverage, B-1 for audio submixing, and C-1 for tape release. In terms of technology, IMS Productions supplied a whopping 56 out of the 80 total cameras being used: 40 from Sony, nine from Panasonic, four from Fletcher, and three from Toshiba. For connectivity, the team laid down 200,000 ft. of fiber. With all this equipment, Sontag needed to develop a way to spread his tech fleet evenly.

Inside IMS Productions’ TX-4 truck, Director of Satellite Communications Kevin Husband used fiber (and other modes of transmission) to bring all the action on the asphalt to the nation and the world in 1080i.

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Despite a threat of inclement weather, Indianapolis Motor Speedway still welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans.

“On race day, we have a five-channel mux on fiber [that is] going to Stamford, CT; Inglewood Cliffs, NJ; and 30 Rock [in NYC]. We also have a five-channel mux coming back from Stamford with returns,” he added. “[On C-band], we have a two-channel mux going to all three of them as well as a single [C-band] channel going out on a diverse satellite. [Lastly], we have the Ku-band going out on yet another satellite.”

Global fans tuned in live from multiple countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Vietnam, Myanmar, and other countries in Asia and Latin America. At an event as huge as this one, there is no margin for error. With that idea in mind, Husband developed a plan with five redundancies to cover all his bases.

“We started building backups on top of backups,” he explained. “We have a backup of IP going to NBC and then another backup of the program over IP to MX1’s teleport in Hawley, PA. As the ultimate failover, the [feeds] will come back up in the holds. We have all of the wire to the national feeds, which are duplicated across all of the [international] platforms. When you look at the three satellite [monitors], you notice that they aren’t the same. They look the same, but one’s going out and one’s not. We made sure that there’s always a path on there [that is going] somewhere.”

To devise a solution to ensure smoothness and accuracy, Husband and his team prioritized complete control of the process by taking out a cable and installing an extra two racks for encoders, decoders, and three multiviewers.

“For IMSP, it’s enormous,” he said. “We brought it all in-house, and we created the entire platform and the entire program.

[With all of this equipment], we have six power sources running to this truck. It has taken about a week and a half of working around the clock to get everything up there correctly. We wanted to make sure [the broadcast] gets [to NBC].” — KH <

SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 continued on from 40 A whopping 80 cameras were scattered across the sprawling 560-acre campus, highlighted by a grouping of five Sony HDC4300s at 6X super-slow motion. These high-speed cameras were located on the cars’ right side at Turns 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Out of the 21 specialty cameras being leveraged, BSI and Fletcher provided fans unique perspectives on the day’s competition. With the help of an extensive line of POV cameras, NBC installed on-board cameras on more than a dozen cars.

“We’re excited to have BSI here due to our success with them on [NASCAR broadcasts],” said Goss. “When you have a show of this size, it is better for all involved.”

Fletcher units helped cover the nuts, bolts, and tire jacks of pit row with overhead robos in the boxes of No. 20 Ed Carpenter, No. 21 Spencer Pigot, No. 25 Conor Daly, No. 24 Sage Karam, No. 5 James Hinchcliffe, and No. 12 and 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power.

Outside the track, a combination of six HDC-3500 and HDC2400 handheld and HDC-P1 robotic cameras with RF wireless capabilities allowed reporters to conduct hits from famous areas like Gasoline Alley. Down the final stretch near the start/finish line Inertia Unlimited cameras captured high-speed footage of any close calls near the conclusion of the race.

NBC Sports provided picturesque and stunning views not only from ground level but also from high above. NBC deployed cameras on a blimp and helicopter to provide aerial views of the track and an 85-ft. Strada camera system also took to the skies with looks from inside the concerts in the Snake Pit. Lastly, a Technocrane was on hand.

All these cameras were fitted with lenses that included 20X, 22X, 100X, wide-angle, and a special 180-degree fisheye from the famous Pagoda.

Inside the operational nucleus, five trucks supplied by IMS Productions housed a fair number of the 200 staffers onsite. The main race coverage operated in IMSP’s HD-3 and HD-5 mobile production units. HD-3 was built around a Grass Valley Kayenne K Frame 5M/E switcher, while HD-5 featured Grass Valley’s Kayenne

Crews began to arrive in the TV compound at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 4:15 a.m. on race day.

K Frame 8M/E switcher. The main race telecast also had 103 iso record channels at its disposal and a full slate of replay equipment from EVS: four 12-channel servers with ChannelMAX and 10 eightchannel XT3 servers, two with SpotBox and two with IPDirector.

“IMS [Productions’] engineers have done a great job integrating the five mobile units to service the race, as well as the pre- and post-race shows,” said Craig Bernstein, senior director, remote technical operations and engineering, NBC Sports Group.

On the transmission end, NBC Sports sent 14 discrete feeds out using fiber from AT&T, which was all backed up by dual C-band and Ku-band satellite uplinks owned by IMSP. Meanwhile, NBC loaded up its NBC and NBCSN airwaves with wall-to-wall pre-race coverage. Working out of IMSP’s HD-6, Tom Popple, VP, studio operations and facilities, NBC Sports Group and his team supported a full menu of programming that took fans from 9:00 a.m. ET to the start of the race at 12:45 p.m.

“We have multiple sets with multiple talent,” Popple pointed out.

“We’re at the Pagoda Plaza, at the front of the grid, on the third floor of the Pagoda, and also at the host position. We’re trying to capture the look and feel [of the race] and do something that hasn’t been done.”

Despite this being its first year in the big broadcasting chair, NBC Sports’ creative arm relied on its core principle of telling compelling stories and bringing a relevant connection to every viewer. With the help of IMS Productions’ technical services, Goss and Bernstein had the utmost confidence heading into race day that their first run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be one filled with immense success. “[IMS Productions] knows exactly how this works. From the flow of the track to the amount of infrastructure they need to put for fiber, this is their home base,” Goss poined out. “They have worked hard to build these facilities up to where they can do a show of this magnitude.” < The studio set in Pagoda Plaza was one of several sets built by NBC Sports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS U.S. OPEN GOLF

At the U.S. Open, a Drone Takes Flight; Robotic Hard Cameras Offer New Angles

By Ken Kerschbaumer

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his year’s U.S. Open featured great shots from the drone patrolling the Pebble Beach Golf Links coastline as well as shots from four robotic hard cameras that were able to capture the action from new angles. “There are few courses as good as this one to use drone technology,” said Mike Davies, SVP, technical and field operations, Fox Sports, speaking at the tournament.

“There are so many active holes along the coastline, and director Steve Beim has done a great job directing the drones and doing some cool things. Drone technology has come of age here at the U.S. Open.”

The original plan, according to Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports, was for the drone to be tethered to a boat just off the coast, allowing longer flying times and obviating battery changes. But the changing tides and the kelp bed’s interference with the line during low tide made clear early on that the best bet was to fly untethered.

“It does mean we need to plan a lot more about where and when we want to fly because we only have 10 minutes to get out and back,” said Cheney. “But the shots it is getting are surpassing everyone’s expectations as it allows viewers to see the course from an angle they have never seen before.”

The drone is another example of the collaboration between the technical and production teams. continued on page 50

Fox Sports’ Mike Davies at Pebble Beach Golf Links

Fox Sports’ Brad Cheney and Penelope Prior at the U.S. Open, where they oversaw a team of more than 600.

For more in-depth reports from the U.S. Open, visit www.sportsvideo.org 46

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS U.S. OPEN GOLF Tracer Tech, Towercam Show Fox Sports’ Commitment to Innovation

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ince Fox Sports’ first U.S. Open five years ago, the team has consistently looked to push the boundaries of broadcast technologies. Part of that is a love of tech and a drive to tell the story of a golf event in new ways.

But part of it is also that Zac Fields, SVP, graphic tech and innovation, Fox Sports, is a big golf fan who spends plenty of time watching golf coverage from around the world.

“We are stewards of [the U.S. Open], and we want to show it through the best possible window,” said Mike Davies, SVP, technical and field operations, Fox Sports. “And with someone like Zac, who is a rabid golf fan, we have someone who can see whether something is a worthwhile technology from the golf fan’s point of view.”

Fields said he and the team are quite happy to go into an event knowing that some of that innovation will involve testing out new things during the actual event.

“Sometimes, that is the only way you can achieve something that is really great,” he explained. “If you’re always going in with limitations, you’re never going to know what you can really do.”

The Towercam this year was a perfect example. For the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay five years ago, the team had two Towercam units that could lift a camera to 17 ft.

“They worked well,” said Fields, “but they were quite clunky and a big operation for what we achieved: they needed to be cabled, and that limited how they could be used. This year, we have one that can go up 33 ft. for a higher vantage point, and, at the top, we have a Shotover gyrostabilized mount, so we have calibrated pan, tilt, and zoom. That allows us to get those dynamic shots with the trace, and it’s a great look that no one has ever done before.”

And it wasn’t until the Towercam was actually fired up and used that the production team saw its real potential. It was located behind the stands at the 6th tee box and could also cover play on the 14th tee and fairway, which runs alongside Hole 6.

“The expectation was, we would get a great reverse shot looking to 14 and also be able to use it on 6,” said Fields. “But it turns out that using it on 6 has been much better and impactful.”

The Towercam moved to Hole 17 for Saturday’s round.

One of the things the team takes pride in, he added, is a commitment to tracing golf shots using a combination of Toptracer, Trackman, and Virtual Eye. The three companies worked together as one unit called Toptracer; Trackman accumulates data of the ball’s flight, and that data and the ball’s flight path are merged over the virtualized CG environment provided by Virtual Eye. The Toptracer and Trackman systems also power shot tracking over live video.

“We see tracing as akin to the yellow line in football: you need it,” he said. “If you can’t see the ball, then you should have a trace. And we do that more than anyone, whether it’s RF, on the tee box, or the slabs on nine holes. And now we have tracing on the practice range. We see a huge value to tracing, and it is a necessity on the broadcast.”

Fields said conversations with technology partners took

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Towercam was placed on the Hole 6 tee box at the U.S. Open. part throughout the year as they collectively looked to move tracking and other technologies forward.

“Our first year, we tried some of what we are doing now using a calibrated camera, and it wasn’t quite ready,” he explained. “But we were already talking about it for the next year. One thing we’ve done well is try new things, see what works, and then grow it the next year. It’s a great collaboration between technical and production teams: I can get a text from [U.S. Open producer] Mark Loomis about something he saw on Daytona 500 and how it could apply to golf.”

Fields also pointed to the real-time Foxbox that keeps viewers constantly updated on the leaderboard.

“One of the hardest things in golf is telling the story in a linear fashion when everything is happening simultaneously,” he said. “With a leaderboard up there constantly, we don’t want to reveal a score before the viewer sees it happen, and, by staying in sync with the video story, it can be quite impactful.

It takes a lot of communication between the operator and the team, [who] need to know what the next shots are going to be and if it is live or on tape.” — KK <

SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS U.S. OPEN GOLF

continued on from 46 Executive Producer Mark Loomis and Beim studied some of the pretaped beauty shots, which were captured using a drone, and selected the shots they wanted to also offer live.

“What Steve Beim and Mark Loomis are pulling off is great.

Every day, the drone shots get better and better,” said Cheney.

It also proved to be a necessity because the marine layer of cloud cover impacted the ability of the blimp to fly over the course. The aerial shots from the drone, though much lower than the blimp, filled in the aerial void.

“Without the drone on Thursday,” said Cheney, “we would have had nothing.”

Although the U.S. Open is the one weekend when Fox Sports truly leverages golf innovations, Davies was quick to point out that, when a technology can be applied successfully to golf, it can often be applied to other sports the network covers.

“The U.S. Open does function as a bit of a laboratory for things that we can use elsewhere,” he noted. “The flight track with slabs Inside the Technology Tent at Pebble Beach, where control of the tournament’s innovative tech took place .

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The robotic camera off the 17th green was able to capture players putting and then walking past it to the 18th tee. lends itself for a sport as far afield as bowling. So we had a totally different concept for bowling coverage born out of what we did for golf. It gives a videogame feel, and I think that, on Fox and maybe everywhere else, is going to be more important as our audiences are now accustomed to looking at simultaneous things.”

Another innovation was the use of robotic hard cameras on the course. The team stole the idea from Fox MLB productions, which place a low home camera on a robotic head. It allowed hard cameras to become less obtrusive, with the camera operator panning, tilting, and zooming from a location hundreds, if not thousands, of feet away.

“Here, we are putting it on a tower and doing the same thing as we have a very small setup that fits in nicely,” said Cheney. “It worked so well in testing on Holes 7 and 17 that the USGA put it in on Holes 9 and 18.”

For example, one of the cameras was located between the 17th green and the 18th tee box, providing an angle not only on putts and tee shots but on players walking from the green to the tee.

Those four cameras from Fletcher were under the control of two operators located in the Technology Tent and using pan bars to control them.

“I don’t think there is anybody who is better at robos than Fletcher, and Brian LaValle and the team at Fletcher have been supporting us with great expertise,” said Cheney. “The funny thing about the hard robotic cameras is that, at first, the camera guys got a lot of flak from everyone else. But when it hits 100 degrees outside all of a sudden, everyone else wants to give it a try because they’re in an air-conditioned tent; they also can’t get rained on.” <

SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS MLB ALL STAR

Fox Sports Debuts Virtual Eye Graphics and 4DReplay, Revives DirtCam for the Game

By Jason Dachman

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n true Fox form, the broadcaster rolled out its largest and most technology-rich MLB All-Star production ever, including transporting Virtual Eye Graphics from the golf course to the ballpark, deploying 4DReplay for the first time, and reviving the DirtCam after a threeyear absence.

“MLB All-Star is obviously one of our huge tent poles and one of our favorite events,” said Mike Davies, SVP, technical and field operations, Fox Sports, speaking at the annual event. “We put all this technology into one event here, but the All-Star Game is, almost by definition, a short game without a lot of time to put all these cool elements in. So, as much as we like to get this technology on TV, the All-Star Game also functions as a very valuable testing ground for this technology in a real-world environment.

Then we can have a better gauge whether to use the technology [for MLB Postseason] in October and on continued on page 56 other events down the line.”

From left: Fox Sports’ Brad Cheney, Francisco Contreras, and Mike Davies at Progressive Field in Cleveland for the 2019 MLB All-Star Game

Fox Sports’ and Inertia Unlimited’s DirtCam was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

For more in-depth reports from MLB All Star, visit www.sportsvideo.org 52

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS MLB ALL STAR MLB Network’s Production Grows as All-Star Festivities Expand

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lthough MLB All-Star Week is a flashpoint of activity for all the broadcasters onsite, no entity was busier than MLB Network. In addition to producing more than 14 hours of live onsite linear programming from Cleveland over three days, MLB Network also once again handled the world-feed production of the All-Star Game, serving up dozens of hours of streaming content to digital outlets and social channels, and managing a mass of video feeds to all onsite broadcasters using its custom FATS (feed another trailer something) system.

“This event just keeps growing, and it may sound cliché, but it’s truly a team effort for us here,” said MLB Network SVP, Operations and Engineering, Susan Stone. “Our operations and technical teams do a tremendous job of putting this together and giving production all the tools that they need to do the incredible job that they always do.”

MLBN deployed a whopping 42 outbound transmission paths, 18 inbound transmission paths, and 12 paths between the Convention Center and Progressive Field carrying the VR Home Run Derby, as well as a 13-camera mux for the Media Day coverage. A total of 45 cameras were scattered throughout Progressive Field and the Convention Center, along with three Mobile Viewpoint bonded-cellular cameras to cover the Red Carpet Parade.

MLBN’s production compound was located in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse’s underground compound area, which is connected to Progressive Field’s compound, where Fox Sports was located. MLB Network once again used all Game Creek

From left: MLB Network’s Jason Hedgcock, Tom Guidice, Susan Stone, and Dave Patterson at MLB Network’s set.

Video trucks with one notable change: the Pride mobile unit (A and B) replaced Riverhawk as the home to its onsite studio shows. Maverick and Edit 3 handled the world-feed production for the third straight year, and Webby was deployed as the home of the Red Carpet Show production.

This year, MLBN erected a “REMI suite” to handle QC for the at-home workflow of its digital/streaming productions, which were run out of control rooms at its headquarters in Secaucus, NJ. This move was based partially on a lack of space but also to enhance flexibility across all its shows.

MLBN also once again has a media-management trailer onsite and expanded its use of Aspera high-speed file transfer to enhance file-sharing between Cleveland and Secaucus. And the network worked with Bexel to manage the FATS system, which sent camera feeds to Fox and ESPN and also helped power the IPTV system throughout the All-Star setup. — JD <

In Dramatic HR Derby, ESPN Takes Fans Deeper With ‘Statcast Edition’

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n a night that saw a record 312 home runs — including a whopping 91 from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. alone — ESPN delivered arguably the most dramatic Home Run Derby telecast ever. Whether watching the primary telecast on ESPN or the “Statcast Edition” alternative viewing experience on ESPN2, fans were in for a treat.

“With all the data that is collected now for baseball, we are always looking for better ways to deliver that data to make it more engaging for the fan,” said Phil Orlins, senior coordinating producer, MLB, ESPN, prior to the Home Run Derby. “We really feel that the Derby is a perfect place to highlight a lot of that data.”

For the second consecutive year, ESPN produced a Home Run Derby Statcast Edition (powered by AWS) featuring an analytics-driven

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presentation with 3D spray charts of home-run paths, exit velocity and launch angle, and deeper analysis.

Statcast was produced out of its own truck this year — Harb Productions’ Sophie unit — having shared a control room with Baseball Tonight in ESPN’s main NEP EN1 truck last year. ESPN leveraged its GREMI (graphics–remoteintegration) model for the Statcast Edition feed, locating two EVS replay operators and a Vizrt graphics operator in Bristol, CT. ESPN’s Production Enhancements department also launched a brandnew system to create 3D home-run spray charts for each player’s round.

The system was available on the midfirst camera and featured cartoon-like player graphics followed by AR graphics showing the path of each home run hit in a single round. — JD <

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS MLB ALL STAR continued from 52 Fox Sports worked with Animation Research Ltd (ARL) to bring the Virtual Eye graphics system that has become a staple of the network’s U.S. Open coverage to baseball.

The Virtual Eye was provided with MLB ballpark data to create a 3D virtual representation of Progressive Field and the surrounding area in downtown Cleveland. For the All-Star Game, the system leveraged MLB Statcast tracking data to provide AR graphics that track and compare pitches (for example, fastball vs. curveball), home runs, and other key moments in the game.

“We’ve been working with Virtual Eye for a while,’” recounted Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports. “Obviously, they make phenomenal 3D models of golf courses, so we asked them, ‘Could you do this for baseball?’ And they said, ‘Sure. If we have the data, we could build the model. Then you can pretty much do anything you want.’ The outputs have been pretty stunning so far.”

The All-Star Game saw DirtCam again deployed, with three Inertia Unlimited camera systems buried at home plate, first base, and, for the first time, second base. Previously used at an All-Star Game in 2016, the system — in what Inertia Unlimited President Jeff Silverman refers to as version 1.5 — now features a new prism that dramatically improved the system’s picture quality.

“It’s a great shot. It has been something that we’ve always liked, and we’ve missed in the last couple of years, but, as imaging technology advanced, we felt that it didn’t fit in [the broadcast],” said Cheney. “Jeff Silverman and the team at Inertia have done a great job rebuilding it and breathing some new life into it. And it looks great so far.”

The systems at first and second have full pan-and tilt capability (home plate is a lock-off shot), allowing capture of a variety of angles along the base paths. The system is also entirely wireless, relying on unique underground RF transmitters that cannot be touched once the system is buried.

The only part of the system above ground was the 4-mm prism (with a ½-mm sapphire window to make it waterproof), which was been painted to perfectly match the color of the Progressive Field infield dirt and was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

After debuting on ESPN’s coverage of Home Run Derby during last year’s All-Star festivities, 4DReplay appeared in the mainevent telecast for the first time.

The system relies on 60 4K cameras mounted on the concourse level behind home plate and stretching from first to third base. The cameras were tied together, and, for each play, the single operator selected the pivot point on which the camera axis turns. The operator could then manipulate the replay from side to side and can zoom in without losing resolution (thanks to 4K).

“We’ve been interested in what [4DReplay] can do,” said Davies.

“I think the biggest advantage 4DReplay brings for sports is the quick turnaround time; a lot of the other [360-replay] technologies require a bit more turnaround time.”

Both Skycam — which made its All-Star debut last year in Washington, DC — and ActionStreamer POV-style HelmetCams were back this year for Fox’s game coverage.

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Skycam returned to the MLB All-Star Game for the second consecutive year for Fox Sports.

The Skycam system was deployed just behind the left-centerfield wall and was used for both game coverage and beauty shots of the Cleveland skyline (as well as coverage of the today’s Red Carpet Show on MLB Network).

“The skyline is always a big factor for having the Skycam at All-Star, and we have a great view this year of the city,” said Francisco Contreras, director, technical field operations, Fox Sports. “What’s also great about this spot is that our [position behind left centerfield] is not really in the field of play, so now we can actually use it more for the game itself.”

The All-Star Game production featured a record 15 high-speed cameras: two Phantom cams running at 2,000 fps, eight Sony HDC4300’s running at 6X slo-mo, and five HDC-4300’s at 2X slo-mo.

Between game coverage and studio shows, Fox deployed a total of 39 cameras (up from 36 last year). The complement also included seven Sony HDC-P1 robotic systems (provided by Fletcher), an RF MōVI rig and RF handheld system (provided by CP Communications), and an aerial from the Goodyear Blimp (provided by Wingedvision).

Fox Sports’ flagship production trucks — Game Creek Video’s Encore A, B, and C units — were back in the All-Star compound for the second consecutive season, along with Game Creek’s Edit 2 truck. The primary control room inside the Encore B unit handled the game production, and a second production area was created in the B unit to serve the onsite studio shows.

“When we built Encore with Game Creek, we always hoped that it could be on every one of our jewel events,” said Cheney. “Having it here for the second year at MLB All-Star has been amazing. Encore allows us to be a much more collaborative environment and be able to produce a more compelling programming for everybody.” <

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS US OPEN TENNIS

At US Open, ESPN Takes First Step Toward IP Future

By Ken Kerschbaumer

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he 2019 US Open marked the end of an era for ESPN and the USTA as, next year, the technical infrastructure will make the leap from SDI baseband to IP. The SDI technical core this year — once again provided by Gearhouse Broadcast, which oversaw the technical aspects of the operations — was put to good use by more than 400 production personnel one last time for ESPN’s domestic unit, its host broadcaster operations, and other on-site rights partners like Eurosport, Wowow, Prime, and more.

“We have a phased upgrade plan, as we can’t just think about tomorrow,” said Dennis Cleary, ESPN director, remote operations, during the tournament. “We have to think all the way to 2025.”

The IP plans for next year are being finalized, but there were plenty of changes this year; most notably, changes to the compound. ESPN’s physical presence for the past five years has been a large two-story technical operation center with multiple control rooms, audio rooms, and the core technical facilities. This year, the ESPN administration building also had two floors, expanding its size to 11,000 sq. ft. (ESPN’s total footprint is 22,580 sq. ft.) and allowing for the ESPN team to be more centrally located than ever. continued on page 62

For more in-depth reports from the US Open, visit www.sportsvideo.org 58

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NEP Mediatec deployed a new eye-popping 14 millionpixel LED fascia display surrounding the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS US OPEN TENNIS NEP Out in Full Force — Both Behind the Scenes and On the Court

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EP’s growing portfolio of companies was on full display at the US Open. In addition to supporting the USTA and rightsholders with content distribution and communications, three NEP mobile units were onsite, Mediatec deployed a state-of-the art LED wrap display on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Bexel provided extensive fiber support, Fletcher had an army of robos on hand and its TRACE camera-tracking system was part of ESPN’s ACES productions on the outer courts, and Big Screen produced content for screens across the grounds.

“A good portion of what NEP can provide is here in several different aspects,” said NEP Engineering Manager Nick Romano, who oversaw the technical aspects of the USTA operations and distribution/comms for rightsholders. “And that’s the beauty of the company: we are multifaceted and can help out in many different ways. That’s what I love about where we’re at right now at the Open: we’re here to help out however we can, and we’re lucky to have the capability to do that.”

A temporary two-story structure was once again erected across the street from Ashe to serve a variety of international rightsholders (a permanent IBC-type structure is planned to be built in time for next year’s tourney). Romano and his team helped create the technical infrastructure to distribute video/ audio signals and communications to rightsholders both onsite and remotely.

More than 13,000 ft. of Cat 5 cable was installed for the IPTV system, comms, and internet connectivity. In addition, NEP worked with ESPN, Gearhouse Broadcast, and the USTA and installed 2,000 lines of fiber between the temporary structure and the USTA complex, along with another 300+ lines across the street separating the temp structure from ESPN’s production center. Only half of this fiber was terminated in an effort to prepare for the future and the upcoming move to IP. “The fiber team led by [NEP/USTA lead fiber tech] Bryce Boob have been absolutely amazing,” said Romano. “We worked together to create the fiber plan, communicated with [ESPN lead fiber tech] Todd Parson to significantly expand on the network of fiber that was already here to wire this entire building.”

The comms infrastructure was also expanded through its facility’s OMNEO Dante network. The network has grown from several individual comms systems to a hosted domestic system, comprising three frames tri-bussed together and an international side, which also had three frames. The NEP NCP8 production unit and the Big Screen operation were trunked into this network separately.

“We continue to expand upon that comms network every year in coordination with ESPN and Gearhouse,” said Romano.

“Everything has come together so it becomes one big system, where not only the audio will pass but the data will also pass through so people can key in each other. This was a huge improvement from the first year we were here. And [we were able to give] the other couple of entities that are here and wanted to stay separate four-wire ports and whatever else they needed.”

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From left: NEP/USTA’s Bryce Boob, ESPN’s Todd Parsons, and NEP/USTA’s Nick Romano.

For rightsholders not onsite, baseband feeds from the hub room were sent to The Switch and converted to its NIMBRA Network for international distribution.

NEP’s Chromium and Nickel mobile units were once again on hand to support the USTA’s world-feed production. In addition, NCP8 was back, serving the ITV multiscreen mosaic production carried by DirecTV in the U.S. For the first time, NCP8 was onsite early this year to serve as home to ESPN’s production of US Open qualifying during Fan Week.

In a US Open first, NEP Mediatec deployed an eye-popping 14 million-pixel LED fascia display surrounding the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Mediatec used more than 2,500 sq. ft. of ROE 3-mm LED (with a canvas width of 35,000 pixels) and used seven Brompton Tessera SX40 processors with 13 Tessera XD distribution units to offer complete live redundancy. All content was delivered as 12G SDI or HDMI 2.0 signal and routed through a Ross Video Carbonite Ultra switcher and Lightware MX2 16×16 HDMI2.0 matrix.

A similar 5-mm LED system has been deployed by Mediatec at the Australian Open for several years, but the setup rolled out for the US Open was brand new.

Maintaining the color on the Mediatec LED fascia display on Ashe posed a challenge with the changing sunlight throughout the day.

“We worked quite rigorously with the manufacturer to make sure it can withstand tennis balls hitting it at over 150 miles per hour and could work perfectly in extreme heat because it gets quite hot here and in Australia,” said Tom Hogan, head of displays and special projects, NEP Mediatec. “We also have full redundancy so it won’t ever fail on the court.”

Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment handled content creation for the massive LED wrap. In a tennis setting, the display remained static (typically with a deep-blue Chase advertisement) until the telecast went to a commercial break between sets. At that time, VWSE incorporated video advertisements of the USTA sponsors as well as creative elements involving the players during the downtime between matches.

The system took roughly a week to install, with a fourperson team from Mediatec and NEP’s Creative Technology onsite, followed by rigorous testing by the USTA, VWSE, and Gearhouse Broadcast. Although VWSE handled content, Mediatec was onsite during the tournament, monitoring brightness and handling QC for the display using a small workstation in Arthur Ashe. — Jason Dachman <

SVG FOCUS SUMMER OF SPORTS US OPEN TENNIS continued from 58 “We consolidated operations that previously were in Arthur Ashe Stadium or the USTA unilateral area,” said Cleary.

The second floor had an expanded production area for the ACES production teams that covered the outer courts, two audio rooms that handled audio for those courts, and additional commentary booths that could do off-tube or voice over work. There were nine two-person ACES production teams in the room with one person directing and operating the Simplylive ViBox switcher and a second operator controling four cameras, two of which were automated via the Fletcher Trace system that tracks players “The SMT graphics are automated while the Tracer has two automated cameras and two robotic cameras,” said Cleary. “At any point the camera operator can take control of those cameras but typically when the ball is served two Tracer cameras are put in automation mode and the other two cameras are operated based on the director’s coverage.”

The addition of a second audio console to the ACES area made it much easier for the audio team to divide and conquer.

“One room handles five courts while the other handles four courts and each audio room can take mics and off-tube commentary,” said Sam Olsen, senior remote operations specialist, ESPN. “The second room gives us more flexibility and more attention to detail as the operators are handling four or five courts versus nine.”

The core technical building where the larger courts have dedicated control rooms also saw some changes. Grass Valley Kahuna Maverick production switchers were added to the mix in some of the court control rooms. Said Cleary: “The primary driver is to be more flexible so we can service the USTA and our clients and provide them with multiple layers of output.”

This year saw a refresh in the imaging side of things, as all the cameras in Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong are now Sony HDC4300 cameras or Sony P43 robotic cameras. Hitachi cameras were in use across the rest of the courts. Also new this year was a twoESPN’s ACES area featured nine two-person production teams that handled outer court coverage.

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From left: ESPN’s Sam Olsen, Dennis Cleary, and Larry Wilson inside the main control room at the US Open. point Supracam wired camera that flew over the plaza between Armstrong Stadium and Court 10. Telstra’s Netcam was also part of the production mix.

As for replay, EVS units this year included a mix of VIAs and XT3 as the 20 operators for the world feeds and the five for the domestic feeds worked with Multicam 16 software. And roving microphones operated in the 900 MHz bandwidth and the Alteros ultra-wideband wireless microphone system was in use at the practice courts.

This year, the domestic control room also saw an upgraded monitor wall that could display 200 monitors but, most importantly, consume less energy. And ESPN International, meanwhile, finally had its own host set outside on the Plaza where two robotic cameras and a jib camera could be cut in the International control room via a Simplylive Vibox system.

The intercom system was expanded, and the whole venue is now integrated. The three RST Adam frames in the operations center were tied together with Adam frames in NEP Chromium, the technical operations center, the USTA frame, NCP VIII, and the Big Screen operations. Most importantly, the ESPN team back in Bristol was tied in.

“It offers a huge amount of flexibility rather than having separate panels,” said Olsen.

The improved communications made a difference for what was by far ESPN’s largest sports production effort. For example, there were 29 outbound transmission paths for ESPN and ESPN International. And, even before the US Open officially kicked off, the ESPN team was onsite for four days of qualifying coverage that was produced out of NCP VIII so that the remainder of the production facility could be finalized. Olsen said the challenge, as always, is staying on top of a very large-scale operation.

“We have 142 cameras out there and well in excess of 300 microphones serving,” he said. “And we have to serve the domestic team, the host team, and also look after the venue and fiber infrastructure.

It’s a moving target as the venue is this is a developing venue.” <

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SPOTLIGHT ALLIANZ FIELD p. 80

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• Chase Center • Banc of California Stadium • Allianz Field • Venue Spotlight Q&As

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CHASE CENTER p. 66

VENUE SPOTLIGHT > CHASE CENTER

Golden State Warriors Open Doors to Chase Center With Record-Breaking Centerhung By

Brandon Costa

W

ith the opening of a new NBA season comes another spectacular new home arena to the basketball lineup. This fall, the Golden State Warriors opened the doors to their new 16,000-seat basketball and concert arena in San Francisco.

Chase Center opened its doors in time for the 2019-20 NBA regular season.

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The facility contains a plethora of gorgeous luxury suite spaces, state-of-the-art training facilities for Warriors players, and delicious food options for fans, but it’s the giant, pristine centerhung videoboard that’s, undoubtedly, the number one conversation piece in the NBA’s latest jewel of a venue.

With 9,699 square feet of surface LED space, Chase Center’s centerhung board (which nearly engulfs the entire playing surface beneath it) is now the largest in the NBA, dethroning Milwaukee’s Fiserv Arena, which just opened in Fall 2018.

The 1080p structure — developed by Samsung — measures 82ft.-9in. wide x 52ft.-8in. tall and is actually made up of 15 individual displays. There’s a thin, curved halo-like screen that encircles the top of the main display, wedge-like screens that round out the edges, and even smaller screens within the base of the structure to allow fans in seats closer to the court to see information that might be obstructed higher up on the screen.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

VENUE SPOTLIGHT > CHASE CENTER Like at many arenas, the centerhung can also be raised up to the ceiling for concerts, but this building also features a gantry that will close beneath the board, tucking it away safely and allowing for extra catwalk and rigging space for visiting acts.

One of the unique video features of this building are what the team is calling their “gantry boards.” There are four narrow boards erected away and above from the primary centerhung above both sidelines and both baselines that offer time, score, and advanced stats for fans in the upper bowl who may have an obstructed view of the top halo portion of the centerhung.

The Warriors worked closely with its architects Morton & Clark Ventures during the planning process to conduct site-line surveys of virtually every seat in the building to ensure all fans had a clear view of the action. While there are great site lines of the court from every seat, there are portions of the upper deck that have obstructed views of some of the screens in the building due to the large size of the catwalk and the centerhung itself. These gantry boards help provide fans with that information that might be missing.

“For the fan experiences, we wanted to make sure that every fan can see as much of the board as possible and have access to all of the information,” said Paul Hawkins, who serves as executive producer, Warriors Studio for the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors’ video production team has made stats and advanced analytics a huge focal point in its game presentation plans for the opening season at Chase Center. In addition to the halo and the gantry boards, there are smaller video screens in each of the upper four corners of the arena. The entire video display package places a strong emphasis on giving all of the information fans need, from players on the floor to common stats to even some high level stats for the sabermetricians in the crowd.

“Not only do we want to become the best entertainment venue in sports, we want to become the premier destination for the basketball purist,” said Shawn Bennett, the Warriors’ executive producer, event presentation. “[We want to cater to] someone who wants to enjoy the game and the statistics of the game.”

That’s not all of it when it comes to video surfaces at Chase Center, either. There’s also a hefty video screen on the exterior of the building overlooking the Thrive City entrance where the

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Chase Center, the new home of the Golden State Warriors, features the largest centerhung videoboard in the NBA. Left: To help fans in the upper bowl see important game information that they might be obstructed from seeing on the primary videoboard, the Warriors erected four unique “gantry boards” above each of the baselines and sidelines.

Right: Chase Center keeps fans engaged with plenty of displays around the arena.

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > CHASE CENTER

Smaller screens within the base of the structure allow fans in seats closer to the court to see all the information.

Warriors expect about 80% of patrons to enter the building. That video in and of itself features 3,108 square feet of LED space and measures 74 ft. wide x 42 ft. tall.

For a slick new control room to power all of this, the Warriors partnered with industry stalwarts in Diversified and WJHW to design a work space that’s built largely around key gear from Ross Video. The room’s production switcher is a Ross Carbonite while the entire graphical display system is run through Ross XPression and Tessera. All show control runs through Ross’ Dashboard while Ross’ Ultrix blocks out the boards from a scaling and maping standpoint. The Warriors are working with Rocket Surgery, a subsidiary of Ross, to create all of its in-house graphics packages.

On the replay front, Evertz DreamCatcher will be doing the heavy lifting, while the in-venue staff is leveraging Riedel Communications’ Bolero wireless intercom system for comms.

Despite a tepid push across the venue space to consider pushing its video displays to 4K, HDR, or even 8K, all of the primary screens in Chase Center are currently 1080p. According to Hawkins, the control room is HDR-compatible and many of the boards are HDR ready, but he noted that he and his team wanted to tread with caution in those formats, especially in Year 1 of the building.

“We wanted to be smart. We wanted to make sure that we got HDR right,” said Hawkins. “Because it’s such a new medium, especially for videoboards, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t jump the gun the first year. For the time being, we wanted to see how the industry thinned out before we made the complete jump. We wanted to take calculated risks instead of just taking risks. We’ll get there.”

In addition, the Warriors have partners with VITEC on a robust IPTV and digital signage package that includes more than 1,300 end points, including menu boards, clubs and concourse suites, and other points-of-sale. The arena boasts a collection of “bunker suites” to entertain groups. Within each of those suites are 3x3 video walks powered by VITEC. The first event at Chase Center was a concert from legendary hometown rockers Metallica on Sept. 6. The Warriors played their first preseason game on October 5 and the building officially hosted its first NBA regular season game on October 24. < VENUE SPECIFICATIONS — CHASE CENTER VIDEOBOARD MANUFACTURER

MAIN VIDEOBOARD DIMENSIONS

CONTROLROOM INTEGRATOR

PRODUCTION SWITCHER

ROUTER

GRAPHICS

REPLAY

Samsung

Centerhung: 82ft.9in. x 52ft.-8in

Diversified

Ross Video Carbonite

Ross Video Ultrix

Ross Video XPression, Tessera

Evertz DreamCatcher

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > Q&A BOB JORDAN CVE 1337 Facilities, CEO Opinions vary with respect to what matters most for an in-venue experience.

Top of mind are things like HDR, UHD, and even 8K. What are your thoughts on those three formats as they relate to venue video operations?

As with any technology, the acid test is what will enhance or deliver a customer experience to an inflection point of added monetization or a quantifiable increase in related customer engagement. Too often, venues react to technology for technology’s sake — to be the first or the latest with the candy. It plays well in the media as a splash, but the staying power or incremental build foundation can be counter to the desired outcome.

With the level of technical expertise on staff now in venues rising, a much more robust analysis of the new formats is being achieved. The adoption of the HDR, UHD, and 8K are an example of this.

Do you think younger fans are looking for a different experience from the older fan? What do venues need to do to meet their expectations?

Absolutely. Understanding that humans are tribal and we want a live experience to share — how this generation shares that experience is very different from the last, and will be dynamic for the next generation. The rise of what is considered nontypical premiums, different seating options, different circulation areas, are all factors in the next generation

CHRIS WILLIAMS

of design. The next generation of fans has a very individual perspective of engagement and this group are also nimble and dynamic in their expectations that may change within a season. The venues must expect change and embrace it. Defining the experience is now a duplex transaction with the fan.

They will express their feelings with their attendance and their wallet. Pay attention to the details and the date and prepare to constantly evolve with the fans.

The area of esports continues to gain traction and there seems to be an explosion of esports arena projects. How do you see that market developing and are there any dangers of overbuilding?

The entire esports ecosystem is on fire and some of the numbers are astonishing and, as with any trend, there are outliers and those who will jump on the train just to be part of it and the metric does not support the dollars. We have already seen some coalescing in the higher end and pro-team numbers, and I would imagine that will continue for a while.

The questions being asked in esports are the same questions we were asking in traditional sports 10 and 15 years ago. Who are the fans, what experience do they want at an event, what will keep them coming back? The difference in esports is the data is being complied in real time and the esport genre allows for a direct analysis of the experience. That is invaluable in developing the new event structure. Will there be an overbuild? That is a crystal ball moment, the growth of the sport and the penetration of the market is still developing. — Ken Kerschbaumer <

What do you see as some of the biggest trends in venue video?

HDR is definitely one of the trends, especially as sponsors become more aware of getting their colors right. One of the subtle things about HDR is that the control room can go HDR without hardly any impact, but the same is not true on the display side. There are unintended consequences if the control room goes HDR, but the scoreboards can’t display HDR because they were bought two years ago. And even newer buildings might have a mix of HDR and non-HDR boards, displays, and ribbons.

their own exclusive cameras and then they only use the truck feeds when required for under the hood, or a unique angle. And the sophistication of graphics is a consistent need. Ross Video has taken the industry by storm and [Ross Video CEO] David Ross has been astounding in his vision and what he and his staff have achieved with XPression. The other trend is the need for doing lots of secondary displays like high-resolution displays that exceed 4K in resolution and require special graphics and programming. At the Chase Center, there is an 8K-wide display in the lobby that needs four Ross XPressions. Creating a ton of content is the other thing that is happening, and the size of departments and graphics teams have gone up pretty significantly.

What about on the production side?

In general, more cameras are a consistent theme, as five or six years ago it was not uncommon for the venue video team to get by with three or four cameras and then rely on the broadcast truck. But today, most venues are focused on having more of

What do you see going on in the college market?

One thing we haven’t seen in the college space is IP, as they seem to be sticking with baseband for at least another cycle or two. Also, their displays and broadcast outlets don’t currently support HDR. — KK <

WJHW, VP

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > BOC STADIUM

LAFC Explodes Onto L.A. Sports Scene With Beautiful Banc of California Stadium By

Karen Hogan Ketchum

C

ompared with Los Angeles-area mainstays like the Dodgers and Lakers, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is new to the L.A. sports scene. But its new home — Banc of California Stadium — already rivals the region’s storied venues.

Banc of California Stadium, located on the site of the former Los Angeles Memorial Arena, features views of the L.A. skyline.

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After Major League Soccer awarded Los Angeles an expansion franchise in 2014, the club quickly identified the area adjacent to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park as the site of its future soccer-specific home. Banc of California opened its doors on April 29, 2018, for LAFC’s inaugural season. And, for the production team charged with entertaining the nascent fan base, the first season might have been a crazy ride, but it was undoubtedly a success.

“Last season was just a whirlwind,” said Al Raitt, director, match day presentation, LAFC, prior to the 2019 season. “It just felt like we were living at the stadium for the most part — and sometimes we were. But the biggest thing for us was just getting it working; we had no time to really think about things: it was just fly as fast as you can go, and see what happens. The great thing about the crew that we have is, we basically had the same crew throughout the year, the same people in the same positions just grinding it out and making sure that each element that we do is perfect.”

When Raitt joined the LAFC family in early 2018, the production infrastructure to support matchday presentation was nearly complete. Early partners on the project included consultants Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment (VWSE) and Idibri, architect Gensler, and systems integrator Diversified.

Panasonic Live Events group — now Southpaw Sports & Entertainment — also came aboard in the project’s early stages to outfit the stadium with plenty of LED video-display signage.

Banc of California Stadium features two main videoboards in the bowl: the board at the south end measures approximately 129 x 29 ft.; the board in the northwest corner, approximately 50 x 29 ft. Nine fieldlevel displays of various sizes surround the pitch, and a three-part fascia display stretches nearly 357 ft. along the east side of the stadium. A 38-ft.-long fascia stretches along the west side.

Additional displays are mounted on the exterior of the stadium.

LAFC splits its team-created content — live game follow, replays, player features — across the two main videoboards and leverages the field-side displays for sponsor activation. Five Grass Valley cameras capture content from high-mid, reverse-mid, high–end-zone, and two on-field locations.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

VENUE SPOTLIGHT > BOC STADIUM A 129- x 29-ft. videoboard was installed on the south end of the stadium.

In addition, the team accesses eight cameras from the TV broadcaster (YouTube TV handles home local broadcasts).

“It’s just a really great fan experience, which is what it comes down to in my field of work. How can we elevate the fan experience to something new and exciting?” said Southpaw Sports and Entertainment Project Manager Dagan Pratt. “Through this whole process, it’s just like every other project, where you have struggles but you get through them for a final result that is pretty impressive.”

Powering the more than 15,000 sq. ft. of LED signage adorning Banc of California Stadium is a press-level video-control room, integrated by Diversified and featuring a wealth of gear from Ross Video. At the core of the room is a 3M/E (with 4 MiniME) Carbonite Black Plus production-switcher frame.

Two XPression Tessera graphics engines feed the stadium’s interior video displays, a third handles the exterior displays, and a fourth serves as a backup. An XPression Studio takes care of additional insert graphics. They are tied together through a Dashboard display-control system in order to trigger a full-stadium takeover: for example, if LAFC wins, that can play out over every display with a single button press on DashBoard or the Carbonite production switcher. Rounding out the room are two eight-channel Mira replay servers.

Although installation and commissioning were completed prior to the start of the 2018 season, Ross Video Solution Specialist, Sports and Live Events, Andrew Lahey remains involved with the team at LAFC. “One of the biggest things — and this is with any venue project — is that we do not finish the installation and walk away,” he explained. “It’s a long-term partnership. Not two weeks have gone by that I have not had a conversation with Al to figure out what the plan is moving forward and how we can help them continue to grow with the Ross system.”

As the installation of the videoboards and control-room gear was under way, the LAFC production team joined forces with VWSE Productions to determine just what the LAFC match-day video presentation would look like. The group’s initial philosophy, which served the entire club well over its inaugural season, is to celebrate the game of soccer and allow the game to speak for itself.

“We’re there to support the match but not overshadow it,” said Raitt. “We want the fans to drive everything, and we’re there to support them. We’re all soccer fans; [we] know the game, want to grow that game in America, and, through match day, we think we can leverage technology to help support the supporter culture in a way that they drive a lot of what we do. It’s a unique take on game days that I don’t think anybody else has really done, especially here in L.A. We went about to set ourselves apart; we’re not trying to be the Lakers, the Clippers, the Kings, the Dodgers. We think we’re delivering a unique experience for soccer fans in this city.”

Although Raitt is responsible for overseeing the match-day presentation team, VWSE Productions is responsible for production of all video content and graphic elements. Mark Austin, manager, broadcast operations, VWSE Productions, plays an integral role, overseeing the Banc of California Stadium’s AV infrastructure, which — in addition to the videoboards, control-room gear, and audio system — comprises 400+ Panasonic TVs connected via a YinzCam IPTV system.

For the 2019 MLS season, LAFC added a lighting truss, improved the IPTV system, and upgraded its existing AT&T fiber connectivity in the hopes of attracting data-driven, live-streamed events like esports tournaments (the stadium hosted a Fortnite tournament in 2018).

And LAFC continues to cultivate its fanbase. Throughout last season, Raitt met with team supporters to discuss match-day presentation and continues to keep the lines of communication open between his department and the fans to ensure that match-day entertainment keeps fans coming back to Banc of California game after game.

“The fan base is very loyal,” said Austin. “It almost feels like the team has been here a while because of that. The team has a very Los Angeles core to it. It feels local, and it feels real, and I like that. It has been a really nice energy here, and to build a loyal fan base, to drive that experience is really fun.” <

VENUE SPECIFICATIONS — BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM VIDEOBOARD MANUFACTURER

MAIN VIDEOBOARD DIMENSIONS

CONTROLROOM INTEGRATOR

PRODUCTION SWITCHER

ROUTER

GRAPHICS

REPLAY

CAMERAS

Southpaw Sports and Entertainment

South end: 129 x 29 ft.; North west corner: 50 x 29 ft.

Diversified

Ross Video Carbonite Black Plus

Evertz Xenon

Ross Video XPression, Tessera

Ross Video Mira

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > Q&A JEFF VOLK Alpha Video, VP Besides IP and HDR, what other trends are influencing venue renovation or construction?

We continue to see that either the venue or the control room is also being tasked as a live television production facility. Venues are also constructing multiple control rooms. Long gone are the days of having a singular control room that produces video board shows. It’s a facility with multiple control rooms that control multiple venues, whether from an LED in-venue show perspective, or from a television or online broadcast perspective. There’s also a lot more infrastructure planning, both in-venue and between the venues. Those projects have become far more complex in nature.

How are these trends affecting the college sports market?

In the college space, even with the all of the work that’s been done by ACC schools for the ACC Network launch this month, all of those systems, to the best of my knowledge, are all basebands. And so I think pretty much every single one of them is 1080p60 baseband capable. IP today still represents, in terms of money, about a 25% increase in costs.

IP was not really a budgetary reality for a lot of the

JUSTO GUTIERREZ Diversified, Director, AV and Sound

STUART REYNOLDS Diversified, Director, Sports and Live Events ho are some teams that are pushing the W immersion envelope?

SR: We’re starting to see the joining of primary sports facilities to what I might call live entertainment adjunct facilities. For instance, a Ballpark Village at Busch Stadium, Wrigleyville at Wrigley Field, Texas Live for the new Globe Life Park. These adjunct facilities are meant to extend the fans’ stay within the ballpark or stadium environment. Teams are trying to find a way to get the fan to the venue earlier, give them a reason to stay longer, and keep them connected to what’s going on at the main venue. When we were working with the St. Louis Cardinals on Busch Stadium’s production room, we were also working on all of the fiber transmission gear to get a signal over to the Ballpark Village [in order to] encompass all of the real-time data going on at the ballpark.

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customers as they were looking to ramp up their ACC Network facilities.

How are systems integrators offsetting the difficulties of IP for college programs?

There are also some additional challenges because [IP] is still an evolving and developing technology that can be challenging to deploy, but more importantly, challenging to maintain. On the ACC Network and the SEC Network, I would say 75 to 80% of those schools have hired full-time engineers since there’s a lot more involved in supporting an IP facility than there is a baseband facility. [Hiring these engineers] is mixed with the costs, newness, and occasional difficulties of deploying complex IP systems. In addition, there is quite an education process that we typically go through with our customers to better understand their needs so that we can then educate them on what the best course of action moving forward for them might be. [Sometimes], customers are adamant that they need to go IP, and after a further evaluation of their needs, we land that probably perhaps 1080p60 baseband is likely their best scenario. Much like when there was a transition from SD to HD or some of the other things that have happened in time with the industry, there’s still a tremendous amount of education that goes into it.

— Kristian Hernandez <

How are these entertainment districts capturing the different interests of fans?

SR: Since fans come for the social experience as much as they do for the game experience, we began to look at [venues] as an overall entertainment space. For instance, the new Atlanta Braves facility is designed to be so friendly to various demographics.

They’re there for the ballgame, but you’ve got a zip line and so many cool things to do from a family perspective. There’s something to engage everybody.

JG: On another side, all of the major sports are contending with all of the entertainment options that everybody has outside of sports. Organizations are also trying to create environments that will actually draw people to the stadiums. I’m one of those traditional fans that just want to sit with a beer and a hot dog and keep score at a baseball game because that’s what I love doing. There’s still a segment of fans across all sports that are like that, but there are many more now that are going to be distracted by other things. They would rather go do [some other activity] than pay money to go to a stadium, unless there’s a concert on the entry plaza before the game, or there’s fireworks night, and there’s all these bars, clubs, and restaurants that you can go to right after you leave the stadium. So, that’s the other piece of this. Team owners are trying to figure out how to get people there and keep them there for the dollars that go beyond just the tickets of the game. — KH <

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > ALLIANZ FIELD

Minnesota United’s Allianz Field Takes the Soccer-Specific Venue to New Heights By

Brandon Costa

A

merican soccer is in a golden age of stadium development. In just the past five years, six new venues have opened as homes for Major League Soccer clubs, and five of them are soccer-specific venues (the sixth is Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Atlanta United fans have done an admirable job making that NFL facility feel like a soccer-specific stadium).

Allianz Field’s 2,304- x 456-ft. primary videoboard, designed by Daktronics, stretches across the top of the Supporters Section.

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One of the latest venues is Allianz Field, rising near Interstate 94 in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, MN, and shimmering in the night with its multicolored LED-lighting exterior. Of all the new stadiums cropping up across the country to host the “beautiful game,” the new home of Minnesota United FC may just be — depending on whom you ask — the sleekest one yet.

Allianz Field is a 19,400-seat, open-air (yes, even in Minnesota) facility designed by the global firm Populous. It opened for its first MLS match on April 13, 2019, and has garnered much praise nationwide both for its design and for becoming one of just four MLS venues to be built entirely with private funds. Its $250 million price tag is nothing to sniff at for a venue of its size, but, when that is compared with the more than $1 billion cost of building U.S. Bank Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis, this place is a bona fide bargain.

The crown jewel of Allianz Field is its 116- x 22-ft (2304- x 456-pixels) Daktronics videoboard at the back of the stadium’s south side. It looms over the 2,920-seat “Supporters Section,” where many of the crowd’s rowdiest of fans stand, cheer, and sing throughout the game.

The main board, a 15mm screen, is accompanied by 13 LED displays (also from Daktronics) throughout the stadium, including two smaller boards embedded in the Supporters Section.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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VITEC’s IPTV & Digital Signage Solution extends the action on the field to any screen in the venue. Fans won’t miss the action, or sponsor messages, with low latency streaming and cutting-edge video wall displays.

VITEC’s IPTV & Digital Signage Solution extends the action on the field to any screen in the venue. Fans won’t Harnessing the power of the venues existing network, VITEC’s IPTV and Digital Signage Solution keeps fans miss the action, or sponsor messages, with low latency streaming and cutting-edge video wall displays. hyper-engaged from entry to exit.

Harnessing the power of the venues existing network, VITEC’s IPTV and Digital Signage Solution keeps fans hyper-engaged from entry to exit.

sports.vitec.com

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VENUE SPOTLIGHT > ALLIANZ FIELD > Allianz Field’s various video displays are supported by a control room near the south side of the stadium built with a 1080p infrastructure.

Having spent its first two MLS seasons handling home matches at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis (home of the University of Minnesota’s football team), the Minnesota United video crew is thrilled by the prospect of having videoboards to call its own.

“Having complete ownership of all of the displays and the day-to-day workflow [is so] much better for us,” said Daniel Claxton, senior director, production and match day presentation, Minnesota United FC, who joined the club fulltime in early 2018. “Loading is easier, and we’ll be able to come in and test content whenever we need to.

We’re spending much more time in here and taking the time to tweak to get this ready to go.”

In addition to the video action inside the bowl, there’s a Daktronics 2,800- x 675-pixels screen in the building’s Stadium Club, which is reserved for Club Level season-ticket holders. The board can serve as a carbon copy of the primary video board, but Cole Mayer, production engineer, Minnesota United FC, expects it to be used as a quad box to display the broadcast of the game and other MLS match and advertising-related elements.

In the stadium’s video rack room, a Daktronics VP-6000 video processor handles all signal-input and -refinement functions, such as video mixing and keying effects, for the two large Dak displays.

Allianz Field’s video-control room is a 1080p 59.94 HD facility that Claxton and the MNUFC video team built in collaboration with WJHW and Alpha Video, the popular facility integrator that also calls Minnesota home.

The room is built around a Ross Carbonite Black (3M/E) sportsproduction switcher with a Ross Ultrix router as its backbone.

There are three channels of Ross XPression for graphics, and an Evertz DreamCatcher DC-ONE (12 channels in, four out) replay system and a four-channel Evertz Clip Player support playback for the big screen. Comms have been entrusted to RTS and its Odin intercom matrix. The team also uses RTS Roameo, a wireless intercom system. There’s Dante audio networking and the stadium’s IPTV system and digital signage is supported by VITEC. Going 1080p was a huge factor for Claxton, not only for its resolution quality but for helping streamline all of MNUFC’s video-content production and operations. Now all video created by the team can be

used anywhere: videoboards, broadcast, digital, or social.

“That was a big thing that I wanted to do,” said Claxton. “From a postproduction standpoint, it helps us use the content outside of the control room day to day. TCF [Stadium] is 720, so we typically didn’t use much of the footage that we got out of our [in-stadium] replay systems. We wanted to get more use out of that stuff.”

To program the various screens, MNUFC deploys five Sony cameras (four operated on tripods, one a roaming wireless) throughout the stadium, shooting at 1080p from traditional angles. The cameras are fitted with Canon glass, including the KJ20x8.2B portable 20X HD lens with 2X zoom extender. In addition, three Panasonic robotic PTZ cameras are scattered throughout the stadium bowl.

For a sport like soccer, which has no inning/quarter breaks or timeouts, much of the success of the videoboard show lies in what happens before the game kicks off. It’s one of the challenges in directing a videoboard show for soccer.

“The most important aspect is the 60 minutes prior to kickoff,” noted Claxton. “When the teams walk out for warmups, it’s our job to start ramping up the excitement and the energy. The 20 minutes after warmups end is that special moment when you have to do something to get the crowd excited to lead into the procession. It’s all about that pre-kick atmosphere and energy, and we try to build that as much as possible.”

A key factor that may play a role in that is one of the features of Allianz Field: its exterior LED lighting system. The 1,700 emotive LED lights embedded into stadium’s exterior are fully flexible and can be lit up in an endless array of colors. The stadium features an innovative and translucent PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) stadium skin that allows the colored lighting to be seen from many points within the stadium, which means it could help in that pregame hype. <

VENUE SPECIFICATIONS — ALLIANZ FIELD VIDEOBOARD MANUFACTURER

MAIN VIDEOBOARD DIMENSIONS

CONTROLROOM INTEGRATOR

PRODUCTION SWITCHER

Daktronics

116 x 22 ft.

Alpha Video

Ross Video Carbonite Black

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REPLAY

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Evertz DreamCatcher

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WHITEPAPERS Audio Challenges in Esports

By Cameron O’Neill, Riedel Communications, Director – Asia Pacific

L

ive esport events bring different challenges than traditional sports or live events. Games were designed to be played in isolation. As such, sound plays a much more vital role in the player’s ability to sense what if going on around them — something that isn’t a requirement in a sports arena with thousands of excited spectators.

These factors combine to create a challenging environment for audio engineers in esports events. This paper will examine these challenges individually and offer some real-world solutions.

> THE PLAYER’S EXPERIENCE The biggest element in the design of a live esports event is the player. These players are just as demanding as traditional athletes when it comes to having a suitable playing field.

A player’s audio experience has three main elements: the sound from their computer, the communications with their teammates, and the noise from their surroundings (or the lack thereof).

> COMPUTER AUDIO Every player needs to hear what is going on in their game. It is worthwhile distinguishing between different types of games, as each has its own idiosyncrasies.

The two main categories are Top-Down and First-Person. This relates mainly to the point of view of the player in relation to the

field of play; a top-down game will have the game’s camera above the field of play, looking down. A player is usually controlling multiple “characters” in this type of game, such as several players on a football team or a number of different units in a strategy game.

A First-Person game is more related to playing a single character, usually through their “eyes”. These games are usually more in the realm of shooter or racing games.

Top-Down games have a more static view of the field of play, and thus mono sound can be acceptable. However, first-person games require the player to be aware of what is going on beside or behind them, and thus stereo is a requirement. In games with 100 players, this is a large number of audio sources.

This audio needs to be ultra-low latency. Even a few milliseconds of delay can be unacceptable to a player, especially in first-person games.

> TEAM AUDIO/COMMUNICATIONS Many games are also team-based, and practically every leaguebased game has some degree of co-operation between players.

Alternatives for private games exist, but in a competitive environment this needs to be highly controlled.

The communications must also be as low-latency as possible while maintaining clarity. Judges and coaches are also part of the communications loop, and, as with other sports, the broadcast audio team would like to be able to broadcast the player’s comments directly to the audience. Considering that streaming can prove to be more lucrative than competition play, protection of the stream audience’s experience is critical.

> BACKGROUND NOISE Background noise is a relatively new issue for players. When played in a private environment, the surrounding noise can be controlled, but in a live arena setting there are multiple sources of noise. The FOH PA will usually contain a mix of the game’s audio and a shoutcaster (commentator). The live audience also poses a significant noise source.

Solutions such as active noise cancelling aren’t appropriate in arena environments. Active cancellation is usually centred on low frequencies but will usually allow a degree of “speech band” audio through. Thus, heavy-duty headsets (such as those designed for motorsports) are sometimes used. These can sometimes have poor audio quality, and players sometimes resort to using earbuds underneath heavier intercom headsets for their game audio. This is undesirable as it can be uncomfortable in long events and it also bypasses the event audio team.

Photo credit: Techsound/Sasha Aleksandra Bazhenc

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> THE BROADCAST/STREAM REQUIREMENTS A typical stream production will have all the elements noted above (game and comms audio) as well as a shoutcaster. Games are fastpaced and, as a result, there is usually a team of two to three commentators per stream, providing insights and analysis on the action.

But, unlike a traditional sports game, the shoutcaster is often also in the room, and their commentary is played out over the FOH PA. Thus, the audio crew on a live esports event usually ends up resembling a hybrid of a live event (such as a rock concert) and a stadium sports broadcaster. There can be a massive number of sources, all of which need to be mixed simultaneously for both live and streaming audiences.

> THE LIVE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE As with any other stadium sport, the live audience needs to feel a part of the action. But since each player has their own audio from their game, it is difficult to know which the audience needs to hear.

However, there are other games, like some First-Person Shooter (FPS) games, which may employ a “spectator” — a ghost player that acts as an in-game cameraman. Also, there can be unexpected incidents (think about a crash at an F1). If the audio team notices this before the video team, should they switch?

The audience also wants to hear the discussion between the team and their coach. But playing these private conversations through the PA can lead to the opposition hearing the tactics before they are played out. The balance between an engaging audience experience and a truly competitive environment can be a fine line.

> THE LEAGUE’S REQUIREMENTS As with other sports, there are differences between the casual and the professional environments. Tampering with a ball means nothing in a neighborhood park but can lead to criminal prosecution in a professional environment. Games need to be carefully regulated to prevent unfair play.

Leagues need to ensure that the games are played according to the rules. Sponsors and competitors alike require that games are played fairly. However, there are many ways audio can influence the result of a match. If an opposition player overhears team communications, or if the shoutcaster broadcasts a tactic over the PA, it can swing the course of a game.

The League is responsible for maintaining the “Fog of War” that hides the opposing team’s movements from each other.

Similarly, umpires and judges need to monitor the sounds of the games and the team communications. Any hint of cheating needs to be investigated, and this can mainly be detected by monitoring the team’s communications.

> SOME SOLUTIONS Most leagues employ several methods to ensure a level playing field.

The first is to have a larger-than-normal audio team, embedded within the judging and production team. By strictly controlling the audio, the league can limit the chances of cheating. Audio that is considered “safe” can be passed to the live or the broadcast teams,

Photo credit: Techsound/Sasha Aleksandra Bazhenc and it also gives them a chance to filter out language.

These will usually involve a combination of AoIP to handle the massive number of channels and the routing required. Instead of needing the audio engineer to route the audio to a judge, they can use a control interface to select their own audio.

Most leagues will also use a matrix intercom for the player’s audio.

Matrices include features like IFB, allowing for the mixing of the audio and communications. With little training, judges, shoutcasters, and other operators can learn to select and listen to any number of audio sources from their intercom panels. The judging team can also restrict the audio sources to the correctly authorized users.

Additionally, the choice of earphones for the players is critical.

Typically, high-isolation headsets are used. By reducing the intelligibility of the ambient noises, interference from shoutcasters and audience members can be mitigated. In other instances, the league has created a sound-proof box on stage to mask the audio getting to the players (negating the “live” experience).

Lastly, many esports leagues will even outsource the management and operation of the audio systems. By removing their direct control from the audio, the league can guarantee that they are not impacting the gameplay; for example, by giving one team an unfair advantage and allowing them to win.

> CONCLUSION Esports is a large and growing field, and it is attracting attention from many different companies. However, it is still a new genre, and many of the “kinks” are yet to be worked out of the system. Esports leagues are very concerned with the fairness and legitimacy of their nascent sports environment, and any audio company that wishes to work in this field needs to be aware of the various stakeholders, their expectations, and the challenges of meeting them all in one system.

This, however, can lead to some companies underestimating the audio requirements of the esport. A company that might be equipped to tackle a locally organized league may not have the technology or the experience to manage a major event, such as a regional or world-level game. However, by investing wisely and training their teams to manage myriad demands, audio companies can set themselves up to join this growing industry on a world scale. < SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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WHITEPAPERS

Rethinking Drone Usage on Live Broadcasts

By Ben Lynn, University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications, Doctoral Fellow

D

rones possess the potential to change the look of a sports broadcast. When they first came on the scene, the excitement around this new technology seemed to indicate they would be flying around at major sporting events in no time. Their potential to capture dynamic images for millions of viewers seemed endless in those early days, and yet, broadcasters have had a difficult time integrating them into their live sports productions.

Despite improvements in flight times, gimbals, and obstacle avoidance systems, drones have added little to no value to live sports broadcasts. Rather, drones are used mostly for pre-produced content for packages and teases. They have become costly additions to live productions, and broadcasters require more substantial contributions from them if they are going to be used regularly on shows other than the highest rated “A” shows and mega events; the only productions capable of absorbing the cost of a drone for a few beauty shots. In this article, I explain why broadcasters have struggled to integrate drones into their live sports Photo courtesy of Kaze Aerial

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productions and how they can change that trend with policy and production changes that could position motorsports broadcasts as the ideal platform for drones moving forward.

Over the past five years, broadcasters’ attempts at integrating drones into their live productions have been hindered because of safety concerns, technical limitations, and the nature of live productions generally. Concerns about athlete and spectator safety have resulted in extremely small fly spaces that have effectively taken away drones’ ability to create dynamic moving images for a broadcast. Technically, noise and batteries have further limited usage. Drones create enough noise to keep them from flying close to athletes during play in most sports and their batteries provide only about 15 minutes of flight time when sports broadcasts last several hours.

Which leads to another limitation: the nature of live broadcasts generally. Live productions are a delicate balance of planning, timing, and collaborative improvisation. Successful technologies must be reliable so the production crew can utilize them the second they are needed. A drone’s frequent battery changes make it difficult to anticipate when it will be available for use. With all these limitations, broadcasters are still searching for the best method of integrating them into their live sports broadcasts.

Looking at which sports are suited to using drones during a live broadcast, we find that motorsports broadcasts are uniquely positioned to take advantage of a drone’s capabilities and work around its limitations. To begin with, noise is a non-issue in motorsports because the vehicles are loud. Drones can fly close to their subjects without being distracting. Building on this, racetrack surfaces offer large, obstacle-free fly spaces free of crowds; a drone crashing on a racetrack could never injure a spectator. In addition, every racer wears protective gear from head to toe, so risks of serious injury are lessened should a drone run into them or their vehicle. This is especially true in closed-cockpit auto racing where the drivers are fully enclosed by the vehicles and the cars regularly deflect debris from other cars traveling at 200 mph. Finally, motorsports have organized crews of trained professionals capable of quickly clean-

ing up a crashed drone. If a drone crashed on a track for any reason, safety workers could quickly pick it up and remove it. With so many advantages, it seems clear that broadcasters should incorporate them into their live motorsports productions, and they have.

Unfortunately, similar to other sports, drones have contributed little to the overall value of the live production. Looking at how drones have been used, it is clear why this has been the case.

In motorsports, broadcasters have been using drones to follow green-flag racing on the track. While their intentions are on-point, their approach should be re-evaluated because it has yet to yield the kind of dynamic shots one would expect from a drone. In fact, the images have been difficult to distinguish from those of the hard cameras. Like other sports, safety concerns have kept the drone from flying over the track during green-flag racing. While this was the correct course of action, it has ultimately limited the drone’s fly space to just a small area in the infield or outside the track. Compounding the problem, they have struggled to pan with the cars. Broadcast drones are intended to provide stable images and therefore they fly only at about 40 mph, which puts them at a severe disadvantage when asked to pan with the vehicles racing by. Finally, getting a tally during green-flag racing is difficult for a non-line-cut, specialty camera like a drone. Three elements must come together at once: the director must anticipate using the camera, the drone has to be charged and in position, and the image has to fit with the overall narrative. Frequent battery changes, required production elements, and exciting racing on the track all work against the chance of the drone getting a creative tally during a broadcast; let alone changing the coverage in a meaningful way.

It’s clear that drones haven’t worked out the way that broadcasters had hoped, so it’s now time to consider the possibility that drones may be more effective if they are kept grounded during green-flag racing and used only during cautions.

This approach has the potential to effectively integrate drones into live sports broadcasts because it makes logical sense for several reasons. First, it provides the director with a specific time frame for incorporating the drone into the broadcast. No more hit-ormiss attempts at getting the drone into the line-cut. When a caution happens, the director knows they can cut to the drone and it will be ready. Second, it maximizes the drone’s flight time. Instead of wasting battery life waiting for random and infrequent tallies during green-flag racing, the caution period becomes a known quantity in which broadcasters get a full 15 minutes of usable coverage from the drone. An effective drone team should expect multiple, long tallies with every caution. Finally, it allows drones to fly safely over the track. During cautions, the risk of collateral damage from a drone crash is minimal because the vehicles on the pace lap are traveling at much slower speeds. This new approach opens the door for drones to create dynamic and engaging images that no other camera could provide, and it could drastically change how motorsports racing is covered.

Photo courtesy of Kaze Aerial Using this new approach, when a caution happens, a drone could fly viewers out to the scene of the accident, providing them with close-up views and interesting angles of the crash site as safety workers arrive on the scene. This is exactly the kind of scenario drones were made for: quick deployment over large areas to provide dynamic, informative images. For broadcasters, deploying drones during cautions means they can expect a substantial return on their investment as drones become the go-to camera during cautions. Holistically, the benefits of deploying drones during cautions far outweigh the struggles associated with using them during green-flag racing.

Moving the idea forward another step, broadcasters could use multiple drones to create even more engaging content. In this scenario, a race drone could fly alongside the vehicles on the pace lap while a broadcast drone, or two, could cover the clean-up efforts at the crash sites. With multiple drones in use, cautions would become something viewers look forward to for more than just the replays of the accident.

While the possibilities are exciting, this approach hinges on the ability of broadcasters to collaborate with racing leagues to establish safe and effective protocols for deploying drones during broadcasts. Together, broadcasters and race leagues can create a path for dynamic drone coverage, while still maintaining the same level of safety. While the details will require some work, one thing is clear: the current restrictions on drones are stifling any possibility of them making substantial contributions to motorsports broadcasts. By extension, those same policies are now stifling growth for both broadcasters and racing leagues.

In summary, drones have the potential to change sports broadcasts and motorsports are the most likely place where that will happen. However, broadcasters need to make policy and production changes if they are to capitalize on the situation. Specifically, broadcasters need to stop using drones during green-flag racing and instead, work with racing leagues to establish policies that allow drones to fly over designated portions of the tracks during cautions. Deploying drones during cautions provides production crews with a specific time for integrating them into the broadcast, maximizes the drone’s battery life, and allows the drone to create dynamic images that could keep viewers engaged. And all of this can be accomplished using today’s technology. If broadcasters make these changes, they can re-shape motorsports coverage and demonstrate that under the right conditions, drones can be valuable additions to live sports broadcasts. < SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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WHITEPAPERS

Which Network Is Best For Your Business?

By Jason Coari, Quantum, Director, High-Performance Storage Solutions

W

hether it’s higher demand for sporting content around the world, higher resolution broadcasts, or tighter production timelines, each of these very real trends in sports media has one direct consequence — underlying storage resources are being tasked to do more than ever. As modern broadcasters are being asked to do more, storage technology is advancing in parallel.

It’s critical that organizations architect and configure a storage solution for their unique requirements — there’s no “one size fits all”. An array of parameters are configurable to create the best workflow-optimized foundation for a business — including drive type, storage array capacity, networking topology, and file system performance tuning. Getting the choice right significantly impacts productivity, bottom line, and overall agility.

> NETWORKING OPTIONS IN ARCHITECTING A STORAGE SOLUTION Networking choice has a fundamental impact on the performance and cost effectiveness of the storage infrastructure. Two of the most well-known choices are Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Networks (SAN); the former using Ethernetbased protocols, and the latter using Fibre Channel (FC). A third option is also gaining momentum for its blend of performance and cost — Quantum’s proprietary LAN client, Distributed LAN Client (DLC).

NAS: Network-Attached Storage is a file-level server connected to a network. It allows retrieval of data from a central location for authorized network users and heterogeneous clients and was designed to enable groups of people to share files over a computer network. NAS typically provides access to files using network file sharing protocols such as NFS and SMB, and clients access storage resources over IP. SAN: A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a dedicated high-speed network that interconnects and provides access to block-level data storage. A SAN organizes storage resources into a highperformance network, enabling each client to access shared storage as if it were a drive directly attached to the server.

Typically, a SAN is a separate network where connected devices communicate with SAN disk drive devices using the SCSI protocol. The network is formed using SAS/SATA fabrics, or mapping layers to other protocols such as Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) that maps SCSI over Fibre Channel, or iSCSI that maps SCSI over TCP/IP. DLC: Created as an advanced data sharing capability that allows LAN-based access to StorNext volumes, the Distributed LAN Client (DLC) connects to StorNext volumes through clustered gateway systems. This essentially turns StorNext File System environments into a “clustered NAS”-like solution, or block-overIP.

> MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE: A DETAILED COMPARISON NAS: Ethernet networking has significantly improved in performance so that it’s now suitable for a substantial percentage of common M&E workflows. This, coupled with its ease of management, makes it the most widely deployed storage architecture in the world.

NAS scores highly when cost is a primary consideration.

Not only is the cost of the IP infrastructure significantly less than Fibre Channel, so is the cost of management. NAS devices are considered appliances with fewer hardware and software management components than a Storage Area Network. Storage administrators can load-balance without expensive switches or a secondary layer of software.

Being such a well-balanced architecture, there are no major negatives to a NAS architecture. Performance is an area that NAS lags behind the other two networking options, especially from the perspective of latency compared to SAN-based solutions.

SAN: As the historic performance leader of the trio, SAN was optimized for storage traffic — especially rich media content — and is designed to manage multiple disk and tape devices as a shared pool with a single point of control. < The move to the new SMPTE ST 2110 standard will enable 4K cameras to connect directly to the shared storage environment.

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Fibre Channel is natively high bandwidth and low latency, and still the most efficient/fastest protocol for the port speed value. Given that SAN was built from the ground up as a storage architecture — servers communicate with SAN disk drive devices using the SCSI protocol — it doesn’t get penalized as much from the file system layer.

Another major plus for SAN architectures is scalability, as its network architecture enables storage admins to scale performance and capacity easily in multiple configurations.

The main downside of SAN is cost. This isn’t necessarily a factor of the hardware, but rather the increased cost to manage a SAN. However, there’s low overhead on the individual hosts, and recent upgrades to Gen 6 Fibre Channel switches allow organizations to easily implement NVMeOF storage into existing SAN implementations, with little cost to the infrastructure.

DLC: As the networking option that provides higher performance than NAS, but within a reduced cost footprint compared to SAN, DLC has several strengths.

DLC offers high performance over traditional copper infrastructures with throughput near or at wire speeds. Quantum’s testing has shown DLC over 40 GbE offer a performance improvement of 128% to NFS on a single connection, and nearly 250% faster than SMB. DLC-attached clients take advantage of the unique server or distributed server configurations. When multiple servers are implemented, data I/O is distributed over the servers, creating a balanced workload. In the event of a server failure, the remaining servers pick up that workload again, and then distribute it. This provides both flexibility and control.

Internal lab testing has shown that DLC also provides increased resiliency vs. other LAN options such as NFS or CIFS and is nearly transparent through path failover.

There are two weaknesses associated with DLC. One, it can’t match the latency characteristics of a SAN-based solution, so for the most demanding video applications, a SAN is still most suitable. Second, network engineers and storage administrators are still new to the technology, so there’s a learning curve in becoming familiar with deploying and managing the technology.

Once familiarized with the technology, the manageability of a DLC is similar to that of a NAS-based solution.

> RECOMMENDED USE CASES FOR SPORTS AND BROADCAST WORKFLOWS Now that the strengths and weaknesses of each networking option have been evaluated, this paper will align these with common use cases found in sports video and broadcast. With this knowledge it will be easier to choose the best networking configuration for a particular workflow requirement, maximizing the value of every budget dollar spent.

NAS: NAS is suitable for a wide cross-section of media use cases given its performance and cost.

Specific use cases that don’t require above-average performance in either throughput or latency include offline editing, transcoding, 2D compositing, and basic VFX. NAS architectures are also suitable as a gateway, either to provide access to large active archive content repositories typically found in broadcast, or as an ingest from web-native applications via S3. For broadcasters that have large volumes of historical sports video content, having an easily accessible active archive can be an important component of producing new footage for fan engagement. Another element driving the adoption of NAS in sports video production is the move to the new SMPTE ST 2110 standard. This enables uncompressed video footage to be delivered to storage directly over an IP-based network, which in sports video means 4K cameras would have the ability to connect directly to the shared storage environment, simplifying IT infrastructure onsite at events.

SAN: Often the first choice of most video professionals needing a high-performance storage infrastructure to run their editing applications, SAN’s high-bandwidth capability is a great match for large-volume workflows where an absolute “no contention” dependency is required. High bandwidth, often greater than 10 GB/s, is also needed for uncompressed high-resolution 4K or 8K formats, which is common in sports video production. It has the low-latency characteristics needed to run large stream counts of compressed video, or large numbers of concurrent streams in shared/collaborative environments. Given the real-time nature of the editing environment in sports video, and the typically common multiple streams of video being ingested, operations based on SAN architecture are cost-effective and logical.

DLC: As the networking option that provides higher performance compared to NAS, but still within the same cost structure, DLC has the capability to support the more demanding workflows becoming increasingly common for sports broadcasters. More specifically, it has the distinction of being able to fit into scenarios where a tailored configuration is based on the customer’s infrastructure and access throughput needs that are greater than what NFS or SMB provide.

Excellent use cases for DLC include remastering historical sports footage to 4K content, editing uncompressed high-resolution video, and real-time editing of lower framerates of uncompressed and multiple-stream compressed video.

> CONCLUSION The choice between NAS, SAN, and DLC is as important as it is nuanced. StorNext-based storage solutions allow organizations to choose amongst these networking options and can support multiple networking configurations simultaneously. This ability to provide comprehensive and coordinated access into a shared file environment is critical to supporting an organization’s drive to procure the most cost-effective storage solution for their needs. < SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SPONSORUPDATE >3G WIRELESS

3

g is the broadcast industry leader at providing the latest RF video and audio solutions. 3g combines outstanding customer service with the best technologies in order to create the perfect solution for each production, no matter the size. 3g’s team is continually seeking the latest technologies and making significant investments in the development and deployment of the latest RF technologies. Currently, 3g is leading the way in IPover-RF technologies, 360-degree streaming video via RF, the highest quality on-board camera systems, Steadi and Movi cam systems, RF HH systems, aerial downlinks for helicopters, RF POV’s, wearable RF POV technology (ump cam and ref cam), and road-racing technologies for marathons and cycling.

>ADDER TECHNOLOGY

T

he Amway Center in Florida is home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.

When the Amway Center is not hosting around 20,000 spectators for NBA or ice hockey games, it can be converted into an arena for live music concerts, UFC fight nights, wrestling, or on-ice events. This broad array of applications has very different demands that require a huge amount of flexibility and resilience when routing and managing the AV resources throughout the stadium.

When running live events, the speed of AV set up and turnaround time is also critical. Despite the constantly changing schedule of the arena, the control room is the consistent epicenter and needs to efficiently control everything from the high-resolution displays overhanging center court, to the back offices, information screens, and vast number of advertising boards around the stadium.

The team opted for the ADDERLink INFINITY solution, which is capable of extending, switching, and managing all the AV sources around the arena, using the existing IP network. By integrating with the ADDERLink INFINITY Manager (AIM), the system was configured into a fully flexible matrix whereby any source can be displayed at any nominated receiver.

>ADMIRAL VIDEO

A

dmiral Video continues to be the leading source of POV camera solutions for the sports television industry. New for 2019, the company has added the CUSTOM Marshall CV503WP camera with built-in microphone and embedded audio to their “FiOPS” - Fiber Optic POV Systems. This third-generation Marshall camera boasts impressive specs and is a noticeable improvement over the previous generation. They also have deployed a “Gooseneck Robo” POV system targeting the esports community.

Some other innovative products introduced during the year are a bow-tie camera for boxing and a dual camera “Line to Gain” PylonCam for football. The company also sold its first patented PylonCam system to an NFL team.

Admiral Video continues to invest in protecting its intellectual property and is the owner of three U.S. patents for PylonCam systems. To date, Admiral Video remains the only patented pylon camera system in the world

>ADORAMA

P

roviding consultative sales and technical support to all sports teams, from college though major leagues, Adorama Business Solutions (ABS) works to understand the end goal behind equipment updates before any purchases are made. This ensures customers get the right technology solutions to capture the moment. One such customer, a professional basketball team, enlisted ABS to outfit a new studio. The team’s dedicated account manager at ABS understood the desired outcome and helped them select the best equipment from a range of over

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2,200 brands. The team’s representative states of working with ABS: “Working with Adorama has been great!

They are always available to answer any questions I have, and have streamlined our equipment ordering process. I would highly recommend Adorama to others in the video production industry!” Considering studio or content creation equipment updates? Connect with Adorama to discuss your requirements.

>ADVANCED SYSTEMS GROUP

E

lectronic Arts not only produces some of the most popular titles for competitive esports in the industry, but it now hosts competitions throughout the year at its headquarters in Redwood City, CA. Its new EA Broadcast Center production facility, designed and installed

by Advanced Systems Group, was built in just three months and hosted its first production, the Madden NFL 19 Champions, in March 2019. The facility is a 1080p house, but is designed for a 4K future. The main studio, a 360-degree environment that houses the competitions, features full-size broadcast cameras, 133-inch LED wall for customized game graphics, and a unique audio system; teams can’t overhear each other, but conversations can be shared with viewers. The smaller “players’ lounge” studio uses PTZ cameras and ceiling array microphones to capture informal social activity between players. The control room layout resembles a production truck but can accommodate up to nine people.

>AE GRAPHICS

A

E Graphics (AE) is recognized globally as one of the leading providers of television graphics and data solutions. With over 25 years of successful delivery in the broadcast industry, AE’s reputation has been forged upon an ability to consistently deliver a reliable yet innovative service, in demanding environments around the world. AE offers a complete turnkey solution for clients, beginning with the graphics concept design process, to integration with any third parties or official data streams, to technical and operational installation and workflow, through to successful frontline delivery undertaken by in-house, full-time specialist graphics operators. 2019 has already seen AE provide its services on the Australian Open, Guinness Six Nations Rugby, IPL, The Ashes, BT Sport’s football coverage, and BBC Sport’s virtual studio.

AE was also the official graphics provider for the recent ICC Cricket World Cup and will be for the Rugby World Cup later this year.

>AERIAL VIDEO SYSTEMS (AVS)

A

VS is a leader in wireless 4K, HD, and aerial production with more than 90 HD and 4K RF systems

by Vislink/Link Research, including the compact Link L-1700 and GoPro HEROCast systems. AVS has two GSS 4K gyro-stabilized aerial camera systems, four Cineflex camera systems and three Partenavia fixed-winged aircraft for aerial coverage. AVS was the first to integrate Sony’s new P-50 to a RF Steadicam system with RF video return and prompter on Super Bowl LIII. The AVS Steadicam package has become the preferred system for Dancing with the Stars, The Voice, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, World of Dance, Shark Tank, Grease Live, The Wiz, Hairspray, Rent Live, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, NFLN Thursday Night Football, Super Bowl game and Halftime Shows, and the NBA Finals.

>AJA VIDEO SYSTEMS

A

ugmented reality graphics and virtual sets are reimagining storytelling in live production, with compelling visuals and data-driven graphics being used to

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attract and engage audiences. To help live production professionals take advantage of these visuals, graphics and virtual studio solutions providers like Brainstorm, RT Software, and Zero Density are increasingly standardizing on AJA video I/O technology. Integration with AJA solutions gives their customers the flexibility to adapt to a range of video format and configuration demands that high quality graphics and virtual studios require. Spanish broadcast specialist company Brainstorm uses AJA KONA 4 and Corvid 88 cards in its turnkey eStudio and InfinitySet graphics systems. AJA Corvid and KONA products are RT Software’s go-to I/O technology, with AJA’s Corvid 88 high-density I/O card powering I/O for RT Software 3D-Live engines recently used for graphics displayed in BBC Studio’s Wimbledon coverage earlier this summer. Zero Density recently announced a partnership with AJA whereby AJA Corvid 44, Corvid 88 ,and KONA 5 cards are the only cards certified for use in its Reality Engine virtual studio system.

>ALDEA SOLUTIONS

A

ldea Solutions is a leading provider of high-quality video services and solutions for the television and media industries. The company provides end-to-end worldwide transmission and content distribution services and operates an extensive fiber-based network, with pointsof-service covering 35 cities and 25 countries throughout the Americas and Europe. During the summer of 2019, Aldea was selected to provide the video contribution platform for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

For this event, Aldea managed over 150 video and data services for a total of over 45 Gigabits of bandwidth. The services, including a combination of HD uncompressed and JPEG2000 compressed video circuits, interconnected the IBC with 15 sports venues, the Main Press Center, and the Athletes Village. The fiber infrastructure comprised the necessary redundancy and diversity guaranteeing high reliability, security, and minimal latency. Additionally, an Aldea Network Management and Operations Center was deployed locally within the IBC providing 24x7 monitoring and support to ensure the highest video transmission quality standards. Aldea also provided live video coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and the Copa America 2019 from Brazil to numerous broadcasters from around the world. Aldea is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Marcatel Group.

>ALL MOBILE VIDEO

A

ll Mobile Video is the premiere provider of live video solutions to leading broadcast and new media production outlets. AMV continually strives to remain forward thinking, integrating IP, 4K/UHD video ingest/encoding/streaming/delivery, HDR, virtualreality/augmented reality, direct-to-theater distribution, cinematography/broadcast hybrid workflows and eGaming services to its expanding list of conventional services. Other offerings include control roomequipped sound stages, broadcast and uplink trucks, bonded cellular services, specialized railcam systems, encoding and live streaming, teleports, full-time OTT channels, colocation, event management, and software development. AMV provides insight and expertise, as well as turnkey end-to-end production/delivery solutions to networks, producers, production companies, distributors, and brands.

>ALPHA VIDEO

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he Sports Group continues to be a leader in the design, deployment, and service of technology systems that help clients engage fans, enhance teams, and expand revenue in their venues and facilities. For

live production, Alpha Video completed facilities for Georgia Tech and Florida State for the launch of the ACC Network along with a renovation and expansion of Georgia’s SEC Network production facility. Soon, the company will start work on a cutting-edge IP production control room for an NFL client, along with the build out of a production facility at their team headquarters.

For team facilities, Alpha Video recently completed the AV systems for LSU’s newly renovated Football Operations Center and is designing AV upgrades for several other teams as well. The company also launched its new sound system solutions with major sound system upgrades for Churchill Downs and for one of the Midwest’s largest arenas.

>ANTHONY JAMES PARTNERS

F

rom North America’s largest custom LED scoreboards to state-of-the-art broadcast studios, control rooms, experiential spaces, concourses, and digital signage systems, AJP sets the industry bar for AV systems design, technology integration, and large-scale project development. Combining roles of owner’s representative, AV consultant, and design consultant, the company delivers complex technology projects on time, under budget, and without change orders. With over 500 large-scale technology projects for high-profile stadiums, arenas, entertainment facilities, and collegiate campuses successfully completed, AJP’s proven end-to-end solutions simplify process, maximize product value, and produce significant financial benefits for clients. Recent and upcoming project highlights include: five major ACC Network broadcast production facilities; 5x SEC and Big 10 Network upgrades; high-density WiFi for the Miami Heat and BYU’s Marriott Center; and AV for Nashville Predators’ Bridgestone Arena, USMA at West Point Michie Stadium, Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium, Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Center, and Memphis Redbirds / 901 FC.

>APERI

T

his summer, Aperi closed a round of funding of more than $10 million (USD) demonstrating the industry’s confidence in its revolutionary open and software-defined technology. The funding will help to further expand Aperi’s range of innovative broadcast functions, while continuing to grow a global presence.

Aperi recently deployed a nationwide connected stadium media IP network, which includes a video referee system that’s being used to support a leading professional European football league. The implementation also enables the provider to add future IP and video feeds transport to centralize, not only a VAR system, but also to easily integrate remote production workflows.

What’s been deployed is a practical way of creating more live content while reducing production costs. At IBC 2019, Aperi showcased its latest customer deployments, including elegant and tight integrations with the lead orchestration and NMS systems, as well as its plans for major sporting events in 2020.

>APM MUSIC

A

PM Music, a joint venture of EMI Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing, is the leader in sports entertainment music working with broadcasters (ESPN, Fox Sports, HBO Sports, NFL Network), professional franchises (NY Yankees, Houston Astros, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets), and collegiate athletics (Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Georgia). Create cues with an award-winning APM Custom team or choose from 700,000+ high-quality tracks by legendary composers and today’s indie trendsetters. APM offers music from 100+ libraries, including the NFL Films Music Library and MLB Music Library, and is a mainstay in the sports industry providing themes for programs like Monday Night Football and This Week in Baseball. With the APM Search site, APM Custom division, Music Director service, Adobe Premiere Pro ex-

tension and more, APM provides unrivaled music and service to compliment sports productions.

> ARCTEK SATELLITE PRODUCTIONS

A

RCTEK Satellite Productions is excited about muxing and, of course, satellites! ARCTEK continues to stay on the cutting edge of technology by investing in a fleet fully capable of providing mux service via the most reliable form of transmission, satellite. At-home transmissions aren’t new to ARCTEK. Actually, ARCTEK completed its first alternative style production in 2009 and the company is pretty proud of the Emmy it earned for technical achievement in that area. Whether you need a traditional back-haul, multi-feed, mux service, international feed, or production, ARCTEK will provide the highest quality, reliable service at an economical rate.

ARCTEK’s well-equipped five Sprinter satellite trucks (three Ku-band and two C-band) and talented team are ready to roll nationwide.

>ARISTA NETWORKS

A

rista Networks pioneered software-driven, cognitive cloud networking for large-scale datacenter and campus environments. Arista’s award-winning platforms, ranging in Ethernet speeds from 10 to 400 gigabits per second, redefine scalability, agility, and resilience. Arista has shipped more than 20 million cloud networking ports worldwide with CloudVision and EOS, an advanced network operating system. Committed to open standards, Arista is a founding member of the 25/50G consortium. Arista Networks products are available worldwide directly and through partners. At the core of Arista’s platform is the Extensible Operating System (EOS), a network operating system with singleimage consistency across hardware platforms, and modern core architecture enabling in-service upgrades and application extensibility.

>ARTEL VIDEO SYSTEMS

A

rtel Video Systems’ media delivery portfolio offers flexible and scalable solutions to meet the growing requirements of sports broadcast and esports applications from SMPTE ST 2110, AES67 audio accuracy, and SMPTE ST 2022-7 hitless protection switching to ARQ Reliable Internet Stream Transport OTT streaming.

The ARQ IP Streaming System is a scalable solution for delivery of high-quality media over internet, satellite, microwave, and other unmanaged broadband services and can quickly accommodate new streams to deliver multiple UDP unicast and multicast services. As broadcasters migrate to IP, standards-based solutions that provide service continuity, interoperability, and accurate synchronization are imperative for mission-critical media feeds. The Quarra PTP Ethernet switches provide standards-based SMPTE ST2110 and AES67 delivering nanosecond audio-over-IP accuracy. The SMART Media Delivery Platform offers network resiliency and operational simplicity with software-defined functionality, feature flexibility, and integrated Layer 2 and Layer 3 network switching capabilities.

>ARVATO SYSTEMS

A

rvato Systems’ VPMS MediaEditor enables quick and simple browser-based editing for journalistic storytelling. It is a fully featured, browser-based desktop editor aimed at journalistic editing and content preparation workflows. Projects can be easily exported and published in various formats, including square and vertical video. MediaEditor provides an instantly familiar editing interface making it quick and easy to learn. Functions include simple drag-and-drop transitions and effects, and basic color correction. Users can also record voice-overs directly into a sequence, and the system enables automatic mixing of audio tracks for quicker turnaround. MediaEditor will also offer motion graphics for captioning and pregenerated graphics in an upcoming version. MediaEditor provides an extremely

efficient way of creating effective video content that can be deployed quickly and easily with its simple creative toolset, easy-to-use interface, and slick integration with complementary products.

>AT&T

G

etting your content to your audience is becoming increasingly diverse and complex. Reliability matters and time is precious. AT&T Global Video Solutions makes your job easier helping make your production cycles faster, by delivering a more efficient work flow with redundancy, data integration, 5G advancements, flexible options, and world-class customer service. AT&T’s network enables new technologies, such as A.I. -based real-time overlays for critical broadcast clients that enable creation of cuttingedge advertising and content synergies so crucial to today’s multi verse of viewing habits. The company’s renowned high-speed fiber-optic network delivers major broadcasts like the Olympics with low-latency hitless video and data, creating an optimal viewing experience. AT&T Global Video Solutions has fiber in most major stadiums in the U.S., and where there’s no permanent venue installation, Mobile Video POPs can be deployed. MVPs through PSSI or AT&T Business Field Services offer rapid deployment virtually anytime/anywhere coverage.

>ATEME

A

TEME brings to the content providers, broadcasters, and TV stations a new breed of IT-based playout solution, delivering a high level of rendering, flexibility, and availability. This new solution is an ideal answer to the growing demand of tailored video content consumption: it enables both the origination of any 24/7 linear TV channels and the easy creation of popup channels, for short-term events or personalized programming on D2C/OTT services. Based on TITAN’s core encoding/ muxing/packaging modules already in 24/7 production for 100’s of millions of viewers around the globe, the TITAN Playout solution includes a versatile system, bringing a rich feature set for creating and manipulating channels in a very flexible way. To this end, it makes it possible to create customizable playout workflows, to organize live and file playback, graphic overlays, audio/video processing and mixing as close as possible to the channel type and the playout application to address.

>AUDIO-TECHNICA

A

udio-Technica is a worldwide group of companies devoted to the design, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of problem-solving audio equipment. Initially known for the state-of-the-art phonograph cartridges, A-T now creates high-performance microphones, headphones, wireless systems, mixers, and electronic products for home and professional use.

>AV DESIGN SERVICES

A

V Design Services is a professional design and systems integration company, providing specialized video display solutions to the broadcast and commercial AV markets. AVDS is an industry leader in all phases of the project process including system design and engineering, project management, programming, integration, and post-installation services, and is comprised of seasoned broadcast and pro-AV industry veterans with more than 100 years of combined experience.

>AVID

I

n sports, there’s rarely an “off season” when it comes to production. Fans aren’t just consuming more content; they’re also looking for it on diverse platforms. Sports broadcasters continue to face the ongoing challenge of creating engaging, immersive content for multiple platforms to drive attendance, viewership, and sponsorship revenue. To address these challenges, Avid introduced MediaCentral 2019, the industry’s most comprehensive media workflow platform. Ideal for sports production environments, it enables teams — whether a team of two or an organization of thousands — across multiple geographic

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SPONSORUPDATE locations to quickly ingest, log, search, edit, distribute, and publish video content to any number of outlets, giving them the agility to create better content faster and maximize its value. MediaCentral 2019 includes new logging capabilities that allow users to quickly log assets with meaningful details, faster and more intuitive search using the new query builder and expanded filtering, and automated file ingest. For greater accessibility, MediaCentral 2019 enables collaboration across up to six sites, facilitating sharing and powerful searching of content in different locations. These functions enhance and extend MediaCentral’s modular, scalable design and full suite of apps, services, and connectors that accelerate every part of the media creation and publishing workflow.

>AWS ELEMENTAL

A

WS Elemental, an Amazon Web Services company, combines deep video expertise with the power of the AWS cloud. Solutions from AWS Elemental allow broadcast TV and multiscreen video to be customized, originated and monetized at global scale. Flexible, software-based video processing and delivery gives global media franchises, pay TV operators, content programmers, broadcasters, government agencies, and enterprise customers the ability to deliver highly differentiated viewing experiences and the freedom to focus on what matters: transforming ideas into compelling content that captivates viewers.

>AZZURRO GROUP

T

he Azzurro Group is an integrated media services company that delivers the engineering and transmission services needed to keep your operations at the leading edge. The company offers an intuitive, all-in-one broadcast quality production system with AzzurroCAM, a compact system that delivers broadcast quality, low latency transmit and receive video over the public internet using minimal bandwidth with AzzurroTX, a fully managed and monitored 24×7 encoder/decoder solution transmitting over the Azzurro Public Internet Network (PIN) with Azzurro PIN Bridge, and an easy-to-set-up location with Azzurro Pop Up Studio.

>BECKTV

B

eckTV has designed and built more professional television facilities for more customers than any systems integrator. The company brings the experience you need when delivering diverse content across multiple platforms in a multitude of formats. Your success is the benchmark by which BeckTV measures itself. The idea that BeckTV only wins when its clients win is one of the many reasons the company has the highest level of repeat business in the industry.

>BEXEL

B

exel, an NEP Broadcast Services Company, is a leading global provider of outsourced broadcast solutions and production equipment rentals for producers of sports, entertainment, and live events. Coming this Fall 2019, Bexel New York will support rental and sales operations, with space for local clients to prep their rental equipment. To initiate the move, Bexel is currently in a temporary shared spaced with NEP Sweetwater in New York to better serve clients in the Tri-State area before relocating to Long Island City. Stay tuned as Bexel shares details of their East Coast expansion in the coming months. Bexel ESS remains the choice vendor for custom systems integration, managed services, and fiber-optic solutions for permanent facilities, major events, and live game production. The specialty division has had involvement in building robust broadcast infrastructures for professional football stadiums across the nation including Mercedes Benz Stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, Stub-

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Hub Center, and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Bexel TSS has announced a rebranding of their division to Bexel Sales. The new brand name and logo illustrate the company’s core mission, and further demonstrates their commitment to equipment sales and asset liquidation with reliable customer service. Bexel Sales will continue to represent nearly 100 leading manufacturers of new equipment, as well as a diverse inventory of pre-owned gear, and services that include broker and consignment options, asset liquidation through equipment auctions, and RF reallocation solutions.

>BLACKBIRD VIDEO

B

lackbird is the world’s fastest video editing system for getting sports content to fans over social, app, OTT, and web. Today’s sports fans expect to see clips and highlights of their favorite teams and players on media outlets as soon as possible. Rightsholders seek to use video to drive effective monetization of content through free and premium services. To meet this requirement and build strong fan engagement, Blackbird is your ideal solution. The only video platform built natively for the cloud, Blackbird is trusted by premium sports rightsholders and service providers, including IMG, Deltatre, MSG Networks, Peloton, NFL, and the Buffalo Bills.

>BLACKMAGIC DESIGN

B

lackmagic Design creates high-quality video editing products, digital film cameras, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, and more. These affordable products put professional, broadcast-quality tools in the hands of anyone involved with video production during athletic events. Studios, stadiums, and mobile broadcast vehicles can create SD, HD, Ultra HD, and 8K multicamera live productions with Blackmagic Design’s line of ATEM live production switchers, which now includes the ATEM Constellation 8K. The ATEM Constellation 8K is an Ultra HD live production switcher with so many features, customers can combine them all to make an incredibly powerful 8K switcher. Customers get 4 M/Es, 40 x 12G-SDI inputs, 24 x 12G-SDI aux outputs, four DVEs, 16 keyers, four media players, four multiviews, two SuperSource, and standards conversion on every SDI input. Then, when switched to 8K, all these features combine to make a powerful 8K switcher! The ATEM Constellation 8K can be used with the HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR, Blackmagic Design’s new innovative broadcast deck with advanced H.265 recording, touch screen interface, internal cache, built-in scopes, HDR, and more. Customers can then add HyperDeck Extreme Control to transform the HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR into a traditional broadcast deck. Blackmagic Design also recently released the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, a new handheld digital film camera with a full Super 35 size 6K HDR image sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range, an EF lens mount and dual native ISO up to 25,600 for incredible low light performance.

>BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY

B

lueFrame Technology continues to strengthen its position as the premiere end-to-end streaming provider for sports organizations across the United States as it now has over 700 clients in NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III conferences and other sports leagues in Fall 2019.

BlueFrame’s end-to-end solution starts with its Production Truck software, an application that allows one producer to create professional broadcasts with features like instant replay, graphics packages for multiple sports, NDI integration, and much more. Another crucial element in the BlueFrame platform is its full streaming service and content management system, vCloud, which allows organizations

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to create and manage broadcasts easily with direct integration with Production Truck or third-party RTMP streaming. Finally, BlueFrame provides world-class distribution of content: HD 1080p video that can be streamed in a variety of ways on the web, on mobile, and through customized OTT and mobile apps.

>BOSE

B

ose has a simple mission: think of better solutions, create better products, and help people enjoy the things they love. It started when Dr. Bose founded the company in 1964 and continues today with innovative, passionate employees around the globe. Innovation is not a destination, but a journey requiring new ideas from new players. Bose invites creators, inventors, dreamers, and talented people from all walks of life to bring their big ideas, passion, and enthusiasm.

>BRAINSTORM

A

t IBC 2019, Brainstorm showed its latest solutions for motion graphics, virtual sets, and augmented reality for a variety of applications such as news, sports, entertainment, elections, and presentations. In its 25th anniversary year, the company highlighted new developments focused on delivering the best rendering quality, including real-time ray tracing with NVIDIA RTX GPUs, and advanced graphics creation and workflows. InfinitySet, Brainstorm’s virtual set and augmented reality solution, showcased its latest version 3.1, introduced at NAB 2019, which includes new powerful features like real-time ray tracing, Unreal Engine 4.22 compatibility, HDR I/O, PBR, new effects and new 360-degree output, to mention just a few. InfinitySet was the star of the show powering the main demo, which displayed advanced, photorealistic augmented and mixed reality content in a highly visually engaging presentation, with the collaboration of Trackmen, providing the optical camera tracking, and Panasonic providing the cameras.

>BRIDGE DIGITAL

T

he solutions of Bridge Digital cover the entire digital media workflow, from ingest to final delivery. The company’s focus is on the strategic use of technology to accelerate your workflows, expand your capabilities, and improve quality for a better return on your investment.

> B ROADCAST SERVICES INTERNATIONAL (BSI)

B

SI had the pleasure of working in Brazil for Copa America and in France for Women’s World Cup, and was integral in deploying real-time remote broadcast facilities and transport between both locations to the client’s at-home engineering hub. This fall, BSI will be providing broadcast equipment, studios, and engineering at the IAAF World Track and Field in Doha, Qatar, as well as international commentary systems at the upcoming MLB World Series. BSI continues to develop their rental inventory focusing on current technologies, fiber solutions, and IP infrastructure. Additionally, the company’s robust inventory includes HD- and 4K-capable cameras and EVS’s, Simplylive Vibox production suite, commentary systems, audio IP codecs, and a large supply of SMPTE and fiber cable. BSI completes this list of services with traditional fly pack studios and IP remote solutions as it recognizes the continuing evolution of technology all while supporting traditional tried and true workflows.

>BROADCAST SPORTS INTERNATIONAL (BSI)

A

t Broadcast Sports International (BSI), the engineering and operations team is at the leading edge of

turnkey custom broadcast solutions. BSI works with major broadcasters and production companies to produce compelling content through cutting-edge camera, wireless transmission, and microphone technology. BSI is fully licensed by the FCC for regular broadcast bands as well as additional portions of the wireless spectrum for large events. BSI leads the industry in providing the highest quality, most reliable and robust means of transmission.

BSI pioneered onboard NASCAR cameras and brought new perspectives to golf coverage. Television networks use BSI’s customized technology solutions to cover the U.S. presidential inauguration and the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Customers rely on BSI for turnkey live-event coverage, custom engineering challenges, and equipment rentals. But the relationship doesn’t end there. All BSI partners receive continuous back office support during any engagement.

>C360

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360 is a leading provider of add-on products, industry solutions, and development tools for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform. c360 products are sold through a network of global partners that have delivered c360 solutions to more than 2,200 Dynamics customers worldwide, representing a base of more than 500,000 users. c360 products have been widely adopted by customers in all industries including high-tech, financial services, manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and retail.

>CALREC AUDIO/DIGICO

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s we continue to adapt how we view content, broadcasters are adopting new workflows to help engage and retain more viewers. Calrec is helping its customers through virtual, remote and IP production models, radio, and a range of consoles from the flexible Brio console to the powerful Apollo. This full range of products was on display at IBC 2019. On show for the first time at IBC was Calrec’s VP2 virtual mixing system. VP2 has no physical control surface and uses Calrec’s Assist software for setup and control. VP2 comes in three DSP sizes and allows the console to be completely controlled by an automation system. Calrec’s IP-based Type R console is also available as a headless console. Calrec’s ImPulse core is a powerful audio processing and routing engine with AES67 and SMPTE 2110 connectivity. Compatible with current Apollo and Artemis control surfaces, ImPulse provides a simple upgrade path for existing Calrec customers. It provides 3D immersive path widths and panning for next generation audio applications, and has an integral AoIP router, which fully supports NMOS discovery and connection management, as well as mDNS/Ravenna discovery. Calrec also showed its H2-IP Gateway and the AoIP Modular I/O controller card. Both products are SMPTE 2110/AES67-compatible. The H2-IP Gateway provides an interface between a Hydra2 network and an AoIP network and allows audio labels and control data to be passed in both directions between networks. This gives Hydra2 users the ability to control gain of AoIP mic inputs, and vice versa.

>CAMPLEX

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n addition to specializing in opticalCON, tactical, and SMPTE fiber-optic cable and equipment manufacturing, Camplex also offers fiber-optic consultation services that include network design support, as was the situation with Advanced Systems Group (ASG) earlier this year.

ASG, an AV systems integrator located in Emeryville, CA, was contracted to build esports studios in Redwood City, CA. ASG reached out to Camplex for assistance in designing the fiber-optic backbone for five SMPTE broadcast cameras. Camplex created workflow and system diagrams and provided guidance for choosing the appropriate fiber cable types and hardware. Camplex consultation services also include analyses of the current infrastructure, recommendations for streamlining and future expansions, and complete post-sale training.

>CANON USA

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t IBC 2019, Canon introduced three new products that represent significant technological breakthroughs.

The new 4K UHD broadcast lens CJ15ex4.3B represents the best in its class at both the wide (4.3mm) and telephoto (65mm) ends, while delivering crisp, clear imagery from edge to edge. The CJ15ex4.3B is the first portable broadcast lens to feature Canon’s proprietary Air Sphere Coating to help reduce flaring and ghosting and provide great visual expression with rich gradation, which is ideal for HDR and WCG shooting. The new EOS C500 Mark II cinema camera provides modular, full-frame performance with user-swappable lens mounts in a compact and affordable package. The EOS C500 Mark II features a 5.9K full-frame sensor with 60p recording in 4K (2K recording in 120p) and 15 stops of dynamic range. In addition, the newly introduced DIGIC DV 7 image processor allows for more fluid and efficient recording of 4K and HDR. Cinema Raw Light, first introduced in the popular EOS C200, helps to cut data size to about one-third to one-fifth of a Cinema RAW file, without losing grading flexibility. Due to the reduced file size, users will appreciate rich dynamic range and easier post processing without sacrificing image quality. Lastly, the new DP-V3120 4K Reference Display produces achieves a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio with 2,000 nits of brightness, exceeding the requirements for Dolby Vision facilities. The display also comes equipped with Canon’s award-winning HDR Toolkit, which facilitates smooth HDR workflow.

>CARINGO

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ith the launch of the Caringo Swarm 11 Object Storage, the company has accelerated on-demand access to video archives. Caringo Swarm is a storage platform that was designed to help you stay ahead of the ongoing challenges associated with storing rapidly scaling video archives and meeting on-demand viewing requirements. Offered as software only or as an all-in-one appliance, Swarm includes built-in streaming, content management, search, multi-site deployment, and data protection. With S3, NFS, SMB, Windows, and MacOS interfaces, Caringo plugs into workflows as a new tier of storage between the high-performance and cold-storage layers. New Swarm 11 features dramatically reduce the amount of time and effort needed to restore, deliver, and protect a video or video clip. Swarm 11 enables you to access only the portion of video needed, upload files faster without specialized applications, securely share/stream internally or externally, and ensure content accessibility with distributed protection.

>CARTONI USA

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anios Digital and Cartoni debuted a new array of products at IBC 2019. The newest release in the Cartoni Tripod range is the RED LOCK. Designed for camera operators on the go, the RED LOCK tripod is a lightweight and extremely robust two-stage aluminum tripod capable of achieving extremely high and extremely low shots, reducing the need for baby leg tripods. The new MAXIMA 5.0 is the ultimate answer for digital cinematography with heavy-duty packages. The new Sport 200 (S200) — making its IBC debut — are a revolutionary set of tripod legs, designed specifically to meet the rigorous demands of sports and OB production. The new Sport offers outstanding torsional rigidity with camera packages, up to 200 kg (441 pounds), in all possible large camera/lens configuration. Its innovative profile is angled and shaped to ensure maximum strength while weighing only 10.5 kg (23 lbs).

> CAT ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES

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at Entertainment Services is a worldwide provider of rental power and temperature control, supporting the event and entertainment industries. From planning and engineering, to equipment and award-winning technical support, CAT Entertainment Services makes it the company’s business to know yours. From the global

stage of a World Cup broadcast to a local music festival or a blockbuster film production to local theater in the park, CAT Entertainment Services knows the power of entertainment and provide the turnkey solutions specific to your event.

>CATDV

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ver 50 top-flight sports organizations have chosen CatDV as the safe choice, unlocking the value of millions of assets, automating demanding workflows, and securing the team’s history. With friendly, extensible, and secure tools, CatDV manages a wide variety of assets across their lifecycle: across shoot, screen, secure, and search. CatDV manages content across an increasingly complex storage landscape: whether on premise, data center, or cloud, across on-line and archive technologies.

The Sacramento Kings moved into one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the world. Since the move, Quantum and CatDV solutions have become part of fully integrated 4K production and postproduction workflows. The Kings have years of footage archived, and with CatDV they know where everything is. Whenever they need to retrieve content, the integration between Quantum and CatDV makes the recall process simple and fast.

As a result, the organization can reuse and remonetize content easily.

>CBT SYSTEMS

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fter 22 years of serving the television broadcasting and professional video and audio production community, CBT Systems, Inc. is announcing the closure of its Systems Integration Group. It is with mixed emotions that Darrell Wenhardt, CBT Systems President, announces this action. CBT will continue to provide Consultation Services and Advanced Systems Design and Engineering across the ever-widening spectrum of this exciting and growing industry. CBT Systems expresses its sincere thanks to all the wonderful people and companies that the company has had the privilege of working with.

>CENTURYLINK

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enturyLink is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers located in more than 60 countries. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. CenturyLink Vyvx Solutions is the trusted global provider of video acquisition, distribution, and delivery for many of the world’s largest and most innovative broadcasting and media companies. From sports events to full-time channel distribution, CenturyLink brings 25+ years of broadcast video experience and a full portfolio of end-to-end video services and solutions on top of its global network. CenturyLink is the trusted global CDN provider of video and digital downloads for many of the world’s largest and most innovative broadcasting, media, internet, and electronics companies. The CenturyLink Content Delivery Network is in over 120 major metro cities across six continents, is directly connected to the CenturyLink IP backbone with over 120Tbps of global IP capacity, and manages over five million requests per second.

CenturyLink is equipped to serve customers with reliable, flexible, and secure connections — where, when, and how they need them.

>CHESAPEAKE SYSTEMS

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hesapeake Systems offers an engaged and embedded approach to engineering, implementing, and optimizing highly advanced media technology systems to support revenue growth, content creation, and asset monetization. From consultation and design to installation and support, Chesapeake’s expert team of media technology specialists understands how to get the most out of your assets. Sports organizations within the NFL, MLB, MLS, and others trust Chesapeake to harness their

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SPONSORUPDATE content to make it work for them. The company’s knowledge of systems design and longstanding relationships with a wide array of the best manufacturers and vendors allow clients to make informed decisions that support their business goals. And as things change, Chesapeake is there by clients’ side to ensure continuing functionality and efficiency, meeting the needs of corporate and IT as well as the creative experience.

>CHYRONHEGO

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ophisticated on-screen graphics that highlight plays and illuminate the action are now a fixture of sports broadcasting. Home viewers expect features such as virtual first-down lines in football or replays in which analysts highlight player movements on the screen. Meanwhile, sports teams and arenas are challenged to deliver an ever-more captivating in-venue experience to draw fans away from their TV screens and into the stadium.

At IBC 2019, ChyronHego showcased how its sports solutions help broadcast rightsholders, stadium owners, increasingly media-savvy leagues, and OTT providers worldwide enhance their production value. The live data visualization product suite includes Paint, a telestrator for visual game play analysis and illustrated replays, and Virtual Placement, a virtual graphics insertion solution for adding robust, tied-to-field virtual graphics to live productions without the need for specialized operators or equipment. For stadiums and arenas, ChyronHego demonstrated new features in Click Effects PRIME — enabling producers to deliver AV presentations to any canvas size and any number of outputs in any resolution. Click Effects PRIME now combines SDI and GPU workflows to drive more screens and aspect ratios from a single system — giving operators even more control to synchronize graphic events to multiple screens.

>CINESYS-OCEANA

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ineSys-Oceana is comprised of Media IT Specialists providing systems, solutions, integration, and support for digital content creators across North America.

With years of IT experience and a foundation in M&E, the company serves a range of industries from broadcast and postproduction to government, corporate, and sports. As an engineering-centric company, CineSysOceana has specialists with deep knowledge and experience in designing, implementing, and supporting creative workflows from ingest to delivery and beyond. CineSysOceana works with many sports teams and organizations improving their storage, infrastructure, and media asset management systems. How do you manage your new and aging assets? With a great MAM system in place, you can easily find any file and focus on the work at hand.

Review, share and deliver different versions to multiple channels without delay. For 20 years, CineSys-Oceana has remained at the forefront of technology.

>CIS GROUP

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or over 30 years, CIS has been a distributor and digital systems designer and integrator, providing innovative technology solutions to a multitude of clients. In doing so, the company puts clients’ budget to good use by optimizing their workflows, ultimately enabling them to maximize creativity. CIS’ core expertise lies in broadcast and entertainment (including news, sports, and dramaturgy, among others), but the company also services non-media institutions, such as houses of worship, educational entities, and corporates. CIS Group provides a full consulting and design service, integration and testing of the solutions it provides, installation from experienced engineers, and a dedicated maintenance and support service, all culminating in the assurance that its projects are seamlessly executed, and that clients can rely on one

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party prior to delivery, during installation, and post implementation. Headquartered in Florida, CIS has offices in Brazil, New York, and Portugal, servicing the Americas, Caribbean, and Southern Africa.

>CLARK MEDIA

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lark Media provides HD mobile trucks and broadcast equipment rentals including custom built HD and 4K production systems. Clark Media has a full-time staff of rental managers, engineers, and production professionals ready to provide outstanding support for your next project. The company has locations in Burbank and New York that allow for service nationwide. With a call to Clark Media, the company can discuss clients’ needs, provide the gear with crew and see clients on location. Clark Media’s goal is to let its clients concentrate on the big picture and let them handle the technical stuff.

>CLARK WIRE & CABLE

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he Penn State/Panzer Stadium is a place for the Nittany Lions to come to battle in lacrosse. Thanks to a hefty alumni donation of $3.55 million from a 1982 Penn State graduate and a former co-captain of the men’s lacrosse team, the stadium received some major transformations, elevating it to a 1,430-person arena.

The AV aspects of the renovation included a new press box and broadcast system upgrades. PJ Dick of Pittsburg, the general contractor, and Clair Solutions, the AV contractor, constructed the facility. For the new wiring and cabling components, Clark Wire & Cable products were specified. Clair Solutions took on the project because of their history with Penn State. The project fell in line with other stadium broadcast cabling system installs, which included extensive capabilities for booth and camera to truck tie-ins, and a flexible and effective sound system.

The Clark Wire & Cable products used by Clair includes; 700 Series multi-pair audio cables, single-pair audio cables, CD Series digital video coax, category network cables, speaker cables, armored optical fiber cables, triax, and custom panels. The construction was completed in October 2018.

> C LEAR-COM, AN HME COMPANY

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t IBC 2019, Clear-Com presented a broad range of IPbased products and professional intercom communication tools, including SMPTE 2110-30 and support for a broad range of solutions designed to meet the challenges of all IP-based production workflows, including remote production. Solutions showcased on the booth include the V-Series Iris intercom panel working alongside a new version of Eclipse HX, which will now support SMPTE 211030 and AES67 interoperability. The LQ Series IP Interfaces allow users to move and distribute audio and communications signals, SIP, and Network Control Events (GPIO) over secure LAN, WAN, or even the Public Internet. FreeSpeak II wireless intercom system IPT Transceiver utilizes the AES67 transport, providing low-latency signal distribution, high radio performance, and high audio bandwidth, all of which enables FreeSpeak II wireless beltpacks to be deployed across a user’s LAN.

>CLOUDIAN

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s video volumes continue to grow, demands for ubiquitous content availability increase and analytics play a larger role, having the right storage foundation for media workflows is essential. It must provide massive scalability, flexibility, and security while being costeffective and easy to manage. Cloudian’s new HyperStore Xtreme, a joint object storage solution with Seagate, enables customers to achieve the scalability and flexibility

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of the largest public cloud providers but within their own facilities where they can maintain full content control.

With HyperStore Xtreme, users can store and manage 55,000 hours of 4K video content in just 12U of rack height, a 75% space savings vs. what’s required with an LTO-8 tape library. HyperStore Xtreme is also significantly faster than tape and costs less when management costs are taken into account. Other features include: automated data protection; replication across facilities for collaboration and disaster recovery; rich metadata tagging, enabling Google-like search; seamless integration with public clouds; and up to 70% cost savings compared to alternative disk-based offerings. Finally, because HyperStore Xtreme is part of Cloudian’s HyperStore softwaredefined storage platform, which is already certified with all major MAMs, it integrates seamlessly into existing media workflows.

>COBALT DIGITAL

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obalt Digital provides 4K and HDR solutions for openGear frames. Always listening to end-users’ needs, product highlights include HEVC decoders and encoders, bi-directional SDR/HDR conversion for live production, RIST main profile, new multiviewers, 12G openGear router, and 12G DA’s. Advancements in HDR include complete end-to-end HDR workflow within Cobalt’s 9904-UDX-4K up/down/cross converter. Utilizing Technicolor’s suite of HDR tools, the 9904 can generate self-adjusting, dynamic metadata providing SDR to HDR and then HDR to SDR preserving complete HDR picture information. The Cobalt 9904 has been successfully used at several sporting events including the France TV French Open transmission. The 9992-DEC Series of HEVC/AVC/MPEG-2 decoders for openGear. The 9992ENC encoder and the decoder offer pay-as-you-go licensing. The 9992-DEC-4K-HEVC provides single-channel 4K or dual-channel 2K and support for H.265. Cobalt, along with other companies, was awarded an Emmy for collaborative work on ARQ, the underlying technology powering RIST. Further features such as encryption, point-to-multipoint distribution, and reliable ST 2110 transport and more are available. Cobalt continues to develop its popular 9971 Series of multiviewers, delivering uncomplicated monitoring of asynchronous 4K and HD signals. The 9971 multiviewers are already in use in the US and internationally.

> COMCAST TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

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omcast Technology Solutions provides a portfolio of media, entertainment, and technology solutions. The company invents technology that solves industry challenges, reimagines what is possible, and transforms business through new innovations. Built on Comcast’s knowhow, proven facilities, platforms, and infrastructure, Comcast Technology Solutions offers more than 20 years of reliable real-world broadcast and digital experience.

The company partners with customers to redefine business strategies and deliver the future to global audiences.

>COMREX

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ince its introduction in 2015, LiveShot, a bonded cellular solution, has become a staple for live sportscasting.

LiveShot delivers live, two-way, HD video and audio over a range of IP and cellular networks with less than 200mS latency. LiveShot uses CrossLock technology, a proprietary suite of reliability tools that ensures a secure and stable connection even over the most challenging 3G/4G, WiFi, and satellite networks. Plus, because it weighs only three pounds, LiveShot is perfect for even the most demanding field broadcasts. After purchasing LiveShot in 2016 to provide live coverage of the Herm Wilson Invita-

tional track meet, Wichita State University TV has relied on LiveShot as a part of their regular tool kit. “LiveShot is able to do everything we want it to do,” said Jeffrey Franck, Broadcast Media Technician for WSU-TV. “It makes my job super easy when everything works the way it should.” Comrex designs and builds equipment that uses the most advanced available technology to connect broadcasters with their audiences.

>CONNECT

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YBIO is a unified monitoring and control (M&C) platform serving modern broadcasters and media powerhouses. At IBC 2019, CONNECT showcased KYBIO’s newest enhancements, designed to meet the critical challenges of broadcasters to capture, produce, and distribute quality content. This simple yet powerful platform enables broadcasters to oversee an entire ecosystem, no matter how complex, centralize data, and streamline the management of IP-enabled gear and technology. KYBIO plugs into any third-party or in-house technology with open protocols and APIs, and functions on an open-driver policy. With the 3.9 release, KYBIO Media includes a new generation of drivers, enabling the stacking of protocols for communication, control, and management. Users have the flexibility to choose from a wide variety of protocols for more efficiency in the management and control of their devices (e.g. basic monitoring through SNMP, provisioning over SOAP, control over ModBus TCP).

>CORNERSTONE AV

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ornerstone provides bold, touchable, watchable experiences. The company sleeps, eats, and showers with your project in mind. Cornerstone creative directs a project until it just can’t take it anymore, and then makes it the “live” experience you have been showering with too.

This is about branded environments that engage your audience. This is about giving the feels. All of them.

>CP COMMUNICATIONS

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P Communications exhibited the full power of IP streaming and bonded cellular networking for live sports production at the 13th CrossFit Games. CP provided all content acquisition, networking, and delivery services across all areas at the multi-venue Alliant Energy Center complex in Madison, WI. “We deployed six bonded cellular rigs to cover events outside the Alliant Energy Center campus, including the ruck race and the swimming events downtown,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO. “Our wireless audio, communications, and video systems worked seamlessly inside the coliseum and outside at North Park Stadium. This flexibility is yet another example of our leadership and expertise in building customized, hybrid systems to ensure reliable event coverage across multiple sites. While we remain RF specialists, we can simplify the overall infrastructure and ensure 100% coverage by leveraging the power and flexibility of IP and bonded cellular networking.”

>CREATIVE DIMENSIONS

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reative Dimensions is a team of industry experts, visionary designers, versatile project managers, and skilled craftsmen that has built a reputation as an innovative partner over the last 30 years. The team coordinates and produces a full range of signage; exhibits/ tradeshows; and broadcast studios, sets, and desks, including the company’s sought-after VERSA Broadcast Desk line of products. Creative Dimensions delivers the outcomes you need, while striving to save you money and time. Whatever your project, Creative Dimensions’ passion for customer satisfaction, creative solutions, and quality products — as well as its innovation and problem-solving skills — will get the job done for you with style! Because Creative Dimensions listens, it can zero in on your vision and provide that remarkable outcome.

Whether your needs are in the signage, exhibit, or broadcast worlds, Creative Dimensions goes the extra mile to help your project hit the mark.

>CREATIVE MOBILE SOLUTIONS

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reative Mobile Solutions Inc. (CSMI) is a Burbank, CA-based boutique postproduction company specializing in tapeless workflows for live events and studiobased shows. Providing workflow design, Avid, Final Cut Pro, and EVS rentals, plus on-location support, CMSI rises to any challenge. From sporting events to award shows to feature films, CMSI’s expert team can help save your production time and money.

>CSP MOBILE PRODUCTIONS

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SP Mobile Productions has been providing broadcasters with quality mobile units since 1988. From sports and entertainment to large corporate and news events, CSP Mobile covers the nation from coast to coast, delivering HD productions to ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and NBC, to name a few. CSP Mobile units and engineers have remained busy during the first half of 2019. Major League Rugby, the Premier Lacrosse League, and Major League Soccer are a few of the top sports covered by the CSP Mobile Productions fleet. The second half will have the fleet busy with college football and basketball heading into 2020. If your need is for state-of-the-art facilities, then CSP is ready to provide its mobile units with top-notch engineering. The company also offers full turn-key production services with “above-the-line” and “below-the-line” crewing, transmission, and more for long-term partners and newly forged relationships in the industry.

>CTG

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ounded in 1991, CTG is a recognized leader that brings extensive experience, resources, and knowhow to each client. CTG’s quality approach has been consistent — provide the very best audio/visual and broadcast solutions. CTG designs, integrates, installs, and maintains individually tailored systems. Regional and national in scope, the company offers a complete suite of products and services to businesses large and small.

>DAKTRONICS

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aktronics unveiled a new element to their Show Control System: Live Clips. It’s a dual-channel multimedia broadcast server designed for game entertainment and live production. The combination of a clip server and character generator is upstream of the switcher in the control room to provide professional, broadcast-quality playback of audio and video clips with alpha keying support. It’s commonly used with applications such as sponsor feature spots, intro videos, replay bumpers, and transitions. Another Daktronics control system aspect improving broadcasts is the LIVEBOOK GFX. The company’s AJT Systems division deploys this product across the sports landscape to assist with graphics, branding, and ultra-efficient workflows. Most recently, the product was used for the Little League World Series by ESPN to assist with the broadcast and streaming of 200 baseball and softball games. The LIVEBOOK GFX was used to streamline the graphics and branding of the events, all while streamlining the production with an easy-to-use, portable system. Providing customers with increased control functionality from broadcasts to in-venue display productions, Daktronics is bringing all the capabilities necessary to enhance fan and viewer experiences surrounding live events.

>DALE PRO AUDIO

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ale Pro Audio has been a distinguished leader in the broadcast, live sound, contracting, and studio and postproduction markets since 1956. The company carries hundreds of pro audio’s top brands, stocks thousands of the best products, and has an expansive store and showroom in Queens, NY. Because of its commitment to excellence, Dale has earned the trust of television and radio stations, recording studios, contractors, and more.

>DELAPLEX SOFTWARE

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elaPlex understands the serious challenges facing the sports broadcast developer today. With delaPlex, you retain dedicated software developers, or “virtual employees,” and tap into a source of unlimited talent. Whether your needs include augmenting your team, or finding a fully outsourced solution, delaPlex has “follow-the-sun” performance and the top talent you need. The company calls it Software as a Service. What sets delaPlex apart from the rest is a combined century of experience in broadcast, brought forward into today’s agile software development environment. delaPlex is the brainchild of industry technology leaders who began providing innovative hardware and software solutions to the broadcast industry starting in 1987. What this means, when it comes to broadcast, is that delaPlex is deeply steeped in history and context. The company understands both legacy systems and new media. Let delaPlex bring the depth, and the breadth, of its industry knowledge to serve your vision.

>DELL EMC

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ox Sports Australia, with their broadcast production partners at NEP Australia, chose Dell EMC Isilon F800 all-flash storage to support a first-of-its-kind 4K live workflow to cover a summer of cricket. Up to 30 cameras at the venues capture 4K and HD content, and production takes place in OB vans using EVS live production servers with Isilon F800 IP-based storage mounted in flyaway cases. Editors produce highlights and other packages using Adobe Premiere Pro directly connected to the Isilon F800. Further postproduction and content repackaging takes place in real-time at the Fox Sports Australia HQ. Clips are also replicated to Fox Sports using Isilon’s SyncIQ technology. The Isilon F800 all-flash not only delivers the high throughput and concurrency required for the project, its small footprint allowed the systems to be deployed alongside the OB vans, while also substantially reducing the data center rack space, power, and cooling needed at Fox Sports headquarters.

>DIGITALGLUE

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igitalGlue announces the addition of 16TB heliumbased enterprise drives into its complete line of creative.space storage solutions. These drives provide 33% more capacity compared to 12TB drives. Higher density, less rack space, and lower energy consumption all reduce the overall total cost of ownership. Combining 16TB hard drives, 16TB NF1 NVMe PCIe solid-state drives, and 10/25/40/100 GbE network connectivity is a real gamechanger for postproduction and content distribution network workflows. 16 TB drives alleviate the need for multiple racks of equipment in a facility or a data center.

The 24-bay //AUTEUR and //DEUS EX systems can hold 384 TB in 4 RU. With three //EXPANSION units, over 1.5 PB can be stored in just 16 RU. For even higher density, the //MONTAGE can house 960 TB in 4 RU. For collaboration anywhere, the mobile 4-bay //ROGUE unit can now scale to 64 TB.

>DIMETIS

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imetis is a developer of world-class tools for media workflow automation, remote production, broadcast management and control, scheduling, OTT monitoring and analytics, NFV/SDN orchestration, and much more.

Dimetis is a truly agnostic vendor as it interfaces with all vendors — hardware or software — and provides multivendor broadcast network management. mX Media Exchange is a powerful media management platform that provides media workflow automation, comprehensive management, automation, and transfer of large video and audio files while providing an elegant user experience. BOSS BROADCAST Manager is an easy-to-use, comprehensive management software platform for monitoring, configuration, video workflow orchestration, and control of streaming facilities, multiplex centers, IPTV, DVB, and ATSC/HDTV. BOSS Stream Viewer is a video stream monitoring and analytics solution. BOSS Operations Manager is a transmission and resource scheduler

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SPONSORUPDATE for broadcast facilities. OpsNGN is an OSS automation and orchestration platform supporting physical and virtualized networks (SDN/NFV).

>DIVERSIFIED

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echnology surrounds and engages Diversified, permeating its consciousness with sights and sounds.

It’s facts, data. Pitch speed. 3-pointers shot and made.

Yards needed in a game of inches. How many times lamps have been lit. But it’s much more. It’s a link. A connection between you and your fans. An announcer recounting the goal to thunderous roars. A fourth-quarter hype video bringing the crowd’s soul to your team’s ear. Excitement. Engagement. Empowerment. Images and sounds connecting you, all telling your story. With more real-world experience than any other sports technology solutions provider, Diversified understands your technology needs. Replay control rooms, sound, core IT networks, social media platforms, IPTV, electronic security, structured cabling, mobile production units, storage, and archive. Even how to expertly navigate the digital transformation as you transition to IP. Diversified designs, builds, commissions, and manages everything for you. For your fans. Your brand. Diversifed is imagination engineered.

>DNA STUDIOS

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NA Studios just completed the transition to Ross Carbonite switchers. This migration allows easier connectivity to the XPression graphics systems in all trucks. All mobile units, which are a great value to clients, feature five Grass Valley HD cameras, Carbonite switchers, XPression graphics, digital audio, and six channels of replay. DNA currently serves clients from the east coast, Midwest, Texas area, and Las Vegas. The company spent the summer helping with ESPN’s “The Basketball Tournament” regionals in Salt Lake City. Also, DNA will package the SWAC college football game of the week. DNA Studios also boasts a 3,000-square-foot live studio for two new clients: Fox News and The Weather Channel.

>DOCAPTION

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ontinuing on the path of successful zero-delay, frame-accurate ancillary data encoding, decoding, and information display overlaid on video, DoCaption is announcing the availability of its character generator style-enhanced rendering options for their LRBox platform-based products. While keeping within the same small form-factor — together with comprehensive price range, the same real-time efficiency, and seamless operation — the LRBox platform is now able to display decoded ancillary data information with high definition, antialiased fixed sized, and/or proportionally spaced characters. This enhanced embedded character display engine is available across the whole LRBox range of products, from closed captions encoding and monitoring to sports venues scoreboard data encode, decode, and overlay over the video, allowing both comfortable use by referees and situation rooms, and simple, yet synthetic and nice looking scoreboard data overlay that can be used as an option for production.

>DOLBY

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olby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Through innovative research and engineering, Dolby develops breakthroughs that the company shares with the world through collaborations with content creators, broadcasters, pay-TV operators, and consumer entertainment equipment vendors worldwide. These breakthroughs deliver incredibly vivid experiences in the cinema, at home, at work, and

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on the go — experiences so lifelike that people feel as if they’ve been transported into a cinematic story or a pulsing sphere of music or an action-packed game. In both entertainment and communications, through audio and imaging, Dolby gives everyone the power to see, hear, and feel the spectacular. Partner with Dolby to join the rapidly expanding group of leading broadcasters, pay-TV providers, and live content creators to deliver spectacular live sports and entertainment experiences. Learn how you can take your live sport experiences to the next level with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

>DOME PRODUCTIONS

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ome Productions continues on its strategic path and expansion with the launch of Showcase, a unique 40-foot trailer housing a control room, with studio position inside with 4 x PTZ Panasonic AW-UE150 cameras (2160p/59.94fps capable). Focused on, but not limited to, the new world of OTT streaming with sports, entertainment, studio, red carpet, festivals, product launches, Instagram, and esports as opportunities, this unique trailer is ideal for remote podcasts. Showcase adds tremendous value and engagement to enhance sponsorship and create compelling content for live, studio shows, and shoulder programming. Dome has also introduced multi-camera production airpack solutions designed to meet today’s demand for live or recorded 1080p and 4K events for sports, esports, and entertainment. Dome recently provided a very efficient 1080p airpack set-up for season two of the NBA 2K at a studio outside New York City.

>DVEO

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VEO, a leading TV/OTT equipment supplier, is now shipping its brand-new real-time Multi Camera Synchronizer with IP inputs and outputs, which is a technology based to time delay IP transport streams that debuted at IBC 2019. The Multichannel Video Synchronizer is designed to time synchronize IP camera feeds to under one frame delay. This allows for feeding up to 50 POV cameras to a remote location where sports events directors can between any of the cameras and end up with seamless transitions between views. This capability will result in significant savings as now the directors of sports events can be remote and still have clear and beautiful camera transitions. Multichannel Video Synchronizer is typically deployed back at master control. Here, all camera feeds can be synchronized via remote GUI that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

The remote GUI also includes scheduling.

>DX3 MEDIA INC.

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X3 Media Inc. is a media production management and consulting company based in Canada.

The company takes pride in providing out-of-the-box thinking resulting in innovative solutions for clients’ projects. Its reputation is founded on delivering higher than anticipated results and always under the clients’ budget. DX3 Media Inc. has a strong network of equipment and crew vendor relationships throughout all North America.

>EASYLIVE

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asylive is introducing Multistreams, a professional live transcoding and restreaming service. Go live everywhere. In every format and every protocol. All at the same time. Add delay up to 60 seconds to your published feeds, and simultaneously publish to multiple destinations. Supported transcoding formats include: RTMP, SRT, RTSP, WebRTC, FTL, MPEG-TS (over UDP, TCP, RTP and HTTP(s), and HLS. With up to 50Mbps per output stream and guaranteed frame rate, upscale your live production workflow!

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

>ECODIGITAL

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ith DIVA software suite as its prime offering, EcoDigital is dedicated to providing world-class digital content management services and support of digital media workflows to its clients and business partners around the globe. The company’s commitment to innovation and exceptional customer experience, allowing fast, secure and easy storage, access, and sharing of digital assets, enables its customers to increase productivity, engagement, efficiency, and enhance business continuity.

EcoDigital’s solutions portfolio, which includes a wide range of products, as well as flexible development capabilities and dynamic business partner network, enables the company to deliver comprehensive solutions in all operating environments.

>EDITSHARE

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ditShare is a technology leader in networked shared storage and smart workflow solutions for the postproduction, TV, sports, and film industries. The company’s products improve efficiency and workflow collaboration every step of the way. They include ingest and playout servers, high-performance central shared storage, AQC, archiving and backup software, media asset management and a non-linear video editing application.

>EEG ENTERPRISES

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EG Video, the leaders in closed captioning and subtitling technology, showcased a range of solutions for broadcasters, content creators, and postproduction professionals at IBC 2019. EEG debuted Lexi Local, an onpremises, off-the-cloud service that delivers live automatic captions and subtitles in English and Spanish with more than 90% accuracy. IBC also saw the exhibition debut of iCap Local, a companion product to EEG’s iCap, an Emmy Award-winning closed captioning and subtitling delivery network. iCap Local enables the deployment of iCap to a private, on-premises cloud. Other products featured at IBC include iCap Falcon, EEG’s cloud-hosted encoder that embeds captions and subtitles directly into live streaming video across all major streaming platforms; iCap Translate, a real-time captioning and subtitling translation service; and iCap Alta, a fully virtualized captioning and subtitling solution for live IP video workflows.

>ENCO SYSTEMS

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NCO brought its complete range of audio playout solutions to IBC 2019. The two solutions, HotShot3 and Dad.tv, cover the gamut for live and automated playback of audio content that amplifies the fan experience.

ENCO’s HotShot3 provides a sleek, intuitive interface for live, instant audio playout in broadcast and production.

HotShot3 offers instant access to local and network audio assets, with immediate playout to air. In addition to fast and reliable playback, HotShot3 offers automated, customizable features across logging, compliance, rights management, and other pertinent workflow tasks. HotShot3 provides playback options on a pre-labeled 80-button keypad or touchscreen operation — as well as remote operation using an iPad — with stereo and surround sound support. Dad.tv remains the most advanced audio playout and automation system available for live broadcast and production. The latest version strengthens compliance, with automatic generation of “as played” logs to simplify rights reporting tasks.

>ENCOMPASS DIGITAL MEDIA

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ncompass, a fully managed service provider delivering end-to-end playout and distribution solutions to sports leagues, TV networks, broadcasters, and digital leaders, brings you eight out of the top 10 U.S. sporting events.

The company designs, implements, and operates reliable

solutions that capture, process, and deliver clients’ content from any source, in any format, to any destination in the most efficient and reliable way possible. Encompass’ global connectivity, scalable technology infrastructure, and strategic partnerships create a single, synchronized content delivery environment. Want to reach additional markets by streaming your live events? Encompass can help! Daily, Encompass services 1,200+ channels; streams 6,300 hours of TVE/OTT content; and acquires/distributes 275+ live events for its clients worldwide. Services include: channel playout; global distribution (satellite, fiber, IP, satellite trucks); OTT; live events; radio; and disaster recovery. Your sports content. Delivered.

>ENDEAVOR STREAMING

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ndeavor Streaming is a global leader in premium video streaming distribution for live and on-demand content across the entertainment and sports industries.

With complete and cutting-edge video streaming offerings, Endeavor Streaming enables clients to deliver their content in the highest quality on any device with the industry’s deepest feature set. As a trusted partner to the world’s largest brands including the NBA, NFL, WWE, UFC, UEFA, Univision, EFL, and others, Endeavor Streaming fundamentally understands both the value of their clients’ content and the most effective ways to deliver best-in-class innovations to the viewer experience

>ES BROADCAST

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019 has seen exciting developments for ES Broadcast in the U.S., in both the rental and integrator markets.

Esports specialist OGN has launched its Super Arena in Manhattan Beach, CA — with ES Broadcast delivering the systems integration for the project, in partnership with De Tune Company. The venue is purpose-built for Battle Royale esports games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fortnite, and was kitted out with Sony XVS-7000X and Ross Carbonite vision mixers, a Calrec audio desk and network, Ross XPression graphics and AR, Evertz routing, and Sony HDC-2400 camera channels.

Meanwhile, ES Broadcast Hire’s Orlando office, opened in February 2019, has added Sony HDC-3500 and Panasonic AK-UC4000 UHD camera channels to its already expansive rental fleet, as well as Panasonic UHD and HD PTZ cameras.

>EUROVISION SERVICES

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n January 1, 2019, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) launched its business subsidiary, Eurovision Services S.A., a for-profit entity focused on growing business worldwide. Eurovision Services aims to be the first-choice media services provider for event organizers, media organizations and sports federations. Eurovision Services is in its 12th year providing the PGA TOUR with the global distribution of their live events, including PGA TOUR Live, to their broadcast partners outside the U.S. Eurovision Services also provides the PGA TOUR with direct fiber connectivity with NBC Sports, who provide their domestic OTT distribution platform. Also kicking off 2019, Eurovision Services provided SNG/production trucks at the O2 Arena in London for the NBA’s Global Game between the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, delivering over 60 hours of game content and press conferences back to the U.S. for NBA Entertainment. Eurovision Services will repeat its origination/ production services for the NBA in January 2020, when their European regular-season game moves to Paris. In October, between these two European games, Eurovision Services will provide origination facilities for the NBA’s pre-season Global Games in China, with the Lakers facing the Nets in Shenzhen and Shanghai, the World Champion Raptors preparing for the regular season against the Rockets in Tokyo, and the Pacers and Kings squaring off in Mumbai, India. Eurovision Services uses IP technology to link the NBA’s own network with its global network, providing back-up of their live games and entertainment programming the company delivers to more than 200 countries and territories.

>EUTELSAT

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roviding the global TV industry with instant access to news events as they unfold, television organizations, news agencies, and satellite news gatherers rely on Eutelsat more than ever to fulfill their occasional use (OU) satellite communications requirements. Eutelsat’s dedicated or standard OU satellite capacity responds to both ad hoc and periodic demands. Whatever you need, from 4.5 MHz or a full 72 MHz transponder, for 15 minutes or a monthly lease, Eutelsat’s flexible service can meet your requirements, whether planned or unexpected. Services are available for sports and entertainment, broadcasting, SNG, studio-to-studio broadcasting, events (including HDTV and UHD transmissions), corporate and business TV, part-time contribution links, postproduction transfer, video streaming, cable restoration, and disaster recovery. Eutelsat’s fleet of 37 satellites covers 150 countries representing 90% of the world population. Its sales and reservation center has a unique human resource, with the skills and know-how of experienced employees, to advise you and deliver state-of-the-art services all over the world. A highly skilled team of satellite network engineers continuously provides you with a fully reliable service, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.

>EVERTZ

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vertz, the global leader in media and entertainment technology solutions, showcased its latest innovations for live sports production at IBC 2019. Leveraging the industry’s most comprehensive IP infrastructure, Evertz creates extremely agile and efficient workflows ideally suited for production in esports, stadiums/ venues, mobile, and studio environments. The months leading up to IBC 2019 were extremely busy for Evertz.

Evertz won and deployed a number of stadiums based on its Software Defined Video Networking (SDVN) IPbased solutions using ST 2110 and NMOS IS-04/05.

Also, a number of stadiums and universities have installed their first or expanded their existing DreamCatcher suite to create dynamic production workflows and adopt new applications (such as video referee and in-stadium multimedia). For IBC 2019, Evertz introduced DreamCatcher BRAVO for individual or small team collaborative production. DC-BRAVO and its integrated video mixing, graphics insertion, replay, and highlight features are the perfect tool for cost-effective live production. DC-BRAVO takes advantage of the DreamCatcher patented network architecture to easily scale for any size of live production. DC-BRAVO is the ultimate production instrument for secondary sports markets and esports.

>EVS

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udgets allocated to sports productions are under a lot of pressure, and audiences are often not large enough to justify the operational costs linked to additional cameras deployed around the field of play. To address this challenge, EVS introduced Overcam at IBC 2019. Overcam is an AI-driven system that automates key camera positions for various sports productions to provide more viewing angles in a cost-effective way. It has already been successfully tested in real-life conditions, including for a major soccer tournament, producing positive results. Powered by VIA Mind, EVS’ AI engine, Overcam enables rights owners and holders to make productions that are more affordable, while still delivering broadcast-standard quality. This is ideal for lower-tier and niche sports that don’t have the budget for additional cameras, but would like their live coverage to live up to their fans’ expectations. Overcam is part of EVS’ ongoing efforts to provide cost-efficient live production solutions that don’t compromise on quality or reliability. The new solution also integrates seamlessly with the EVS X-One unified production system for ‘lean production.’ X-One ingests up to six camera feeds, no matter the source, enabling low-cost, broadcast-standard live productions of small and midsized events.

>F&F PRODUCTIONS

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&F Productions introduced GTX-19 to the broadcast industry. A newly designed double expandable mobile unit, it is a true powerhouse when combining GTX-19 A&B. The unit is capable of deploying up to 35 cameras and is wired for 20 12-channel EVS’s. GTX-19 proved its 4K abilities at its debut in early August where it provided 4K facilities for a 15-camera concert in Tampa, moving directly into primetime preseason football, then off to NYC for a little fashion week before making its way to Columbia, SC, where it launched its SEC College Football debut for CBS. The remaining fleet at F&F received upgrades to their EVS/replay devices, adding new XT-VIAs to much of its fleet and additional upgrades that include Sony 4300 SSMO capabilities.

>FILMWERKS

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ilmwerks has had quite the year of strategic planning for its future. Seaport Capital has come on-board to invest in the ever-growing business of Filmwerks. The support from Seaport has led to many new opportunities for growth. The fast-growing structure division is now complimented with a full scenic design/build department. This department is home to a full fabrication and scenic staff that designs, project manages, and builds scenic elements for broadcast, live events, and other various industries. In addition, Filmwerks has acquired Hale Electric, with a large inventory and experienced personnel to reinforce the new facilities in Nashville and Las Vegas. Filmwerks’ goal is to geographically position equipment to better serve their growing broadcast base. 2019 is the beginning of an aggressive initiative for the development of new systems and advanced training programs to provide the most advanced technicians and equipment in the industry.

>FINGERWORKS TELESTRATORS

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ingerWorks Telestrators, the company that defines live telestration for professional sports and esports broadcasters, recently incorporated a new social media interface to its Telestration software. Designed to enable its users to instantly drag, drop, and play Twitter and Instagram videos, posts, and images, FingerWorks’ new social media function enhances an analyst’s ability to reach their audience. With these latest updates, analysts can call on social media teams to cue up multiple posts ahead of an event or during the live broadcast. Additionally, videos embedded within a broadcast or live stream can be directly controlled through the FingerWorks touchscreen solution. FingerWorks delivers a simple yet effective interface for sports analysts. Its solutions are found in NFL, PGA, USGA, NASCAR, UFC, NHL, MLS, CFL, NCAA, and Olympics productions. Valve Corporation, ESL Gaming, and Riot Games also use FingerWorks for esports coverage.

>FLETCHER SPORTS

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ne year after joining NEP, Fletcher Group continues to deliver the highest-quality, innovative specialty capture solutions to the sports broadcasting industry.

Fletcher continues to showcase its Tr-ACE system, an in-house-developed auto-follow technology and operating system, which has supported tennis Grand Slam events like Wimbledon and the US Open. Fletcher’s expertise in this field is catching the eye of other broadcast sports as well, and Fletcher is quickly making inroads in new applications of their proprietary technology. Recognizing Fletcher’s success, NEP recently announced that Fletcher President and industry veteran Dan Grainge will assume responsibility for NEP’s new U.S. Specialty Capture Division, overseeing the talented teams at Fletcher and Broadcast Sports International (BSI), another recent NEP acquisition. Together they will continue to develop new approaches, technologies, and multi-service solutions for their clients. Fletcher looks forward to continued growth and success as part of the NEP Worldwide Network.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SPONSORUPDATE >FOR-A

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his year has been a dynamic one at FOR-A. While remaining at the forefront of future-reaching technology such as 12G, the company also expanded its HD, 4K, and IP-supported offerings with new technology designed specifically for live events. Included among the new 4K-capable line-up are the HVS-490 HANABI video switcher, the FVW-700 4K/HD Telestrator, and 4K support is planned for Envivo Studio production suite and Replay live event replay. HDMI 2.0b specification support on the compact HANABI HVS-490 provides 4K output to a multiviewer. The HVS-490 is designed for use in any live environment, including mobile shoots, events, and in-house corporate productions. A full-featured telestrator, the FVW-700 allows users to annotate or draw directly on video using a touchscreen computer monitor or wirelessly via a tablet and work remotely. The new Envivo Studio is an all-in-one live production system that includes a clip player, still store, shot box, and other powerful features. Envivo Replay offers a complete replay solution packaged in an intuitive user interface. Both Studio and Replay support NDI (Network Device Interface), a free protocol for Video-Over-IP developed by NewTek, and Dante digital audio for playout.

>FUJIFILM/FUJINON

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ujifilm is at the forefront in the development of 4K UHD and Cine optical technology with advanced high dynamic range (HDR) capabilities. Its Optical Devices Division offers an entire range of Fujinon 4K UHD series lenses, HD lenses, and cinema zoom lenses. The Fujinon 4K UA series of 2/3” lenses now total 14 models of large field/box and portable lenses including three new 4K lenses introduced in 2019. UA Series 2/3“ Portable Zooms: UA13x4.5, UA14x4.5, UA18x5.5, UA18x7.6 (New), UA22x8, UA23x7.6 (New), UA24x7.8, UA46x9.5, and UA46x13.5. 2/3” Studio & Field Box Zoom Lenses: UA27x6.5, UA70x8.7, UA80x9, UA107x8.4, and UA125x8 (New).

>G&D NORTH AMERICA

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&D was utilized within award-winning 45 Flex Mobile production trailer. Colorado Studios and Mobile TV Group support over 4,000 live events a year and the G&D KVM equipment is utilized in each new trailer design. G&D is very proud to have provided KVM extension and switching equipment for the award-winning Mobile TV Group’s 45 Flex production trailer. The 45 Flex unit is the industry’s first end-to-end SMPTE 2110 uncompressed IP-based mobile live TV production trailer. G&D was chosen for its rugged, reliable, and affordable products that provide 24/7 operational excellence within a challenging mobile environment. G&D’s equipment list contains a matrix switch, along with many computer and user extension modules. This system allows multiple users full KVM matrix switching capabilities to control multiple computers with G&D’s own pixel perfect lossless video compression technology for this state-of-theart mobile trailer design. G&D also manufactures fully IP based switching systems.

>GAME CHANGER MVP

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an-engagement technology, Millennial-attention-grabbing software, eye-popping graphics and animations, and so much more is how Game Changer MVP is best described. Game Changer MVP creates amazing graphics and animations for many sports teams and events. However, the hottest item in-venue right now is Game Changer MVP’s customized interactive games that work with your team or event app. Current customers include the Dallas Cowboys, the Vegas Golden Knights, the X Games, and so many more.

Reach out to Game Changer MVP today to see how the com-

pany can take your game-day experience to the next level.

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>GAME CREEK VIDEO

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ame Creek continues to add to the newest fleet in the industry by launching two new units in 2019. Bravo, primarily for use Fox Sports, and Columbia, which will be used primarily for CBS. Two more units will follow in late 2019 and early 2020: Gridiron for Fox Sports and Celtic for CBS. All trucks feature an IP infrastructure managed

by Lawo and Sony 5500 cameras.

>GEARHOUSE BROADCAST

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earhouse Broadcast USA is leading the way in efficient content creation and live event production solutions. The company’s solutions offer financial, operational, and content quality-related benefits while maintaining production values and providing new dimensions of flexibility. Gearhouse offers managed services, specialty cameras and equipment rental, advanced mobile production units, and highly efficient mobile production solutions. Gearhouse’s managed services offering includes being the provider of creative, production and operational staffing as well as technical and production facility maintenance for companies maintaining in-house production facilities. The company provides the talent for ideation, creative, production, editing, postproduction, and supports the steps for monetization. For advanced mobile production units, Gearhouse’s flagship mobile unit, Columbus, is one of the most technologically advanced, 4K-capable trucks available. Columbus is a 53-foot production unit capable of undertaking the biggest live event productions.

The company’s capable 40-foot fleet consists of Maestro and Prodigy, which are solutions for smaller, traditional productions. Gearhouse is an industry leader in REMI (REMote Integration) productions. Gearhouse has executed over 1,850 (as of June 30, 2019) REMI productions for clients. The company’s REMI fleet consists of two 30’ trucks and three Sprinter vans.

>GEARTECH USA

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eartech Technologies represents a variety of products relating to the broadcast, telecommunications, cable, industrial, and postproduction industries. The company’s mission statement is simple: “Specific Solutions for Rapid Development”. With over 50 years of industry experience, the Geartech team will provide the proper solution for your technical and production requirements. Clients can count on Geartech to help them develop and deliver their projects from “Cradle to Grave”. Geartech’s involvement in the telecom and broadcasting industries will “indeed be of great benefit to all of our clientele.” The components of the Geartech product line have been carefully selected and Geartech Technologies is proud to be representing some of the world’s elite technologies.

>GIRRAPHIC

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n late 2018, GIRRAPHIC was contacted by General Motors and their marketing company, INVNT, to implement augmented reality at GM’s flagship reveal for the redesigned 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray. Global Ops. Director of INVNT, Jerry Deeney, strategized with Grant Werle from GIRRAPHIC to design an AR usage case integral to telling the story of GM’s engineers. It was a team effort creating the appropriate solution. Official Corvette auto-parts were optimized by 3DExcite’s Detroit office to be imported, animated, textured, and lit within Unreal Engine by GIRRAPHIC’s team. Remaining was precision tracking, on a vehicle cloaked in secrecy, driven onto a 360° turntable, live! Stype’s latest product, Follower, handled this and accounted for any surprises. Combining these with creativity, knowledge, and sheer determination from GIRRAPHIC, the company pulled off many “firsts”. GIRRAPHIC is extremely proud to be part of this historic event and grateful for new collaborating partners.

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

>GLOBECAST

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lobecast is highly active across the sports market with two recent successes standing out. For the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations, Globecast supplied comprehensive contribution and distribution services, working with local partners. Both the opening match and the final were broadcast in 4K. In addition, using the company’s Content Marketplace (part of its Digital Media Hub), VOD content was prepared — in multiple resolutions — and stored for affiliates to use, increasing viewership and engagement.

Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) — owners and organizers of multiple globally renowned sports events — also selected Content Marketplace for clipped content sharing.

ASO organizes 210 days of competition per year, with 90 events in 25 countries. Content is shared with ASO customers including television channels, the wider media and also ASO for internal use.

>GLOOKAST

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LOOKAST simplifies digital media workflows by providing solutions for some of the most critical aspects of the production process: SDI, IP and file ingest, unique control systems for studio, news and sports production, and a wide range of media services. Gloobox Capturer, the company’s SDI/IP (including 2110) ingest product line, features multi-channel, multi-res, and multi-destination support. From SD to 4K/UHD, Capturer supports a wide range of codecs, including DNxHR, ProRes, XAVC class 480, XAVC LongG, as well as HDR and HFR. LiveOps is a web-based, multiviewer control system for Capturer that is primarily utilized in the production of live events (i.e. sports and news). media|producer is a cloud-ready, transcoding and remote file ingest platform which is rapidly becoming a reference in the industry for its versatility. The Media Services solution provides seamless integration into multi-vendor workflows by automating transcoding, parking, retrieving, and outgest of media and metadata across platforms.

>GOOGLE CLOUD

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oogle empowers media organizations to embrace the transformative power of cloud and thrive in the new age of video. The company’s full spectrum of products support media — including Ad Manager, Android TV, Assistant, Cloud, Chrome, Widevine, and YouTube — all working together to provide seamless, connected audience experiences. At IBC 2019, visitors to Google’s booth experienced media solutions that support the entire content lifecycle, including content creation, intelligence and analytics, distribution, monetization, and audience experiences. Visitors discovered the latest innovations in analytics, machine learning, hybrid cloud, networking, and much more. Learn more about Google’s commitment to bringing technological innovation to media clients through custom solutions and its expanded partner ecosystem.

>GRABYO

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t IBC 2019, Grabyo showcased the latest developments to its end-to-end video production platform. Grabyo has introduced automation into its editing workflow. Powered by AWS services, Grabyo Editor is able to detect and create editable captions on a composition. It’s reported as many as 85% of Facebook users watch video without sound, so this powerful feature allows its users to create and deliver clips and social videos to multiple platforms and drive viewership of content.

Grabyo Producer, its browser-based live streaming tool, now supports the insertion of digital ad markers. This makes monetizing live content easier than ever. Users can insert markers in their live stream which will trigger a dynamic ad replacement, such as a sponsored message, branded image, or video ad.

> G RASS VALLEY, A BELDEN BRAND

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rass Valley’s award-winning solution Creative Grading made its IBC debut at the 2019 show, demonstrating how it brings unparalleled creative control to camera shaders. Launched in April 2019, Creative Grading includes a control panel and a companion touchscreen application, delivering a fast, intuitive interface that removes complexity when adjusting images. Camera shaders can now easily and quickly manage adjustments such as transitions from indoor to outdoor lighting; an essential skill when it comes to live production. In addition, shaders can seamlessly manipulate images with the ultra-fast connection between panel and control and the dynamic adaptation to any resolution (HDR, 4K UHD, etc.) and wide color gamut in real-time. Creative Grading brings flexibility and simplicity to camera shaders, allowing them to unleash their full potential and giving customers the opportunity to provide live high-quality content that brings viewers closer to the action. Operators can focus on the quality of the image rather than the technical operation down to this powerful solution bundling multiple technical operations into intuitive packages. A number of tier-one broadcasters, including The Weather Channel, have deployed Creative Grading and are using it to bring greater flexibility and control of video images. As a frontrunner in content and media technology, with an unmatched expertise and heritage in live sports, Grass Valley enables its customers to deliver unbeatable images and immersive content experiences.

>GTT

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TT offers fully managed video transport services that meet stringent live broadcast requirements and provide 100% QoS infrastructure for low-jitter and highresolution content delivery. GTT operates 100+ video PoPs and 400+ connected locations globally. The service provider offers broadcast-quality, low-latency transport for live video utilizing its expansive global network, including the fastest fiber-optic path between North America and Europe over GTT Express. GTT’s high-performance network connects to the world’s most prominent studios, distribution head-ends, transmission facilities, teleports, public switches, and data centers. GTT delivers video services for organizations such as ATP Media, the broadcast arm of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). GTT distributes the ATP Masters 1000 and 500 tournaments, select ATP 250 matches and the Nitto ATP Finals. GTT’s Tier 1 global IP network is leveraged to broadcast ATP tournaments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

>HAIVISION

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aivision is the leader in live video streaming technologies, providing more than 25,000 organizations globally with video solutions that help them stream broadcast-quality, low-latency video from anywhere.

Haivision’s video streaming and encoding solutions are relied upon by leading sports organizations and broadcasters around the world for their high-quality, lowlatency workflows, used for both remote production and on-field replay solutions for officials. Haivision’s technology and expertise in streaming low-latency video over all types of networks helps to deliver the level of reliability and flexibility needed by customers like Riot Games.

Named a finalist for the IBC Innovation Awards for their remote production, Riot Games used strategic technology support from Haivision to broadcast last year’s League of Legends World Championship, watched by over 99.6 million viewers on more than 30 television channels and digital platforms.

>HARMONIC

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G and 8K are two next-generation technologies pushing the envelope of innovation for immersive video experiences. Recently, France Télévisions and multiple technology partners including Harmonic, joined forces to deliver the first ever live 8K streaming on 5G networks

for a premium sports event during the international French tennis tournament in Paris. A key factor to the trial’s success was Harmonic’s VOS cloud-native media processing solution and EyeQ content-aware encoding (CAE) technology, which delivered live streaming, catchup TV, and VOD content in pristine 8K with bitrates at an impressively low 30 Mbps to TVs and mobile devices using 5G networks. Throughout the trial, Harmonic was able to demonstrate its VOS SaaS can scale up to 8K. This trial represents a significant innovation in the area of video processing, considering that 8K represents two billion pixels per second.

> H IGH ROCK MOBILE TELEVISION

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igh Rock 1, the newest Super Stallion Dual Stage Expansion Class mobile production vehicle built by Gerling and Associates, is High Rock’s solution for bringing your event from the confines of its venue to the world.

Regardless of the nature of the event, whether it be sporting, news, corporate, or musical, High Rock 1 can deliver, combining its small on-site footprint with the most advanced and powerful technology to make every project an ease. With technical integration provided by Bennett Systems, High Rock 1 is equipped with a Grass Valley Kayenne switcher, Sony HDC17000Ls and HDC4300 super slo-motion production cameras, EVS XT3 servers, Calrec Artemis audio console, and much more.

>IBM ASPERA

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ollowing the huge success of Fox Sports’ innovative broadcast of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, IBM Aspera pushed the envelope even further to enable 100% remote editing for Fox Sports’ coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In collaboration with Telestream and Levels Beyond, the company created a live streaming workflow to enable true real-time remote production for Fox teams in Los Angeles to edit multiple camera feeds within seconds of the live action in France for highlights playback and bridge programming. Throughout the tournament, IBM Aspera streaming technology helped deliver 607 live edit feeds from 52 matches, with a total of 165TB of live edit content, and transferred approximately 625TB of content to cloud object storage for archive and editing. IBM Aspera Streaming for Video powered

by FASPStream enables customers to centralize remote production of high bitrate live programming, eliminating the need to co-locate costly production staff at remote venues. It supports in-line transcoding and packaging to accelerate live video delivery and facilitates open file workflows for real-time editing and production. By lowering the production costs for all kinds of events, broadcasters can create and deliver new content targeting new audiences.

>IBM SYSTEMS

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t IBC 2019, IBM Watson Media showcased how the Masters once again used IBM Watson to instantly produce highlight reels that capture a player’s entire round in three minutes. This technology analyzes video from every player and scores every stroke based on characteristics that may indicate a significant or exciting moment. Every hand raised in triumph and fist pump is seen

by Watson. The solution also keeps an ear to the crowd, measuring not only decibel levels, but the characteristic rise and fall of cheers that indicate something highlightworthy has occurred. Using AI from Watson, these excitement factors are scored, combined and ranked to create a highlight clip, helping onsite production teams and patrons tuning in from various digital platforms engage with Masters content in new ways.

>IHSE USA

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oday, as mobile production groups combine multiple trucks to create one large production unit, the need for a KVM system to share sources between A/B units becomes critical. Designers do this to allow more efficient sharing of hardware resources across units for

several functional teams — each responsible for specific operations including replay, editing, and graphics. Setup and configurations become easier as workstations can become agnostic allowing Technical Engineers to assign workspace more efficiently. As a close partner to some of the best names in mobile production, IHSE provides KVM display management systems that allow multiple sources to be accessed from a single keyboard and mouse no matter which mobile unit the source resides. IHSE offers hybrid matrix systems using copper twisted pair ports for short runs and fiber ports for long run extension — all in the same 2RU frame. Along with display, keyboard, and mouse connections, the IHSE KVM matrix systems support optional data connections for RS422 and VGA normally found in EVS servers systems.

Upgrade offerings for the Draco tera enterprise KVM matrix switch include redundant controller cards, an 8:1 fiber mux/demux card, and control management software supporting up to 24 frames grid lined as one system.

>IKEGAMI

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kegami is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality professional broadcast equipment.

Ikegami offers a broad range of TV cameras for ENG, EFP, Studio, HDTV, CCTV, and medical imaging. Ikegami products have received various Emmy Awards for Engineering Excellence. The company’s universal highdefinition TV cameras have been widely accepted by the broadcast industry as it continues the transition to the high-definition television format.

>ILLUMINATION DYNAMICS

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llumination Dynamics (ID) services live broadcast, film, television, theatrical, and special events providing automated and film lighting equipment, transportation, redundant power systems, technical services, and crew.

The company’s main locations are in Los Angeles and Charlotte with additional ARRI Rental facilities available for support. ID operates nationwide as well as providing lighting services internationally. ID’s Live Broadcast division is core to the company’s success providing reliable redundant generator power, UPS Systems, lighting design, equipment, and crew to multiple events. ID’s staff strives to provide a premium service for customers, and the company recognizes their loyalty has driven ID’s success. In 2019, ID serviced a vast array of events such as PGA Golf, World Series of Poker, NFL, college football, MLB, tennis, horse racing, MLS, swimming, super-cross, boxing, extreme sports, red carpet shows, and more.

>IMAGE VIDEO

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mage Video continues to lead the tally and device control market by providing the most capable and affordable suite of tools to the broadcast sector. New for 2019 are major upgrades to the web-server applications and IP-based workflows. With sales in over 32 countries in 2019, the company continues to expand its client base and market penetration. From studios, stadiums, OB vans, and remote applications, Image Video continues to focus on world-class products and support.

>IMAGEN

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magen’s intuitive video management platform enables sports clubs, leagues, and federations to intelligently manage their video content with enhanced functionality, control, and insight. Imagen is being used by global organizations to manage and distribute their expanding video and media libraries — enabling fast, easy, secure, and controlled access to content through a highly customizable platform. Intelligent features offer pinpoint timebased video searching, instant playback, online editing, and high-speed file transfers to help unlock the full value in your entire sports archive. With customers including the Premier League, Badminton World Federation, ATP Media, WTA Media, and many more, Imagen implements a unique set of processes and technical expertise to ensure that video is managed and commercialized in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

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SPONSORUPDATE >IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS

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ith the advent of standards like SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2059-2, and ST 2022-7, IP is now ready for the big challenge: live production. Imagine Communications has delivered in even the toughest environments like sports, providing the core technology that works with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, including servers and, most important, commodity IT switches to provide resilient and affordable solutions. Central to the new architecture is a means of video processing in the software domain, including conversion between multiple standards with Ultra HD now common. There is also a need for a simple, seamless bridge between the IP and SDI worlds, to incorporate legacy equipment and services. The Selenio Network Processor (SNP) from Imagine Communications is now seen as the standard in software-defined, high-density IP processing. In a single 1RU, it provides four independent processing blocks, allowing very sophisticated systems to be built in a compact space, which is the primary design constraint for outside broadcast vehicles. In October 2018, Swiss production company tpc launched a large-scale, full-IP uncompressed UHD HDR OB truck, which provided all the required video processing for its productions, using SNP. The software-defined processing in tpc’s truck is managed using the Magellan SDN Orchestrator.

>IMS PRODUCTIONS

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MS Productions is a leader in full-service video production, postproduction, satellite services, studio rentals, and mobile facilities. Reliability, personalized service, and the ability to cover every facet of the production process continues to drive the company’s client satisfaction and business diversification. IMSP partnered with NBC Sports in 2019 to produce more than 100 hours of the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, including the 103rd Indy 500. The “Month of May” included extensive practice, qualifying, carb day coverage, half-hour ‘Indy Live’ specials, and race programming across all NBC platforms.

Building on an already significant relationship with the Professional Bull Riders, IMSP is producing a ten-episode reality/documentary series covering the creation the six teams competing in the 2020 PBR Global Cup. International coverage of the NTT Data IndyCar series is being produced and distributed worldwide via IMSP. Approximately 100 nations including Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Sweden, France, New Zealand, and Brazil.

>INFORTREND

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nfortrend Corporation, a leading provider of Enterprise Class storage solutions for M&E, has announced its latest achievement, the GS Typhoon, a shared-storage appliance for up to 10 edit workstations targeting small to mid-size postproduction operations such as schools, churches, and boutiques. With no switches, no servers, and no complicated setup you just plug it in, turn it on, and Go To Work! See it in action today! Contact Infortrend Corporation to schedule a remote session in the company’s Demo Lab.

>INTEGRATED MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES

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ntegrated Media Technologies (IMT) is a digital media and technology company with offices in Los Angeles, Boston, and Dallas. IMT serves the telecommunications, media and entertainment, institutional, and enterprise sectors with a broad range of solutions designed to drive new value and efficiencies from technology. IMT’s operations are segmented into three principal businesses: Consulting and Systems Integration Business, Video Collaboration, and IT Services.

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>INTELSAT

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ntelsat operates the world’s first Globalized Network, delivering high-quality, cost-effective video and broadband services anywhere in the world. Intelsat’s Globalized Network combines the world’s largest satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure, managed services and an open, interoperable architecture to enable customers to drive revenue and reach through a new generation of network services. Thousands of organizations serving billions of people worldwide rely on Intelsat to provide ubiquitous broadband connectivity, multi-format video broadcasting, secure satellite communications, and seamless mobility services. The end result is an entirely new world, one that allows us to envision the impossible, connect without boundaries and transform the ways in which we live.

>INTOTO SYSTEMS

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ntoto Systems provides systems engineering services to the Media and Entertainment industry, with a focus on software systems integration. Intoto’s experience with virtualized and de-materialized broadcast infrastructure has enabled them to build powerful automation solutions to manage and monitor such environments. In 2018-19, Intoto designed and implemented the integration of production control room automation systems for Telemundo’s FIFA World Cup coverage, providing control room virtual infrastructure, monitoring systems, control panel design, and salvo management. Intoto’s expertise with video over IP, cloud technologies and control and automation systems helps their clients design and deploy integrated systems that improve agility and deliver increased efficiency.

>IO INDUSTRIES

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O Industries designs cutting-edge digital video equipment. Since 1991, the company has focused on providing its customers with high performance and high quality solutions for all types of digital video applications.

>IPTEC

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Ptec’s VNP-400 contribution H.264 or JPEG2000 encoders and decoders provide the ultimate flexibility for REMI production models. The system may be optimized for all network types: satellite, SDI and HD-SDI lease lines, dark fiber, and 1 or 10 Gb/s private and public Ethernet networks. The half-rack VNP-400 delivers dual-channel JPEG2000 up to 300 Mb/s approaching virtual lossless video at 150 Mb/s, or H.264 10-bit/422 compression up to 80 Mb/s becoming virtual lossless video at 50 Mb/s and the highest uncompressed audio quality SMPTE 302 transmission. The units are capable of integrating IP-based intercom systems and also interface low-latency four-wire analog or AES/EBU intercom systems enabling significantly less transmission latency, <10mS improving the overall REMI system performance.

IPtec’s device management system, the SMMT, delivers secure 24/7 network and call monitoring with drag-anddrop ad hoc and scheduled service provisioning with real-time alarms and call statistics.

>iSTREAMPLANET

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StreamPlanet creates leading-edge technology to solve the core challenges of OTT media. The company delivers the end-to-end video workflow from signal acquisition to the streaming app experience — all focused on the fan. iStreamPlanet has earned the trust of leading sports and entertainment brands through innovation, dedication to high quality video, and exceptional customer service.

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>JB&A

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B&A is dedicated to bringing the most innovative and complete digital media management, streaming, digital projection, and connectivity solutions to market — with workflows designed for sports, postproduction, live events, and more — plus consultants to guide you through the process. JB&A deployed its Sports Solution to an MLS team, which includes ingest, MAM, highspeed storage, on-premise cloud-enabled archive, and artificial intelligence. The team is ingesting live content and tape archives to a managed SAN. Content is indexed into a MAM to interface with Adobe as well as a web interface for marketing and non-editorial staff. Metadata enrichment through artificial intelligence adds usable data for face, speech to text, and logo or image recognition before moving data to an object-storage array housed in the team’s main campus. The object storage replicates all data to an alternate site for backup and easy access via an on-demand CMS engine.

>JOSEPH ELECTRONICS

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oseph Electronics (JE) has served the broadcast industry for more than 70 years, not only as an authorized distributor for more than 100 premier broadcast and pro AV brands, but as a specialist in custom fiber assemblies and transport solutions. Equipped with a state-of-the-art fiber lab staffed with Neutrik-certified opticalCON cable assemblers and Lemo SMPTE-certified fiber professionals, JE designs, manufactures, and supplies its own innovative fiber solutions and breakout cables using products from premium cable manufacturers such as Belden, Furukawa, and OCC. JE is also a certified fiber repair shop ready to work on any defective fiber cable assembly or breakout, regardless of manufacturer. With those resources in place, JE can quickly fabricate, terminate, or repair any connector, assembly, panel, breakout, or interface in use today. JE’s fiber solutions can be found in prominent fixed and remote broadcast operations throughout the U.S. To meet the demands of the growing IP-based market and provide a bridge to the networking world, JE now includes Dante- and SMPTE 2110-compliant products in its widely recognized custom tote series of configurable fiber-transport solutions.

>JOURNEY

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his year, Journey has continued to disrupt the videotransmission market with a fully managed IP video transport platform that intelligently combines innovative technology with advanced network management. Easily deployable hardware, rock-solid performance, extremely low latency, and concierge-level technical support are just a few of Journey’s hallmarks. Journey appliances excel at first-mile connections with excellent firewall traversal capabilities; in most cases, appliances are fully functional within minutes of connection to power and internet. Appliances can be set as transmitters or receivers on a booking-by-booking basis for ultimate flexibility.

Multiple channels of video can be delivered with frameaccurate synchronization, even across appliances. With additional built-in features like comms, tally, IFB/talkback, and more, Journey is perfect for at-home production applications. All Journey transmissions are actively monitored and managed in our 24/7 Network Operations Center. Journey continues to be the one to watch in the IP video transmission space.

>JUNIPER NETWORKS

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uniper Networks brings simplicity to networking with products, solutions, and services that connect the world. Through engineering innovation, Juniper removes the constraints and complexities of networking in the cloud era to solve the toughest challenges its customers

and partners face daily. Juniper Networks believes that the network is a resource for sharing knowledge and human advancement that changes the world. Juniper Networks is committed to imagining groundbreaking ways to deliver automated, scalable, and secure networks to move at the speed of business. The world’s biggest and busiest wired and wireless carriers, content and Internet service providers, cloud and data center providers, and cable and satellite operators run on Juniper Networks. As do major banks and other global financial services organizations, the world’s top-10 telecom companies, national government agencies and U.S. federal organizations, healthcare and educational institutions, and energy and utility companies.

>JVC PROFESSIONAL VIDEO

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VC provides the sports community a full line of products ideally suited to sport production’s needs. The GYHM250SP camera is an innovative, affordable solution that produces professional quality coverage of sporting events, complete with real-time score overlay and game clock without requiring an external switcher or CG. It’s a complete sports production system contained in a compact, affordable camcorder package. For sports coaching and production, the GY-HC500SPC “CONNECTED CAM” camcorder, featuring lower-third score overlays for live streaming and recording, and can also record game play sports coaching metadata tagging. JVC’s ProHD Studio 4000S, a self-contained four-channel live sports production and streaming studio, is a complete AV/IP-based control room system solution.

>KAUFMAN BROADCAST

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K Ultra HD is being launched just in time for the 2019 football season. Kaufman’s HD-3 5.5 meter C-Band transportable is booked for 4K UHD straight through the championship. HD-3 also supports HEVC encoding offering lower bit rates for more efficient bandwidth usage.

Kaufman live studios in St. Louis and Kansas City are gearing up for camera upgrades and the shift to VoIP communications. Kaufman offers consulting for facility upgrades and designs custom rack panels. For more than 35 years, Kaufman has been a broadcast services leader nationwide.

>KLIP SPORTS

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lip Sports is an AI-driven sports highlights editing, publishing, and measurement platform. Klip Sports helps rightsholders and brands thrive in the digital media landscape, through automated editing and publishing of highlights content to social media accounts, websites, and apps.

>KMH AUDIO-VIDEO INTEGRATION

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MH Audio-Video Integration is a full-service systems integrator providing end-to-end solutions to broadcast and postproduction environments across several industries. KMH’s audio and video experts deliver the highest quality of personalized service coupled with unmatched flexibility during all phases of project engagement. Over the past year, KMH has continued to deliver quality solutions to customers in the sports world while providing guidance on the direction of the industry and preparing these facilities for the future. Project highlights of the year so far include designing a studio and production control room space for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ existing facility and managing its build out for the 2019-2020 NFL season; teaming up with Triple Play to install a new IPTV system for Red Bull Arena; providing ongoing consulting for MetLife Stadium and managing several upgrades; and installing new Sony cameras and production server for the New York Giants Quest Center.

>LAWO

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t IBC 2019, Lawo presented in a close-to-reality infrastructure setup its latest innovations for the company’s complete IP broadcast portfolio, offering

on-site hands-on experience and the accustomed Lawo experts consulting with regard to visitors’ current or future projects and visions. The German manufacturer of pioneering network, control, audio, and video technology for broadcast and performing arts applications unveiled new virtual modules for the software-defined V__matrix routing, processing, and multi-viewing platform. Furthermore, Lawo presented new features of the mc² product line and launch software and virtual radio products, as well as new VSM and SMART features, enabling all existing and future customers to elevate their installations while securing their existing investments and saving significant budget. Besides new products, the Lawo exhibit included the vm_dmv, an infinitely expandable true IP multiviewer, the brand-agnostic VSM IP Broadcast Control System, and the SMART series for system monitoring and realtime telemetry for broadcast networks, the mc² family of audio production consoles, the A__UHD ultra-high density IP DSP Engine for mc² consoles, and the A__stage high-density audio I/O series.

>LEADER INSTRUMENTS

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eader Instruments makes waveform monitors and rasterizers that can not only monitor 3G/HD/SD SDI signals but also have options for 4K/UHD, CIE color space, HDR, test signal generation, eye pattern with jitter measurements, digital/analog Audio, 12G, and IP. IP monitoring can be via 10GbE or 25GbE with SMPTE 2022-6 and 2110 multiple stream bitrate, packet loss, jitter, and PTP analysis. All waveform monitors and rasterizers come with Leader’s popular Cinelite and Cinezone to help with luminance issues in production. Leader also makes test pattern/sync generators that can output 3G/ HD/SD SDI test signals with embedded audio and have black burst, tri-level sync, AES, silence and word clock outputs. GPS with time code, 12G SDI outputs with 4K, and PTP outputs are available as options. Having helped customers manage the transition from analog to digital and SD to HD and 4K, Leader can now help with the transition from SDI to IP.

>LEGRAND AV DIVISION

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he AV Division of Legrand is a leading provider of innovative mounting, racks, and display solutions for various audio video technologies. In the commercial A/V market, Legrand’s innovative products, sold principally under the Chief, Da-Lite, Middle Atlantic, Projecta, and Vaddio brands, are sold through numerous channels to over 6,000 global customers. Legrand provides the most comprehensive offering of commercial AV solutions in the market.

>LEVELS BEYOND

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apitalizing on the technological success of the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Fox Sports presented Levels Beyond a new challenge for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup: support more operations in Los Angeles than on-site in Paris. With the exception of a small team in Paris, all production, playout, and asset management work was done from LA. Levels Beyond facilitated nearreal-time live editing, clipping, and publishing, and automated thousands of workflows via the cloud. Reach Engine eliminated global travel for hundreds of editors and production staff, equipment transportation costs, and achieved the benefit of being able to work “at-home” for a majority of the Fox Sports staff. Putting together the best live sporting events was possible because of the teamwork of Fox Sports and Levels Beyond, with huge support from Telestream and Aspera.

>LH COMPUTER SERVICES

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H Computer Services is a reseller specializing in video storage solutions for professional and collegiate sports.

LH offers solutions that provide next-generation storage platforms providing content production, distribution, and archive with the performance and reliability needed to meet extreme production and delivery deadlines. The company offers solutions with file systems, optimized for

video, in an end-to-end solution from ingest to archive that are designed for performance from the ground up and built on the foundation of providing high-performance collaboration to leading post and broadcast organizations.

LH has a variety of manufacturers to draw from providing direct-attached storage, FCSANS as well as a traditional NAS to meet the demanding needs of your workflow.

>LIMELIGHT NETWORKS

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imelight provides the highest quality live and on-demand video delivery with the guaranteed lowest rebuffer rates. The company offers a complete line of live and on-demand video delivery services, including its awardwinning Limelight Realtime Streaming that lets you deliver video anywhere in the world in less than one second.

Limelight Realtime Streaming is natively supported on all major browsers, so viewers can enjoy live events without the need for special plug-ins. Limelight also offers automatic on-the-fly video packaging and delivery for both live and on-demand workflows, integrated digital rights management and content security, an online video platform, and the fastest online storage to help you deliver the highest quality online video to all your fans on any device.

Limelight’s global private network and low-latency edge computing services provide the capacity, reach, and connectivity to help you deliver the highest-quality, real-time viewing experience for audiences everywhere.

>LIVE MEDIA GROUP

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ive Media Group Holdings announced this past June that it had completed a major acquisition of three mobile unit companies, as part of its growth strategy in the mobile television industry. TNDV Television of Nashville, Harb Productions Services of Knoxville, and Coastal Media Group of Los Angeles were among the acquisitions.

The mobile unit fleet at Harb Productions Services has been merged with the company’s current Live Mobile Group division. Combined with TNDV Television, this creates the largest mid-level mobile unit production company in the U.S., providing unprecedented full-service live event broadcast production to new and existing clientele. The Live Mobile Group fleet consists of 18 40’45’ mid-level mobile production and hybrid units with uplink. Also included is a 53’ double expando 4K UHD mobile production unit. The company also owns eight HD fly-pack systems. Company assets are strategically placed throughout the U.S. to better serve client’s needs.

>LIVEU

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he LiveU Smart app was an integral part of the recent NBA Summer League 5G production test. Through a collaboration between the NBA, AT&T, LiveU, and Ericsson, the NBA Summer League provided the perfect testing ground for this revolutionary approach to broadcasting, enabling fans to get involved with all the action in new and interesting ways. AT&T provided the 5G mmWave spectrum, with Ericsson as the network infrastructure supplier, allowing the NBA to stream live video from Samsung devices. Video streamed live — using the LiveU Smart mobile app — from devices in the stands were sent directly to the NBA production truck for use in live coverage of the games on NBA and ESPN platforms and on social media channels. The production crew strategically positioned six Samsung S10 5G phones, giving fans a new optimal camera position, looking directly out onto the court, square on the action. This precedent opened up new ways for fans to engage with the games and their broadcasts and represents another example of the technology partners working to build the future of 5G applications. What will all this ultimately mean for the sports fan? Better in-stadium experiences utilizing a variety of growing technologies including 5G, mixed reality, and artificial intelligence.

>LTN GLOBAL

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TN Global launched its new Niles Flex package shortly after the company’s acquisition of Niles Media in March 2019, and demand for the professional production offering surged immediately. Within just 45

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SPONSORUPDATE days, contracts were inked for high school, college, and professional sports production across digital and linear platforms. LTN quadrupled capacity at its Kansas City facilities to ensure seamless delivery of Niles Flex packages including an on-site production unit with expert crew and two long lenses (60x). While drawing on the expertise of LTN’s Niles Media Group, each package also leverages the power of the LTN Network, which enables technical staff to remotely manipulate content from a centralized location while maintaining high production standards. With their purchase of the Niles Flex package, sports organizations at all levels gain the ability to deliver professional-quality broadcasts to their fan base without investing significantly in bandwidth, on-site support, or additional technical resources.

>LYON VIDEO

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yon Video still remains in the game with 11 HD mobile units and 7 support B units. Joining the game in August/September is Lyon’s new production unit Lyon 15, support units B7 and B8, and, rounding out the roster, investment in its inventory of cameras, lens, audio, fiber, EVS, and support equipment for multiple large-scale events. Yes, Lyon Video is ready for 4K HDR, but what makes Lyon unique? The company’s expert team supplies innovative production solutions including live broadcast, worldwide streaming, remote production solutions, and esports integration with production. Lyon Video’s team loves to create successful and seamless productions.

>MARKERTEK

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arkertek, a 100% employee-owned company, is the sports industry’s leading supplier of 12G/4K IP infrastructure solutions for studio, stadium, arena, remote, and esports production. From Embrionix IP SFP systems to Teradek live-streaming encoders to Camplex 12G-SDI fiber converters, no other supplier has everything needed for live coverage solutions. Markertek is a single source warehouse of end-to-end interface products with quality name brands that deliver always-on-air confidence. The in-house shop at Markertek can fabricate custom-length SMPTE, Tac, and opticalCON fiber cables in addition to a complete array of rack panels, field boxes, audio, video, and Ethernet cables. Markertek’s shop expertly repairs any brand of SMPTE, Tac, or opticalCON fiber-optic cables, bringing them back to factory-fresh condition in short order. Production trailers from Markertek are today’s low-cost mobile solution designed to save you thousands over an OB van or similar mobile trucks. Markertek provides a complete range of integrated technology broadcast trailers to the industry including fully cooled units for replay and server-based productions.

>MARSHALL ELECTRONICS

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arshall Electronics’ new CV503-WP All-Weather HD Miniature Camera provides clear progressive video up to 1920x1080p at 60fps, with professional adjustment settings made locally or from the convenience of the truck. A successor to the award-winning Marshall CV502-WPM, the CV503-WP offers an upgraded image sensor, improved processor, and reinforced 3G/HDSDI connector. The new CV503-WP utilizes a larger sensor and more powerful processors to offer better picture performance, true-color, reliability, and versatility. Built around a next-generation 2.5-Megapixel, 1/2.86-inch sensor, and ultra-low noise signal processors, the CV503WP features interchangeable prime lenses, remote adjustable settings, and protection from the elements in a compact IP67-rated housing. It offers a flexible 10’ (3m) weatherproof cable that carries HD video, control, and power to a full-sized 3G/HD-SDI (BNC) output, RS485 connection, and a locking 12V power connector.

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>MASSTECH INNOVATIONS

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asstech Innovations is a future-led technology company that provides the media and entertainment (M&E) industry with optimized content storage management solutions. Masstech combines the experience of many decades of broadcast and video content storage management with state-of-the-art, forwardlooking development, harnessing edge IT technologies to identify and address the challenges of the industry’s constantly evolving technology and business landscapes.

Today, more than 40% of all media and entertainment production assets are managed by Masstech solutions, in more than 400 organizations representing every facet of M&E, around the world and across every platform.

>MATROX

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atrox Video is dedicated to providing sports video professionals with best-in-class webcasting and REMote Integration (REMI) solutions. Trusted by major sports leagues and high-profile live event producers around the world, Matrox Monarch EDGE is the ultimate multi-camera solution that allows users to deliver 4K or multiple HD video feeds from the event to the centralized production facility, the cloud, or third-party solutions. Seen on the sidelines of English Premier League matches, Monarch EDGE’s multi-HD encoding capabilities paired with SBG Sports Software’s Focus are used for instant replay and live clipping. Sports analysts, coaches, physiologists, and doctors can use information from these pristine multi-angle video streams to make match-defining improvements to performance. Monarch EDGE has also proven to be B Live’s tool of choice for live streaming events like Vans Showdown, viewers of which benefit from the multi-camera selection of B Live’s online video player.

>MAXON

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axon Computer is a leading developer of 3D software for the creative industries, best known for its flagship 3D modeling, painting, rendering, and animation software, Cinema 4D. Today, users across the world rely on Cinema 4D to create cutting-edge 3D motion graphics, architectural and product visualizations, video game graphics, illustrations, and much more. Maxon’s client list includes ABC, Blizzard Entertainment, BMW, Sky, CNN, Fox, ITV Creative, MPC (Moving Picture Company), NBC, NFL Network, VDO, Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Walt Disney Company, Turner Broadcasting, Vitra, and many more.

>MEDIA LINKS

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t IBC 2019, Media Links showcased its agile IP solution portfolio for both studio and wide-area networks, designed to support interoperable standards while providing a bridge from SDI to IP environments. With a platform of integrated edge, core, and control plane products that offer broadcasters new higher bandwidth and more flexible IP services, a 100Gbps media production network was demonstrated featuring the MDP3000 Series of IP Media Gateways along with MDX Series of 100Gbps switches. The MDX Series is based on standard 100Gbps COTS switches that have been especially enhanced to meet the more demanding performance requirements of the broadcast/media industry. The MDP3000 Series supports all types of media transport to/from the network edge including SMPTE ST 2110, 4K UHD as well as TICO and JPEG-XS compression. Rounding out the exhibit, ProMD-EMS software functioned as the SDN controller, orchestrating all network activities including service assurance, provisioning, scheduling as well as performance/alarm management.

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>MEDIAKIND

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uring IBC 2019, MediaKind demonstrated how its global leadership and multi-award-winning solutions and services are driving dynamic shifts in TV and media technology. Newly packaged solutions were launched and showcased responding to key trends and challenges such as the convergence of live and OTT content; rising demand for mobile video delivery; the need to monetize content and services; and the potential to deliver increasingly personalized multiscreen experiences.

Solution demonstrations will focus on real-world deployments and the commercial impact MediaKind solutions have had on TV service providers, broadcasters, and content owner/rights holders. The Media Tech zone explored the latest in terms of research and industry trends concerning cloud technology, smart metadata, compression and codec advances, and how machine learning and AI can be utilized to benefit operators and how media is delivered in the future.

>MEDIAPRO

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ediapro is the leading player on the global stage in sports rights management, production, and the international commercialization of competitions such as LaLiga, Liga Brasileirão, and UEFA Champions League, and recently became the host broadcaster of the World Baseball Softball Confederation with the exclusive rights for all WBSC’s world championships through 2022, among other things. Mediapro is one of the companies authorized by FIFA and a benchmark in the provision of VAR services with more than 20 Smart Replay systems. Mediapro also specializes in real-time graphics and playout automation for TV. Mediapro offers a wide range of bespoke camera systems to facilitate enhancing and upgrading the end result of a production: Steadycam, Jimmy Jib, Technocrane, Trackcam, underwater, minicam, netcam, superbeauty, Skycam, and more. Innovation is one of Mediapro’s staples. Mediapro has also developed AutomaticTV, a technological application that allows the production of events without requiring intervention of camera operators. Mediapro also counts 54 offices distributed across 35 countries on four continents.

Mediapro provides the creativity and technical solutions necessary to design, produce, and distribute any audiovisual or multi-channel project in any corner of the globe.

Mediapro’s technical means are at the forefront of innovation in the international audiovisual field.

>METROVISION

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etrovision has been offering domestic and international clients a full spectrum of mobile production, mobile satellite transmission, flypacks, IP media, and live-event presentation services across North America since 1988. Along with having a fleet of mobile units and an extensive equipment inventory, Metrovision takes a turnkey, solutions-driven approach — combining technical expertise with strong commitment to customer service.

>MEYERPRO

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eyerPro has had the privilege of continuing and extending several amazing partnerships so far in 2019. Once again, MeyerPro was called upon to be a part of the game presentation production for the Portland Trail Blazers opening night and for their thrilling playoff run. By creating a cylindrical screen hanging from the scoreboard as well as projection effects throughout the area, MeyerPro took an already electric environment to the next level. The center screen displayed player highlights and player introduction content and when the opening was complete and the lights went up it was gone in an instant. A lot of engineering and programming time

and effort as well as flawless onsite execution from MeyerPro’s dedicated team of techs went in to making this vision a reality. The team at MeyerPro is busy working on the next cool project and looks forward to continuing this momentum through 2019 and beyond.

>MICROSOFT

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he Madrid-based Spanish football organization LaLiga has hundreds of millions of fans around the world. LaLiga fans are passionate about the game, and the league is passionate about making it as fun as possible for them. To do this, LaLiga developed a digital innovation platform based on Microsoft Azure. The league now creates websites and apps that help fans enjoy the game in new ways, including a voice-based personal digital assistant that helps fans learn more about players, teams, and the LaLiga fantasy league through conversational AI. With a robust digital experience for fans, LaLiga can quickly develop, deploy, and scale its innovations — continually elevating its brand identity. Fans can now engage even more deeply with LaLiga by just asking questions using their mobile phones. The success of the digital innovation platform is driving the league to explore exciting new technologies like AI and augmented reality to make its well-loved brand an even bigger global phenomenon. Microsoft is empowering Sports and Media customers to create content, move archives to the cloud enriched with AI, and to deliver personalized content to millions of consumers.

>MOBILE TV GROUP

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obile TV Group (MTVG) continues to make advances in production technology and efficiency around IP, 4K/HDR, and the future of remote productions. After the successful launch of IP mobile unit 45 FLEX, which took home the 2019 NAB Best of Show award for being the first end-to-end native IP solution, IP mobile unit 46 FLEX launches this NFL season. 46 FLEX carries the newest Sony 5500s and is MTVG’s second end-to-end native IP mobile unit. With its full time R&D and manufacturing center, construction on mobile unit 47 FLEX has already begun.

>MPE

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hen it’s extra innings and the go-ahead run is on base, who do you want up to bat? When there’s only time to run one more play, who do you get the ball to? MPE! MPE (Motion Picture Enterprises) provides mission-critical postproduction video solutions for sports events across America. MPE makes sure that its fly kits are rock solid before shipping to your site. MPE packs items with care and packs spares, because folks in the field need contingency plans. If things start to unravel mid game, you can rely on MPE to bring them back under control. What does ‘postproduction video solutions’ actually mean? To keep it simple, think Avid Composer, Adobe Premiere, shared storage networks, and engineering. With a vast inventory, MPE can equip any situation quickly, thoroughly, and fit within any footprint.

>MULTIDYNE

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ultiDyne headed into IBC 2019 with an expanded global team and a growing product line, strengthening the company’s value proposition for sports coverage and other live production workflows. To take better advantage of global opportunities, MultiDyne has appointed business development directors to cover the busy EMEA and APAC region. Industry veteran Sebastian Mucha and Kevin Dowd will cover these regions respectively, with a focus on live global sporting events, venues, and studio/mobile production. MultiDyne also brought new technical innovations to IBC, including its first range of compression products. The MD9200 series offers encoders and decoders in standalone desktop configurations, and in the openGear modular form-factor. MultiDyne also expanded its 12G family of high-bandwidth fiber transport products, including a new openGear modular series (OG-4600) and new FiberSaver FS12G Series of

multiplexers. All products provide exceptional value in fiber or IP-based contribution, distribution, and/or transmission applications for news, sports, and studio links.

>NCAM

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cam recently solved one of the last limitations facing camera tracking in a live broadcast environment: working wirelessly. The company’s flagship AR solution has the camera and sensor bar feeding environmental data back to its software server via a tethered cable. When CBS Sports approached Ncam with the idea to put live graphics on the field at the Super Bowl, the challenge was to make Ncam’s data travel via RF from a Steadicam rig on the field back to the production truck. Ncam needed to find a way to free up the camera operation, allowing for free-flowing camera movements reactive to the players.

The simple solution was to substitute a mini computer for the server, carried by an assistant. The broadcast was a great success, with implications for live broadcasting going far beyond a single event in Atlanta — albeit a mammoth event viewed by millions around the world.

>NECF

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ECF provides premium access to under-utilized broadcast and media resources for major broadcasters, other networks, and live event content creators to massively increase volume and reduce the cost of production using of its patent-pending technologies and models that coordinate remote video production from any location. NECF is a collaboration of broadcasters, media organizations, content creators, and vendors bringing the sharing economy into the world of media.

The company provides patent-pending technologies and models for programming to be produced from any location through new transmission methods and coordinated via its software. As a consortium, NECF saves broadcasters and media organizations time and money while increasing their volume, margin, and productivity. For content creators, the company provides access to previously unaffordable technologies. NECF merges “new economy” models with proprietary tools to significantly reduce costs, improve content, increase volume, and scale across telecom, technology, staffing, and talent.

>NEP GROUP

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or over 30 years, NEP has been a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports, entertainment, music, and corporate events. The company covers over 5,500 unique U.S. productions each year, each supported by the same passion, service, and focus of its employees. NEP is proud to provide facilities and engineering support for world-stage events like the Super Bowl, World Series, NHL Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, and the Oscars, as well as many regional and local productions. No matter the size or scale, NEP helps you select the technical solution right for your and your event and provide the same level of care to every client. NEP’s full array of services includes remote production, specialty capture, RF and wireless video/audio, studio production, audio visual solutions, host broadcast support, postproduction, connectivity and transmission, premium playout, and innovative software-based media management solutions. NEP’s 4,000+ employees have supported productions in 87 countries on all seven continents. At IBC 2019, NEP demoed its media asset management cloud platform, augmented reality technology, and end-to-end workflow in action.

>NET INSIGHT

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et Insight has been selected by NEP Connect for extension of soccer stadium media network. NEP Connect, an NEP Broadcast Services company, is a leading provider of global critical connectivity services.

The company is extending its contribution network called Anylive, based on Net Insight’s Nimbra platform, throughout the UK from Premier League stadiums to now include all 72 English Football League (EFL) venues.

NEP Connect’s Anylive network covers the top four football divisions in England and also connects major sports, music, and entertainment venues including Wembley and The O2. Net Insight’s Nimbra MSR platform is placed at all stadiums for assured transmission with 100% QoS. And at some stadiums the MSR is combined with Nimbra VA. NEP Connect will also deploy the new terabit capacity Nimbra 1060 at the core of its network. The robust, high bandwidth Anylive connectivity at all venues will bring live coverage to millions of viewers.

>NEUTRIK USA

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eutrik manufactures connectors and fiber systems for the professional entertainment, broadcast, music, and fixed installation industries. From XLRs and patch panels to etherCON, powerCON TRUE1, rearTWIST BNCs, and fiber optics, Neutrik offers innovative solutions and superior quality in all of its products. Connectors you can depend on show after show. Neutrik’s newest products include the opticalCON DRAGONFLY Fiber Optic Camera Connector Series. The revolutionary design of this new rugged fiber-optic connector will give users increased capability along with easy cleaning and maintenance. With the introduction of mediaCON, Neutrik brings to the market a true locking solution for USB Type-C connectors. mediaCON is eminently suitable for connecting together devices like hard drives, cameras, video monitors, media capture equipment, audio interfaces, computer hardware, etc. All mediaCON products are designed for data rates up to 10 GB/s (USB 3.1), 100 W of power, and 10,000 mating cycles.

Also featured is the new True Outdoor Protection (TOP) range of products for demanding outdoor applications.

This new range includes the popular powerCON TRUE1, etherCON, and XLR series. These ruggedized sealed connectors feature IP 65 weather protection and UV resistance according to UL50E.

>NEVION

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t IBC 2019, Nevion demonstrated for the first time the new JPEG XS encoding media function that it has recently added to its flagship software-defined media node, Nevion Virtuoso. JPEG XS is making waves in the industry as it offers pristine visually lossless compression comparable to JPEG 2000, but with a latency of less than a single frame. This makes it extremely attractive for low latency real-time transport of HD and 4K/UHD video over wide-area networks (WANs) for live sports production. Nevion is currently deploying Virtuoso with JPEG XS at a leading global broadcast network to get video in and out of content hubs — the world’s first official deployment of the technology. At IBC 2019, Nevion’s Virtuoso with JPEG XS was also part of a joint remote production demo with strategic partner Sony, spanning both booths and a studio situated away from the IBC venue.

>NEW BOX SOLUTIONS

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ith offices in Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, and Austin, New Box Solutions is a custom audio/visual integrator that specializes in postproduction, event and film festival operations, residential, and cinema installations. The company’s client list includes the most world’s most respected postproduction facilities, producers, directors, studios, international film festivals, awards ceremonies, and red carpet events. New Box Solutions’ client list includes Netflix, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Sundance Film Festival, SoHo House, Live Nation, and Amazon Pictures.

>NEWTEK

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taffordshire University recently introduced the first curriculum of its kind in the United Kingdom — a Bachelor of Arts focusing on the business of esports — providing students the opportunity to be on the leading edge of a $1.1B industry. To give students the technical advantage, the university built out an esports facility and designed a video workflow around NDI, NewTek’s encoding technology for delivering frame-accurate video over IP. Using standard 1Gb ethernet, the university runs signals over the network simultaneously — using NDI Scan Converter

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SPONSORUPDATE software so each PC becomes a video source. Game consoles can be added to the network via NewTek Spark Pro, converting HDMI video devices to NDI sources. A connected “spectator mode” workstation determines which ingame feeds will be used in a broadcast. Vision mixing for all sources is centralized in the 44-input NewTek VMC1.

The facility also has four 4K cameras sending signals into the VMC1 via a pair of NewTek NC1 I/O modules to allow for mixing and monitoring over IP as well. The result: quality, reliable, and professional-grade live video for esports that competes at every level of the growing industry.

>NEXSAN

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exsan has been delivering reliable, efficient, and cost-effective digital storage solutions for media and entertainment since 1999. Nexsan has the right solution and performance for 4K and UHD 8K workflows, virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) workflows, digital playout, nearline storage, or a secure archive to protect and monetize your media assets. Vexata accelerates media workflows with 1M+ random file IOPS with sub-millisecond response. For content creation, Vexata supports eight 8K concurrent workstation streams with 50GB/s Reads and 25GB/s Writes. Further optimize your rendering farms with up to 4X higher license utilization and concurrent work streams. The E-Series P delivers the performance for high-resolution 4K video and beyond.

For Digital Preservation and asset re-use, Assureon is your best choice with a hardened archive and easy file access. Furthermore, Unity with inclusive licensing delivers performance for real-time editing from a central location and a policy-based auto-archive.

>NOVELSAT

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ovelSat is a technology company dedicated to providing the next-generation modulation standard for satellite communications. NovelSat supports DVBS, DVB-S2, and DVB-S2X standards and also offers the superior spectral efficiency of its NovelSat NS4 high-end efficiency satellite transmission software package, which is available in all NovelSat satellite modulators, demodulators, and modems. NovelSat technologies deliver the fastest data rates, the satellite industry’s most compelling ROI, and the most scalable transmission solutions from 64Kbps to 850Mbps on a single modem.

>NUTANIX

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utanix brings agility and higher productivity to your Avid sports production and related workflows. The company’s partnership with Avid Technologies allows organizations like your own to run your virtual desktops, asset management, transcoding, and analytics workflows on the hyperconverged infrastructure platform. With Nutanix, your teams focus stays on what matters — delivering superior content and in engagement in today’s noisy work.

Nutanix’s hyperconverged solution for Avid combines storage, compute, and virtualization to give you a public cloud like experience with the security of a private cloud deployment — on-prem or in your collocation facility. As a result, your team gets responsive applications and desktops with streamlined provisioning, simplified operations and management, and the ability to start small and quickly scale to support new projects, accommodate growth, and new initiatives. Learn more about Nutanix and its successful customers like Endemol Shine, who manage thousands of hours of finished content across multiple sites with 75% less technical resources.

>OBJECT-MATRIX

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ounded by pioneers of object storage software and led by dedicated industry professionals, Object-Matrix has focused its efforts for the last decade on benefiting

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the media and entertainment community by transforming digital archive workflows. The company implemented the first installations of true object storage in creative workflows anywhere in the world and many are still in production today. Deployed where you need it, ObjectMatrix’s technology is non-proprietary and integrates into existing media workflows, enabling your teams to work on tasks that add value to the business. Recently they’ve started working with two globally recognized sports leagues and associations both in the U.S. and the UK to complement their sports customer community.

Customers include MSG-N, the Miami Heat, DAZN, the BBC, and the Welsh Rugby Union. Object-Matrix listens, advises, and builds solutions to solve your challenges.

>OPENDRIVES

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penDrives was founded by technology leaders in the media and entertainment and storage industries who were frustrated by the lack of performance from traditional data storage providers. The company’s staff and founders are experts in media workflow. OpenDrives was developed to accommodate the increasing throughput and demands of higher-resolution workflows with a NAS system that is purpose-built for performance. OpenDrives delivers the industry’s best balance of proprietary software applications and performance reinventing content creation workflows and reducing project turnaround.

>PANASONIC

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ports production for broadcast, OTT, and scoreboard shows will leave the cookie cutter system of the past behind, as producers must deliver multiple independent linear shows including content for a growing complement of screens in venue. Moreover, HD, 3G, and 12G sources might be required at the same event. Purposebuilt black-box type processing will no longer stack up end to end without unacceptable latencies, and operators from different backgrounds will not show up game day with proficiencies in a long list of proprietary interfaces.

At IBC 2019 and NAB New York, Panasonic is showcasing a new platform where all processing is GPU-based and multiple effects are processed in one step with less than a frame of delay. Input/outputs are constrained only by overall bandwidth and user interfaces follow best practices from popular desktop programs. This new platform’s core is IP-based, and ready to drop into a SMPTE 2110 network, and can also support SDI up to 12G. IBC and NAB attendees will see the initial implementation presented with a familiar switcher interface including Panasonic’s new 2M/E hardware panel.

>PCCW GLOBAL

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CCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, provides high-speed, on-demand media connectivity with its Console Connect service, the industry’s first Software-Defined Interconnection platform powered by a Tier 1 global network available in 150 countries. Console Connect’s intuitive software allows sports media companies to create direct, private, and secure connections instantaneously to key media hubs, studios, remote production sites, data centers, and key cloud service providers globally. The company’s Tier 1 global IP network lets you bypass the public internet, connecting you to key partners over an uncontended, low-latency network connection. Console Connect enables customers to fire up Layer 2 network connections seamlessly to other users, and eliminates the complexity of standard network configuration. Complex media workflows and bulky video data transfers can now be managed efficiently with flexible bandwidth, on demand, and pricing options suitable for those covering short-term sporting events.

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>PIXELLOT

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ixellot’s AI-automated technology has long been able to produce an entire game. Last year, the company developed automated game highlights, a feature that automatically picks out and compiles the most exciting parts of the game into a highlight video. Now, Pixellot is launching AIautomated player highlights. Imagine being able to get a highlight reel of your favorite player/s after the game. Pixellot’s latest technological advance will enable users watching a live or on-demand game to get a highlights video of any specific player they choose! The system recognizes players by the number on their shirts. Once the system has captured this data, it will be able to track the player around the field throughout the game and compile highlights of that player automatically.

>PLIANT TECHNOLOGIES

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liant Technologies and its CrewCom wireless intercom system is a proven wireless solution for a range of sports, broadcast and live event applications. Pliant recently teamed up with CP Communications to provide a wireless intercom solution for the 2019 MLB All-Star Game and live events, including the Home Run Derby and pre/post-game ceremonies. The weekend-long event required a user-friendly intercom system that provided dependable RF coverage throughout the stadium as well as additional on-site production locations. CrewCom was located in the production truck approximately 1,000 feet from the house I/O and CrewCom’s new Fiber HUB provided the perfect solution for connecting the Radio Transceivers (RTs). Using CrewCom four-volume Radio Packs and Radio Transceivers, MLB was able to utilize their own production intercom channels while also having a direct line for communications to the production trucks, allowing MLB to seamlessly communicate with network directors and producers to ensure a smooth production.

>PRG

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RG is the world’s leading provider of sports and event production solutions, with a diverse resume featuring major live and broadcast sporting events worldwide, including the Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup. Clients and partners depend on PRG’s innovation, knowledge, and depth of experience in broadcasting, audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging, scenery, and automated systems for the highest level of excellence in capturing sports and live events. PRG offers the industry’s largest and most diverse inventory of rental production equipment including all major broadcast cameras, audio, media servers, remote production gear, rigging, edit facilities, operations trailers, LED walls, and more. For customized solutions, PRG’s resourceful team of experts creates proprietary tools to move the industry forward like Emmy-winning Front Row Cam, UltraView 4K director’s finder, and Flex Solutions Trucks and production suites. When it comes to lighting, no one surpasses PRG and their array of sophisticated tech, including proprietary systems like the Engineering Emmy Award-winning GroundControl Followspot. For sporting events, awards, and half-time shows and tributes, PRG can deliver turnkey production solutions from preproduction through live upload.

For unique and extraordinary moments, the company offers specialized staging and pre-taped hybrid technology like the new Mixed Reality System for dynamic live and broadcast effects. With 70 offices across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia, PRG has capabilities to provide services internationally, 24/7.

>PRIMESTREAM

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hen it comes to sports, precision is the name of the game and the same is true for Primestream’s lineup of sports-tailored solutions. Whether you want to capture camera feeds from the field, move content into editing highlights and promos, or broadcast live games to fans everywhere in record time, Primestream’s solutions have you covered. Driven by an energetic new vision, Primestream celebrated its 20th anniversary at IBC 2019 with a fresh brand identity and powerful product updates — marking a commitment to improving productivity and optimizing media creativity for the new era of media production. Product enhancements and new innovative workflow were featured along with Artificial Intelligence built into the company’s MAM for speech to text, facial and object recognition, 4K UHD workflow, and IP capture technology with support for HLS feeds from Mobile Cellular Backpacks, plus a cloud-based review and approval platform and much more.

>PRIMEVIEW

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rimeview was launched in 1997 as a company specializing in visual solutions, with a focus on the corporate market. Primeview designs, produces, and delivers cutting-edge visual display technology for a wide variety of markets. The company’s production lines are tailored to meet the stringent needs of its clients in a reliable and continuous manner.

>PRODUCTIONHUB

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roductionHUB is the global network of local crew and vendors, for all your production needs — from corporate media and live events to film, television, digital media, and everything in between. The company reduces the headaches and uncertainty associated with hiring in this extremely specialized industry by connecting you to the best-vetted professional content creators and vendors to bring your project to life.

>PROGRAM PRODUCTIONS

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ive events are fast-paced by nature. With ProCrewz, everyone on your crew has the tools they need to stay several steps ahead. The ProCrewz mobile app seamlessly connects every member of your crew in real-time and makes communication more efficient than ever. Features like the personalized calendar, job-wide messaging, real-time chat, a geo-fenced time clock, and the ability to submit receipts with a photo help your crew work better as a team. And that’s just the beginning. ProCrewz is benefitting the industry’s most innovative leaders, including Program Productions and XLT Management Services.

It’s the Enterprise Resource Management system that makes it easy to get everyone on the same page. The better equipped and organized your crews are, the more they can bring their talents and passion to the forefront of every event.

>PSSI GLOBAL SERVICES

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ince 1979, PSSI Global Services/Strategic Television has specialized in the coordination, production, and distribution of domestic and international programming.

As global event, transmission, and connectivity experts, PSSI Global Services seamlessly handles transmissions via C-band, Ku-band, fiber, IP, and bonded cellular, and provides live video, audio, and data services across the globe. The company currently owns and operates more than 70 mobile transmission vehicles — more than any other transmission services provider — based throughout North America, international and domestic C/Ku flyaway uplink systems, and the PSSI International Teleport (PIT). PIT recently upgraded its AT&T fiber connectivity, and now offers diverse 20GB circuits with multiple video and data ports. PIT also has full-time, bidirectional connectivity to Europe and Asia, and multiple streaming encoders for distribution to Facebook, YouTube, and multiple other CDNs across various streaming protocols.

>QUANTUM

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t IBC 2019, Quantum showcased its significantly expanded product portfolio designed for end-toend media workflows. Quantum demonstrated the latest version of its award-winning StorNext file system and the latest series of StorNext appliances, and showcased completely redesigned appliance hardware with 2x faster performance, editing and coloring of 8K content in real time, new predictive tiering and analytics capabilities, new ways to integrate with cloud, and a simplified user experience. Making its European debut was the Quantum F-Series, an ultra-fast, highly available NVMe storage array for editing, rendering, and processing of video content and other large unstructured datasets. F-Series uses NVMe flash drives for reads and writes up to 5x faster than traditional flash-storage/networking systems, delivering quick real-time editing and rendering of 4K and 8K. Quantum technology and services help customers capture, create, and share digital content — and preserve and protect it for decades. With solutions built for every stage of the data lifecycle, Quantum’s platforms provide the fastest performance for high-resolution video, images, and industrial IoT. That’s why the world’s leading entertainment companies and sports franchises are making the world happier, safer, and smarter on Quantum.

>QUANTUM5X SYSTEMS

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uantum5X Systems develops and manufactures innovative wireless microphone solutions for sports broadcasting, TV and film production, and live entertainment. New for 2019 are the true diversity, wideband (470 MHz-698 MHz) QR-3200 Dual Channel Rackmount and QR-M3 Mobile (ENG style) receivers with multiple companding modes. Also new this year, Q5X RefMics with an integrated mute switch have been deployed to all 31 NHL arenas. Q5X PlayerMics remain the standard for NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and rugby, where mic’d up packages are expected in the broadcast. Q5X AquaMic “long life transmitters” (up to 16 hours run-time, and waterproof!) are buried in the field for MLB games and in golf holes for the PGA U.S. Open. Q5X wireless solutions all utilize RCAS which provides wireless remote control of all transmitter functions. When size, quality, and safety matter, Q5X is the rugged, safe, and comfortable choice for your most demanding wireless audio challenges.

>QUMULO

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umulo was inspired by people like you. Before building its file system, Qumulo conducted thousands of interviews with enterprise data storage users. You told Qumulo your struggles, your concerns, the annoying things that ruin your day. And you shared your wishlist, desired features, and “what-if ” ideas. Qumulo recognized that legacy scale-out and scale-up storage solutions were not designed to handle today’s data volumes, file types, applications, and workloads. Legacy systems can’t provide the visibility, control, and scale that you need to manage your data. So Qumulo built something completely different.

>RCN BUSINESS

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hen companies choose RCN Business as their communications partner, they gain exceptional customer service, quicker installation, and issue resolution. With the ability to deliver facilities-based communication products and services— Internet, Ethernet, Voice, and Video solutions — over its wholly owned fiber-rich network, RCN Business empowers small and enterprise businesses to excel. In 2016 and 2017, PCMag awarded RCN Business with the Business Choice Award for highest-ranking for overall satisfaction, best overall Internet service, highest ranking in value, and most likely to recommend. With these accolades in mind and feedback from clients, it should come as no surprise why companies trust RCN Business to deliver superior communications solutions.

>REALITY CHECK SYSTEMS

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artnering with premiere federations and leagues, networks, and social media giants, Reality Check Systems creates graphics packages and control solutions with live data integration for hundreds of hours of daily sports, news, and entertainment content worldwide.

>RF WIRELESS SYSTEMS

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ith a 30-year history providing wireless solutions to the broadcast industry, RF Wireless Systems continues to maintain relationships and foster new ones.

Continued R&D, release of new products, and integration in large-scale events on both sides of the border, the Canadian RF integrator continues to raise the bar and extend its reach. Specializing in camera and low-latency high-quality video solutions for live broadcast, RFW provides fiber transport, wireless audio, customizable UHF intercom integration, and complete event support on an international scale. As rentals grow with RAD intercom and Q5X Player mic products, the company heads into a second winter supporting Rogers Sportsnet’s NHL broadcast with its RefVu patent-pending wearable camera technology. An extensive event background ranging from Ironman World Championships in Hawaii to FIS World Cup Skiing in Canada demonstrates RFW’s commitment to its clients, its partners, and the industry.

>RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS

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n a busy first half of 2019, Riedel played key roles at the Lima Pan Am Games, the Abu Dhabi Special Olympics, Canada’s CBC Radio, and for comms upgrades at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne and the University of Georgia.

Bolero continues to exceed expectations with its superior RF performance, ability to be used Artist-integrated or standalone, and its growing list of innovative features.

The smaller sibling of Bolero, Bolero S, is optimized for referee and coach communications and is part of Riedel’s Managed Services division. It is gaining traction with soccer leagues across Europe and with the NFL. Featured at IBC 2019 was Riedel’s newest Artist node, the Artist-1024. With 1024 non-blocking ports in just 2RU, this new node adds to the Artist communications ecosystem and is ideally suited for IP-based infrastructures.

Riedel’s 1200-Series SmartPanel was also shown with several powerful new apps that further boost the capabilities of this amazing panel. The simultaneous use of apps provides a unique combination of capabilities that can expand and enhance user workflows. Enjoying its 10th anniversary, MediorNet and the decentralized routing concept is being embraced by universities, trucks, and studios. With MicroN’s powerful Apps, including the newest processing app that provides up/down/cross conversion, color correction, and multiviewers, clients are leveraging the power of MediorNet to simplify their workflows and create customized and expandable broadcast infrastructures.

>ROBOVISION

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oboVision began in February 1990 by pioneering the use of robotic camera systems at Daytona International Speedway. Soon robotic cameras became a part of every major sporting, news and entertainment event.

Super Bowls, Olympics Games, and many major sporting championships have been covered with RoboVision robotic cameras. RoboVision has a wide variety of experiences to help you solve your camera challenge.

>ROCK-IT CARGO

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s a leading provider of live-event freight forwarding and logistics services, Rock-It Cargo combines highly seasoned agents with the most trusted global network in the industry to deliver extraordinary events. The company has spent decades building relationships with the most reliable and accredited cargo agencies around the world to ensure that your shipments arrive safely and on time no matter the location. Handcrafted logistics means that meticulous care is given to every project and personal service to every client. From supply chain man-

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SPONSORUPDATE agement, project coordination, and tour planning to ATA carnet processing, insurance procurement, and on-site staff, Rock-It Cargo provides complete logistical support tailored to the specific needs of its customers.

>ROSS VIDEO

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reate the ultimate fan experience with Ross Video’s Unified Game Day Production Solution. Today’s fans and sponsors expect more, and Ross has deep venue experience that can get you where you want to go, providing the specialized technology as well as working with you on the creative content. Producing for your venue in new and innovative ways that are guaranteed to captivate and inform your audience, Ross goes beyond simple graphics, animations, and statistics displays to fully 3D environments driven by real-time data and even faninteractive games. With its DashBoard control system, tie in mechanical and electrical devices like water cannons, neon signs, and stadium lightning for total venue control!

Modern venues are incorporating massive screen sizes and higher-resolutions to integrate scoring, stats, social media, closed captioning, and more. Ross’ Unified Venue Control Solution meets this challenge with the ability to feed infinite canvas sizes across multiple screen formats of various sizes and custom shapes — all pixel perfect — with XPression Tessera. Ross Video offers turnkey solutions including graphic design, XPression template, and DashBoard creation, including onsite deployment and event support. Ross has proven and scalable solutions for professional, midmarket, esports, colleges, and high school venues.

>RT SOFTWARE

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T Software is an award-winning provider of innovative broadcast graphics solutions, including Virtual Studios, overlays, sports analysis, and embeddable graphic libraries for OEMs. IBC 2019 saw the release of Tactic Pro, RT Software’s premier sports analysis system, which includes features such as timeline view, camera morph, and line tracking, yet shares the attributes of being easy and fast to use with the rest of the Tactic family of solutions. For Tactic Advanced (Tactic Pro’s sibling), the customer list continues with the latest addition being Root Sports, the regional sports broadcaster for the Northwest U.S. Meanwhile, 2019 saw RT Software’s inventive VR solutions used for the first time at the Wimbledon Tennis championships. The BBC studio coverage was enhanced with life-size cutouts of players, and a window looking out onto a 3D render of a Tennis Court rendered virtually onto the output even during camera moves.

>SANKEN MICROPHONES

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anken, leading designer of mics for sports location recording, has introduced two new unique professional tools, the CS-M1 short 4” shotgun mic and the CMS-50 stereo M-S compact shotgun. The CS-M1 super cardioid shotgun sets new standards of sound quality delivering pristine quality audio with sharp directivity. The CMS50 stereo shotgun is an M-S (Mid-Side) configuration, which makes it possible to adjust the stereo width from mono to stereo at the mixer or in post. It is perfectly suited to field sports ambient recordings. Shotgun microphones are a mainstay of field recording, and Sanken has designed a unique line to meet virtually every need with nine models to satisfy each individual application.

Sanken’s lavalier microphones have become a de facto standard for broadcast, film, and theater. Ultra-miniature and boasting the original “vertical diaphragm” design, the COS-11D is easy to conceal and provides a full 20Hz20kHz natural sonic spectrum.

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>SDTV

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atellite Digital Teleproductions (SDTV) has been a pioneer in remote satellite uplink and downlink with multi-camera television production for 25 years. The company was the first to design and build a multi-camera broadcast vehicle with Ku-band satellite uplink all packaged in a rapidly deployable format. SDTV has the capabilities to provide an instantaneous television or data feed to locations around the world. Additionally, the company is setting a new standard by offering cost-effective HD television production solutions while using the most advanced broadcast equipment for clients big and small.

As specialists in the television industry, SDTV uses the latest in broadcast quality technologies. The company’s fully redundant equipment affords its clientele extra security with their programming needs. Domestically and internationally, SDTV has expertly covered all types of breaking news, press tours, sporting events, and teleconferences.

>SENNHEISER

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ennheiser and Neumann are shaping the future of audio and creating unique sound experiences for customers for over 70 years. Founded in 1945, Sennheiser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of headphones, microphones, and wireless transmission systems.

Sennheiser engineers industry-standard audio equipment for on-stage, broadcast, and presentation; for use inside and out. Sennheiser’s evolution wired microphones, evolution wireless G4, AVX and many more are just some of the products trusted by the pros for unmatched quality and reliability. Looking to digital solutions for broadcast, film, and music productions, Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 series offers the ideal wireless audio tools, including the Dante-enabled rack-mount receiver and the digital/ analog camera receiver of the series, the EK 6042. These partner with handheld and bodypack transmitters, including the new SK 6212 mini-bodypack transmitter.

Sennheiser recently acquired a majority stake in the VR/ AR audio software company, Dear Reality. Dear Reality is a leading company in the field of immersive audio controllers, well-known for its dearVR PRO binaural, Ambisonics, and multichannel encoder with totally realistic room virtualization. The biggest buzz at NAB 2019 was Sennheiser’s immersive AMBEO 3D audio technology, with a prototype of an AMBEO Sports Microphone Array for capturing 360º sound on display.

>SES

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ox Sports and SES brought four weeks of riveting 4K coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup to Ultra HD audiences across the U.S. this summer. Like the historic wins the U.S. Women’s National Team won in France, Fox Sports, SES, and 4K viewers scored a victory for upcoming sports events and viewers inspired by the milestone 4K broadcasts. Leveraging the SES Ultra HD platform, Fox Sports delivered nearly 80 hours of live 4K Women’s World Cup coverage, and already a growing lineup of popular sports events have been featured in 4K on Fox Sports. The MLS Soccer All-Star Game was delivered in 4K for the first time along with one of MLB’s biggest rivalry games between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Big college football, NBA, and NFL games will be at the heart of live 4K Fox Sports coverage on the SES platform throughout the year. The OU Flex solution combines traditional DVB links with full service IP connectivity for guaranteed quality service and tailored programming. OU Flex enables live streaming video from sports events, shared content on social media platforms, and the exchange of large files between locations.

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>SHOFLO

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hoflo is rundown software used by game-day professionals and producers to create, distribute, and execute game scripts efficiently in real-time. Accessible from any device, Shoflo gives crews peace of mind knowing that everyone is working from the same version of a game script with the most accurate information in hand.

Recognizing that production teams are often spread out across an arena or stadium, the software also provides automatic time calculations and the ability to follow a designated show caller’s place in a game script. Since 2013, Shoflo has been embraced by over 200 professional and collegiate sports teams.

>SHOTOVER

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n 2019, SHOTOVER unveiled the SHOTOVER B1, a 6-axis, gyro-stabilized gimbal platform that delivers an unprecedented level of stability, control, and versatility in an ultra-compact package that accommodates some of the world’s most advanced cameras and lenses. Developed from the ground up, with input from several of the top aerial cinematographers and broadcasters around the world, the B1 was designed to meet the needs of a wide range of markets, including live broadcast, production, industrial survey, and surveillance. Weighing under 40 pounds with a camera and lens, the system is the most compact aerial camera system developed by SHOTOVER. The lightweight design enables it to be utilized on an extensive range of helicopters including the Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R44 and R66, Bell 206 and 505, Eurocopter AS350, and Cessna fixed-wing aircraft. The B1 can also be mounted on watercraft and ground-based platforms such as cable cams, tracks, and rails.

>SHURE

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hether you’re on stage or behind the scenes, rely on Shure wireless microphones to deliver extraordinary sound when it matters most to you. Engineering flawless sound is in Shure’s DNA. Nothing gets released until Shure is satisfied it will outperform and outlast the competition. For nearly 100 years, performers and engineers everywhere have trusted Shure to deliver extraordinary sound experiences. From the Super Bowl halftime show, to NBA All-Star Weekend, to the President’s podium, Shure has a track record you can depend on. Visit Shure’s website to discover the company’s solutions for you, from Axient Digital premium wireless, to TwinPlex sub-miniature lav and headset microphones, and a number of RF education opportunities.

>SIGNIANT

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t recent SVG events in New York, teams, leagues, broadcasters, and more gathered to share ideas and industry trends. While they each have their own challenges, there were common threads. How to extract more value from petabytes of archived content? How to leverage more contract editors on an ad-hoc basis to be more agile and responsive during peak times? How to get content back from the venues faster to enhance live broadcasts and get highlights out more quickly? The common theme was more! More content to more people in more formats with more speed. While these are big challenges across sports, it tends to all be good news for Signiant.

The software-defined movement continues to gain momentum along with the adoption of SaaS to help provide media companies with speed and agility. Signiant’s innovative SDCX SaaS platform is in the middle of it all, connecting the global media supply chain.

>SIMPLYLIVE

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implylive showcased its latest advances and new products at IBC 2019. For remote productions, Simplylive

introduced the UI Gateway for management and bandwidth optimization of remote connectivity. This allows Simplylive applications to be available remotely on pointto-point connections with internet connections from 5-50 Mbps per user. This adds the last critical piece to the Simplylive architecture design to manage the various scenarios for at-home productions. The ViBox SloMo replay system will highlight networking capability across servers on standard 10Gbps connectivity. The ViBox intuitive approach will be applied to networking as users will be able to freely select any cameras available from the networked servers they wish to manage. This architecture decorrelates channels, servers, and users, and offers production full flexibility in their user allocation. The ViBox replay solution has become the most powerful and intuitive solution for slow motion in the live sports market.

>SKYCAM

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kycam is a leading designer, manufacturer, and operator of mobile aerial camera systems. Skycam plays a significant role in changing the way sports are broadcasted in America, appearing at marquee broadcast events such as Super Bowl XXXVII, US Open Tennis, NCAA Final Four, NFL Pro Bowl, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, NCAA College Football.

>SMARTCART SVX

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he SmartCart SVX adds a new dimension to TV sports coverage. Sports fans have seen sports analysis from inside a production center studio, thereby losing the sense of drama and immediacy of the live event. The touch screen system has left the production studio and gone live into the field, bringing TV fans closer to the action — giving them the feeling of being more ‘at the game’. Endorsed by major sports broadcasters, SmartCart SVX is a mobile, custom-built, highly adaptable, ultrabright, all-weather touchscreen analysis and presentation system for broadcasters. The technology can also serve as a standalone mobile ‘studio’ for remote productions, delivering significant cost savings and providing new opportunities for sponsorship as well. It also has applications stadiums and teams. More for less is the demand these days and SmartCart is the answer for broadcast remote productions, OTT, and streaming coverage.

>SMT

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MT is continuing to fulfill its global expansion strategy with the acquisition of Munich, Germany-based Signum Bildtechnik’s broadcast division, now called SMT-Munich. In addition to furthering SMT’s expansion in the European market, the acquisition provides SMT with award-winning technology and products, notably the patented Camera Tracking System for VR broadcast studios, a German Innovation Award winner.

SMT-Munich offers SMT a hub from which SMT will be better situated to support and maintain European events and clients, including Tour de France, Roland-Garros, the Open Championship, FIFA, and Mediapro, among others. This marks SMT’s third acquisition, all of which have accelerated innovation, enhanced client services, and expanded SMT’s product portfolio. With the acquisition of Information and Display Systems (IDS) in 2012, SMT became the premier turnkey provider for in-venue technology, and, in 2016, SMT acquired Sportvision, joining two of the biggest names in video enhancement and virtual insertion graphics for live sports.

>SNEAKY BIG STUDIOS

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neaky Big, a film studio in Arizona, offers full production, postproduction and recording studio services including editorial, visual effects, color finishing, and audio in one location, and all for an unbeatable value. Having all these capabilities available at your fingertips ensures convenience and completion in a timely and cost-effective manner. Whether on-site or on-location Sneaky Big will bring your vision to life.

>SONY ELECTRONICS

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n late 2018, the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes implemented several of Sony’s Intelligent Media Services, including NavigatorX, Ci Media Cloud, and Memnon, to help transform their digital workflows. Previously, the Coyotes worked without a centralized asset management solution, storing content on various internal and external HDDs on-premise. To keep up with the fast-paced demands of digital content production, the Coyotes needed a scalable asset management solution that would streamline their production workflow for both home and away games. Using Ci Media Cloud and NavigatorX, the Coyotes were able to bridge the gap between on-prem and cloud allowing for fast ingest of content, even direct from their Sony cameras in the field, management and distribution of their content from anywhere, AI for automated metadata enrichment, and long-term preservation of their content in the cloud.

Additionally, Memnon is being used to digitize legacy content, which can now be used for new creative and revenue opportunities. Jon Kingston, Director of Production for the Arizona Coyotes found Sony’s Intelligent Media Services to be the robust and interconnected solutions his organization was looking for. He commented, “I was looking for a solution that would enable all of our footage to be stored in a singular spot, something that would keep it protected, and something that is cloud-based so if we get a power surge that comes through and blows out all our hard drives, we’re safe.”

>SOS GLOBAL

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OS Global Express has successfully closed out another round of global sporting events including the Women’s World Cup in France (Congrats Team USA!), Pan American Games in Peru, and Major League Baseball AllStar Game. This fall, SOS Global Express’ centralized operational team and onsite personnel again turn their attention to several international events: Rugby World Cup Japan; IAAF Championship in Doha, Qatar; and the 2020 Japan Olympics, which has already moved through the initial planning stages to managing real-time shipments for several clients. Formed in 1986, SOS Global Express now employees globally more than 200 logistical specialists and service providers focused around TV production, sports, music touring, and major live events space.

SOS Global Express is headquartered in North Carolina, with offices throughout the U.S. and an extensive international footprint. 24/7/365 operations, customer-centric attitudes, and dedicated project teams deliver personalized logistical solutions to each of customers.

>SPECTRA LOGIC

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elebrating its 40th year of business success, Spectra Logic continues to innovate content management and sports video storage by announcing enhancements to its BlackPearl family of solutions. Spectra’s BlackPearl Converged Storage System, the central piece to Spectra’s perpetual tier of storage, is an award-winning object storage platform that moves content seamlessly and economically into multiple storage targets. Its newly released software front-end, BlackPearl RioBroker, facilitates data movement and offers an easier means to integrate with BlackPearl, with far greater and consistent performance across all applications and environments. New improvements represent a giant leap for content lifecycle management and include partial file recall, file transfer protocol capabilities, and seamless content migration from legacy storage software to the modern BlackPearl architecture. With BlackPearl, M&E professionals can choose from Spectra’s portfolio of disk and tape storage and/or utilize the public cloud, finding the perfect balance between fast, concurrent access, and cost requirements.

>SPEEDCAST

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riven by its customer-first mindset and passion for leveraging communications technology to advance the government and enterprise customers it serves, Speedcast has built an unsurpassed global satellite network and support infrastructure that spans across every region in the world.

>SPORTRADAR US

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portradar US is a fast-growing sports-data provider in North America. The company has developed proficient software, distributing content and data that is easy to consume while setting new standards for speed and accuracy.

>SPORTZCAST

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ince 2008, Sportzcast has been providing automated workflow tools for organizations ranging from major broadcast companies, to collegiate and high school education institutions, professional and international sporting venues, to single camera streaming productions. With venue connections reaching into the thousands, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen a Sportzcast score feed, but you would never know it. That is because Sportzcast puts the power of the data in your hands to increase the value of your product. Sportzcast prides itself on being the fastest, most accurate, data source within your production environment. Yet all the while, striving to maintain the reputation as the simplest piece as well.

>STATS PERFORM

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his past summer, STATS combined with Perform Group to create Stats Perform. The company collects the richest sports data in the world and transforms it through revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) to unlock the most in-depth insights for media and technology, betting, and team performance. With company roots dating back almost 40 years, Stats Perform embraces and solves the dynamic nature of sports — be that for digital and broadcast media with differentiated storytelling, tech companies with reliable and fast data to power their innovations, sportsbooks with in-play betting and integrity services, or teams with first-of-its-kind AI analysis software. The leading sports data and AI company, Stats Perform’s extensive list of customers includes four of the top-five most popular global sports broadcast companies, seven of the top-10 global tech companies, all of the top-10 sportsbooks and seven of the top-10 football (soccer) franchises.

>SUPPONOR

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upponor has continued to add new client relationships over the past 12 months. This includes the completion of its first full season of deployments in the German Bundesliga football league, using Digital Board Replacement (DBR) virtual advertising technology at over 30 games, featuring all Borussia Dortmund home games and additional Bayern Munich away games. Supponor also completed its fifth season in Spain’s LaLiga with an expanded number of games and delivered some exciting new commercial deployments in basketball, working with the NBA at both their All-Star game weekend and at the NBA Finals contested between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors. Additionally, there has been significant progress in Supponor’s product R&D through the design, testing, and implementation of the next generation of optical devices, improving virtual image quality during broadcast and supporting ever more efficient operational workflow.

>SWIFTSTACK

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urious about how tier-2 object storage became the new tier-1? Connect with Swiftstack to discuss highperformance private cloud storage to transform your workflows. Vince Auletta, SwiftStack’s Director of Media Solutions, and former Director of Technology & Security for a leading Hollywood postproduction company is available to discuss how you can unlock the benefits of “the cloud” without the commitment, cost, or complexity.

>T2 COMPUTING

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2 Computing is a technology solution provider focused on the creation, management, distribution, storage, and monetization of digital content. T2 provides highly skilled infrastructure engineering and strong technology product know-how to help design, procure,

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SPONSORUPDATE implement, manage, and support systems for the leading media companies in the world. T2’s client base covers a broad spectrum of business verticals, including industry leaders in media and entertainment, sports, financial services, advertising, and many more. The company’s belief that “every company is a media company” allows for it to bring innovative solutions to solve complex problems around how to maximize a company’s content creation, management, and distribution. T2 Computing’s technology partnerships include Apple, Dell, HP, Quantum, Avid, CatDV, Primestream, and ScaleLogic. T2 takes a collaborative approach when working with its clients; leveraging its strong internal engineering staff with the vendor’s specialists to provide a state-of-the-art solution to the content creation community.

tion MAM now include a module that allows all content types to be published to any social network in just one click. Enabled by the system’s capability to create social publishing campaigns directly inside the MAM, content includes clips, highlights, or historical media. SMARTLIVE users can also benefit from Tedial’s partnership with Speechmatics! By integrating Speechmatics’ Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology with SMARTLIVE, operators can search for comments from any sporting match or live event, automatically create file locators, import a file or drop it into a watch folder, and manually generate speech-to-text from the commentary track. Now available as a bundled solution, SMARTLIVE is easily deployed on top of the customer’s existing production environment.

>TAG V.S.

>TELESTREAM

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ntil recently, deploying a 100% software solution on commercial off-the-shelf hardware (COTS) for SMPTE ST 2110 uncompressed live production workflows wasn’t possible. TAG Video Systems changed all that. And although ST 2110 does present challenges for software-based solutions — especially with the latency issues that are so critical in live production — TAG’s MCM-9000 has not only overcome but excelled in providing the world’s first and only low-latency, 100% software, 100% IP multiviewing and monitoring solution running on 100% off-the-shelf hardware for all four primary video applications: Live Production, Playout, Distribution, and OTT. TAG recently introduced applicationspecific tools for each discipline to provide more efficient IP workflow tools and better manage complex configurations. The upgrades will provide clients with maximum scalability and agility when building and expanding IP workflows and give sports broadcasters the flexibility they have been waiting for, and found only with TAG.

>TATA COMMUNICATIONS

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ith the world’s largest undersea fiber-cable network and satellite-uplink facilities, Tata Communications provides solutions for all segments within media and entertainment, including gaming, sports, news, new media, cable, and broadcasting. Powered by its leading network, video contribution, and cloud services, Tata Communications Media Ecosystem provides a comprehensive solution that includes asset management on cloud, workflow management, channel origination, internet contribution feeds, OTT platform, ultra-live VDN/ OTT, media storage, transcoding as a service, and remote production. With remote production gaining prominence in live-content production, Tata Communications has successfully enabled remote production for sports like Formula 1 and MotoGP across multiple global locations, helping them engage fans with enriching content.

With a dedicated team and years of experience working with sports broadcasters, Star Sports India recently partnered with Tata Communications to deliver live cricket content from the Indian Premier League Content in eight regional language using remote production.

>TEDIAL

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edial’s SMARTLIVE is sporting new functionality and features that allow a dramatic increase in the number of highlights or auto-clippings generated automatically. SMARTLIVE MULTI SPORT configurations, introduced at IBC 2019, is a sophisticated enhancement capable of supporting any sport genre. Totally agnostic to all data feeds, Tedial’s metadata engine makes quick and easy work of adding new configurations to the system when required, allowing users to generate automatic highlights or auto-clipping for any genre of sport quickly and easily. In addition, SMARTLIVE and Tedial’s Evolu-

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or over 20 years, Telestream has been a leader in the digital video industry. The company’s focus is to be at the forefront of innovative solutions that make it possible to reliably get quality video content to any audience regardless of how it is created, distributed, or viewed.

Telestream plays a critical role in the sports production and broadcasting industries and has been a key player in several major projects including the Winter and Summer Olympic Games, men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup, and the “Infield Party” at the Daytona 500. Large sports broadcasters, as well as professional, college, and high school sports teams use Telestream solutions for live games and to process video for on-demand viewing. With the recent addition of Tektronix Video, Telestream is now a significant contributor to high-end, live sports productions in addition to postproduction and distribution.

>TELOS ALLIANCE

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elos Infinity eliminates the biggest bottleneck in traditional intercom systems: the matrix. No longer bound by available ports, distributed DSP architecture and plug-and-play design allow the system to grow costeffectively to meet changing needs simply by adding end points. Infinity hardware includes Master Panels, Master Expansion Panels, Desktop Panels, Dual Channel Digital Beltpacks, and Lite Single Ear Headsets. Easy setup and configuration, drag-and-drop groups, partylines, IFB in real time, and manage AoIP sources and destinations like physical ports on a virtual matrix, all on one page, using the included Telos Infinity Dashboard. Optional Dashboard Advanced software unlocks zone and scene support, off-line configuration, user rights administration, and support for third-party AES67 streams including SAP and NMOS nodes. With a simple license key, Telos Infinity Beltpacks and Panels can host a group of Infinity Link OPUS-based codecs, enabling any IP audio path on the network to connect to remote locations via VoIP across WAN (including the Internet), bridging the local Infinity system to the outside world. A standalone hardware codec is also available.

>TELSTRA

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ideo transport is migrating from satellite to fiber, and IP and optical transport networks are enabling remote production for live events. Telstra Broadcast Services specializes in live, high-value sports and entertainment content, and with a changing market sector, more media and sports companies look to use their technical and creative resources more efficiently. The move to remote production, cloud workflows, and SaaS business models is becoming more urgent for Telstra’s customers, and adaptability and agility is important to allow for future developments such as 4K/8K and HDR-supported production. Telstra continues to lead in next-generation media and broadcast workflows by leveraging its Global

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Media Networks to benefit media and sports customers.

As high-value live sports content continues to drive innovation in technology and immersive experiences, Telstra will be working closely with customers and industry bodies to evolve broadcast solutions.

>TERADEK

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eradek designs and manufactures high-performance video solutions for broadcast, cinema, and general imaging applications. From wireless monitoring, color correction, and lens control, to live streaming, SaaS solutions, and IP video distribution, Teradek technology is used around the world by professionals and amateurs alike to capture and share compelling content.

>THE STUDIO - B&H

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uilding on B&H’s long history of superior service, The Studio Technology Center is a unique solutionbased environment dedicated to all professional media markets. Born out of a revolutionary concept, the center is a unique space where organizations of all sizes as well as high-end professionals can enjoy unparalleled access to state-of-the-art technology. The Studio offers solutions for digital camera production, broadcast and streaming, studio and ENG, editing, color grading, and postproduction, as well as system design and implementation. An extensive array of high-end products and digital workflows are all represented in the Studio Technology Center. The space offers special opportunities to experiment with emerging technology, find ways to innovate, test real world system configurations, or simply gain knowledge through hands-on experience. Visit The Studio-B&H team of highly skilled applications specialists, sales engineers, project managers, and account representatives all assembled to create a formidable group of individuals who are active in their professional fields. The Studio Technology Center is open to anyone; however, scheduling an appointment is recommended.

>THE SWITCH

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he Switch continues its growth in the live production services market with the expansion of its at-home production facility in Burbank, CA. The Switch At-Home service provides a smarter solution for live event production and has already successfully delivered remote events for the likes of CBS Sports, Fox, ESPN, Univision, MLS, NFL, and TVG Network. The expansion is intended to accommodate the global rise in demand for live content, predominantly driven by live sports events, and offers a single platform whereby multiple live productions can be delivered from any location. The expanded production services will enable The Switch’s customers to focus on their core business — the content — while offering a flexible live production set up, meaning they can quickly scale up or down to match the size and demands of live events. The Switch is harnessing its existing capabilities in production services to create a natural extension of its video transmission services. Its current network connects production facilities with 800+ of the world’s largest content producers, distributors, sports, and event venues; seamlessly linking rights holders, broadcasters, streaming platforms, media outlets, and web services, and turning on live content around the world.

>THE VIDEO CALL CENTER

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he VCC makes it possible to leverage the world’s billions of smartphones to extend the reach and lower costs for today’s sports program productions. MSG Networks embraced VCC and its efficient, high-quality live video connections to add depth and variety to its weeknight sports talk show, MSG 150. VCC two-way remotes by smartphone provide a flexible and green option for

securing interviews with coaches, athletes, television personalities, and more, whether they are at the office, on the golf course, or covering sporting events around the world. VCC’s expert production staff and patented technologies ensure long duration and stable, lag-free connections to encourage natural conversation between hosts and guests, without the need for crews on-site. Instant return video lets guests view hosts on their phone.

Guests only need a device with standard mobile data or WiFi connection to appear on camera and never have to download specialty software.

> THE WEATHER COMPANY, AN IBM BUSINESS

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an enjoyment drives your business forward, and The Weather Company offers media and entertainment solutions to help streamline your operations and keep your employees and fans safe. Weather and traffic data affects all sides of your business, from street conditions in and around a venue, park, or event to weather conditions that might interrupt normally scheduled activities. Knowing these conditions ahead of time allows you to better plan and save on staffing costs, improve engagement, and increase revenue.

>THUMBWAR

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HUMBWAR is a Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary company that provides clients access to technical consultancy and creative solutions under a single roof. THUMBWAR specializes in developing end-to-end workflows for live-event production, creating unique assets with their in-house postproduction and virtualization facilities, and providing equipment and personnel for on-site production and post challenges. All of this is backed up by custom engineering solutions, and an integrated creative and technical workflow. No matter the challenge, THUMBWAR approaches the process for every project the same way: looking at the big picture, doing what is promised, following through on budget and schedule, interrogating the process, and innovating to provide maximum efficiency. And perhaps most importantly, the team at THUMBWAR will stop at nothing to get the job done.

>TSL PRODUCTS

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t IBC 2019, TSL Products showcased new modes of operation for its SAM-Q audio monitoring platform, including audio phase, loudness monitoring, and peak latch modes. SAM-Q represents a new approach to audio monitoring, allowing users to determine how they wish to control and visualize their audio content based on application, environment, or simple personal preference.

These new developments allow engineers and supervisors to restrict sources, modes, and front panel control functions to speed up operation and reduce user error.

Additionally, TSL unveiled the ability to add MADI monitoring to the SAM-Q-SDI by way of a license. TSL also featured updates to its PAM-IP line, which provides the ability to subscribe to both ST-2110 and ST-2022-6 audio and video essences, and remains the only IP audio monitor in the world to provide any system status monitoring, including IP packet counters and PTP lock status.

>TVU NETWORKS

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n July, TVU Networks helped to cover the 2019 World Roller Games in Barcelona, Spain. The 11-day event, made up of 128 competitions in 11 disciplines, took place across 14 separate venues. This intricate, large-scale setup required reliable and versatile live video tools for everything from transmission to production, and the event’s producers found their solution in TVU Networks. Even from onboard a moving motorbike or in an area with spotty connections, TVU transmitters were consistently able to deliver low-latency HD feeds from all venues using the company’s patented IS+ technology, which aggregates all possible data connections to guarantee reliable transmission even in challenging environments. Additionally, by providing solutions for synchronized at-home/REMI production, TVU removed the need for costly traditional

production methods, like traditional on-site production trucks and crews. TVU’s powerful yet cost-effective IPbased solutions worked together to ensure the best possible viewing experience for audiences everywhere.

>UNICOM

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nformation technology has grown in power and possibilities over the past quarter-century, and so has UNICOM Government. From its beginnings as a software and peripherals provider for federal agencies, UNICOM has become a national leader in delivering comprehensive IT solutions and services that meet the mission-critical needs of governments at every level. Through strategic partnerships with market leaders, UNICOM combines best-in-class technologies with best-in-field experts to create powerful yet cost-effective solutions that closely align your IT objectives with your business goals. UNICOM backs it up with a range of professional services that add to the agility, responsiveness, and speed the company brings to every engagement.

>UNIQFEED

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niqFEED is the mastermind behind the softwarebased virtual advertising solution for live sports TV coverage. uniqFEED’s software virtually overlays dynamic and static perimeter boards on sport broadcasts to boost advertising revenue streams for rights holders.

The company has been developing its technology for four years integrating AI, computer vision, and augmented reality. The entirely software-based virtual advertising solution has been commercially deployed for the first time this year at the Eisenhower Cup 2019 (TB10’s) and at various global locations for the International Table Tennis Foundation (ITTF). UniqFEED’s technology can generate multiple localized feeds using only camera signals, without altering any perimeter boards and cameras or using green screen. This cost-effective, non-intrusive ,and scalable solution can be seamlessly integrated into a broadcasting workflow on-site or in a remote production center.

>UNISAT

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niversal Satellite Communications (UniSat) offers complete turnkey services and provides superior mobile television production and mission critical transmission services throughout the Western United States.

The company offers the highest quality service and the most complete satellite production units in the industry at competitive rates to meet any budget. A fully integrated supplier of television logistics, mobile production ,and transmission services, UniSat offers a full range of services, including satellite uplinks, downlinks, multicamera international live production, fiber, microwave/ HD wireless cameras, digital provisions, full production, editing, ENG packages, and logistical planning. UniSat delivers exceptional performance and accuracy in satellite transmission and television production.

>UTAH SCIENTIFIC

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tah Scientific is a leading specialist in routing switchers, master control switchers, and related control software, and it set the benchmark for the broadcast industry with the first no-fee 10-year product warranty.

Since 1977, the company has provided products and bestin-class service and support as recognized three times by Frost & Sullivan with its global Customer Service Leadership Award.

>V-NOVA

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sing PERSEUS technology, media and entertainment companies can now monetize unmet consumer demand for higher definition video everywhere, on existing devices and infrastructure, by a simple software upgrade. PERSEUS is available in multiple formats.

PERSEUS Pro, for mathematically lossless and visually lossless professional production and contribution applications. PERSEUS Plus, for high compression efficiency in content distribution to end users, web publishing, and

cloud applications. PERSEUS is distributed by V-Nova as a software-development kit for integration into new and existing platforms or as a pre-integrated solution of one of the company’s multiple ecosystem partners, which include encoder, middleware, chipset and media player vendors as well as some of the largest system integrators in the industry.

>VER

VER is now a part of PRG.

>VERITONE

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eritone is a leading provider of artificial intelligence technology and solutions. The company’s proprietary operating system, aiWARE, orchestrates an expanding ecosystem of machine learning models to transform audio, video, and other data sources into actionable intelligence.

Veritone Digital Media Hub is an intuitive white-label portal fueled by aiWARE. With Digital Media Hub, rightsholders can offer secure, cloud-native global access to their content to key stakeholders — including media and corporate partners — and monetize their content via e-commerce functionality. Veritone Attribute helps both radio and television broadcasters demonstrate advertising efficacy for their customers by correlating the traffic on the brand’s website to ads that have run on the broadcast networks.

Attribute leverages artificial intelligence to measure the effectiveness of not just prerecorded spots, but live reads and in-screen and organic mentions as well. Veritone Content Licensing Services is a managed service for rightsholders who need full monetization of their content.

>VERIZON MEDIA

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erizon Media’s Media Platform easily prepares, delivers, displays, and monetizes your online content for global audiences. The company’s live event streaming solution has supported more than 100,000 live events, including some of the largest leagues, biggest venues, and most watched games. The platform is built on the world’s largest, most connected delivery network, ensuring high-quality, instant-on viewing of digital content on every device, every time, everywhere. And whether you’re a national broadcaster or a local content creator, you’re backed by 24 x 7 live engineering support services in five service centers around the world. Learn why more than 10,000 of the world’s largest publishers, media companies and enterprises count on Verizon Media’s Media Platform to deliver seamless digital content for today’s demanding online viewers.

>VIDOVATION

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idOvation is a leading systems integrator of television transmission, contribution, and distribution systems.

In addition to VidOvation products, the company represents great brands such as ABonAir, Antelope, AVIWEST, Blackmagic Design, Cobalt Digital, DirecTV, DoCaption, MultiDyne, Panasonic, NewTek, and Technicolor. Encompassing bonded cellular, wireless, streaming, encoding, IPTV, digital signage, satellite, and fiber-optic communications systems, VidOvation solutions improve video transmissions by removing the frustrations of signal loss, latency, interference, noise, and security issues. VidOvation excels in helping its clients integrate custom solutions into existing infrastructure, with the ability to satisfy almost any application or budget. The company applies proven expertise to the complete project life-cycle — from project consulting and management to engineering and design, to warranty and support. Featured solutions include AtHome or REMI Live Video Production over cellular and unmanaged networks, in-house IPTV and digital signage systems with Verimatrix and Pro:Idiom digital rights management, and wireless camera technology.

>VIMOND

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imond spotlights Vimond IO, a cloud-based video editing tool created to meet the changing demands of broadcast-grade video production and delivery. IO’s SaaS technology provides a frame-accurate, fully fea-

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SPONSORUPDATE tured editing tool set within a web browser. IO enables video customers with an alternative to cumbersome onpremises, licensed solutions. IO is flexible and intuitive, and can be used anytime and anywhere by multiple users collaboratively to rapidly increase speed to market. Editors can create and edit video, add graphic overlays, produce voice-overs, adjust audio, and add or edit metadata before an automatic publish to social, AWS S3, and OTT platforms. Users can publish once and transcode simultaneously to a range of formats and aspect ratios. VOD and live ingests in multiple formats are supported.

>VISLINK TECHNOLOGIES

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t IBC 2019, Vislink Technologies showcased the latest versions of its live production solutions: systems purpose-built for reliably capturing, delivering, and managing secure, high-quality HD wireless video from live news, sports, and entertainment events. The company featured wireless camera systems including the ultra-low latency HCAM 4K UHD that supports slow-motion high frame rates. Vislink also showcased its new INCAM wireless camera transmitters designed for Sony’s new HDC5500 4K multi-format live camera system (INCAM-HS) and Grass Valley’s newest LDX 86N Series 4K-RF camera (INCAM-HG). Ideally suited to sports broadcasting applications, these wireless camera transmitters feature the same technology as Vislink’s HCAM on-camera device.

The company also presented its flexible, portable wireless systems, namely the MicroLite and L1700. Advanced connectivity products from Vislink’s satcom line were also shown, including the AirPro 75Ka, a small (.75m), low-cost, single-button deployment IP satellite data terminal; the MSAT portable tri-band satellite antenna system, designed for rapid deployment in challenging environments; and the DVE6100 4K HEVC encoder and IRD6200 4K receiver/decoder. Both solutions utilize the latest HEVC video compression and DVB-S2X satellite modulation technology, allowing a 50% reduction in leased satellite bandwidth compared to MPEG-4, DVBS2 technology.

>VISTA WORLDLINK

V

ISTA Worldlink continues to evolve as their VISTA REMI/at-home production workflow expands.

VISTA invested in expanding their innovative production capabilities by adding more control rooms and announcer booths while increasing the number of cameras that can be produced downstream at VISTA’s Centralized Broadcast Facility. VISTA successfully utilized their nextgeneration, agile, and cost-effective production model to produce 83 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup matches on behalf of US Soccer, Major League Soccer, and ESPN. VISTA’s REMI solution allowed for all 83 matches to be professionally produced and distributed on the ESPN+ network. In addition to the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, VISTA successfully produced and distributed the CONCACAF U-15 Boys Championship. All camera signals backhauled to VISTA’s REMI facility via VISTA’s proprietary PBU technology were produced via VISTA’s REMI production model. Since 2017, VISTA has produced a few thousand live REMI sporting events at VISTA’s South Florida facility.

>VITAC

V

ITAC supports sports leagues, broadcasters, TV networks, OTT providers, stadiums, and arenas with reliable, high-quality captions for live and recorded sporting events. As the largest provider of captioning services in the U.S., VITAC captions more than 575,000 hours of programming per year (or a little more than 11,000 hours of captions every week) and employs the largest team of qualified, trained captioners in the country. VITAC spe-

112

cializes in accessibility and compliance, helping sportsvideo providers meet FCC and ADA requirements, thereby reaching the one in three adults in the U.S. that benefit from captions. VITAC provides quick-turnaround captioning for live clips of sporting events, simultaneous encoder and IP connectivity for web and TV captioning, and dual-mode delivery of captions to ribbon boards and handheld devices in stadiums, arenas, and convention centers. VITAC believes in “Accessibility for Life” and strives to make accessible content standard.

>VITEC

C

hosen for the most state-of-the-art sports venues, including the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Vikings, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, VITEC’s EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Solution for sports venues sets a new bar for content delivery and digital signage workflows.

EZ TV allows facilities to stream high-quality live and on-demand video seamlessly and cost-effectively; easily create dynamically personalized content and digital signage; and deliver content to any screen over the existing network infrastructure using VITEC’s high-performance, hardware-based endpoints. The platform’s networkagnostic, modular architecture allows organizations to easily upgrade existing legacy video systems or deploy a turnkey IPTV and signage solution for a new build at a fraction of the cost of traditional digital signage solutions while creating a memorable experience for fans. For facility operators, it cost-effectively streamlines the creation and management of live and on-demand streams and digital signage, reduces CAPEX and OPEX, and creates new revenue opportunities. Administrators can update menu boards integrated to POS vendors dynamically; pull in campaign information with onboard analytics tools; and tag, edit, organize, store, search, and share media files with Media Library capabilities. VITEC’s mobile app furthers the fan experience, streaming live video and IPTV content to any mobile device.

>VIZRT

D

uring the recent Women’s Football World Cup, French sport TV channel La Chaîne l’Equipe used innovative augmented reality (AR) graphics of the football pitch to explain important plays. As the group discussed key plays, a 3D football pitch appeared on screen between the commentators. They were able to look directly at live action replays from above and stop and start play during their discussion. The effect was created with Vizrt’s AR graphics systems, Viz Virtual Studio with Netventure NQuad, and other partners. The Viz Virtual Studio system processed highly accurate camera tracking and software-generated information while Viz Engine rendered the scene in real-time. At NAB 2019, Vizrt announced the acquisition of NewTek, creating a new global leader in software-based live production tools. At IBC 2019, Vizrt launched new products and significant updates across product lines, including Viz Engine 4, the most powerful live media render engine, Automation, MAM, and Virtual Sets.

>VRMETA

V

Rmeta is a cloud-based asset management and productivity tool ideal for sports broadcasting. With VRmeta, users can apply in frame, time-based descriptive metadata (IFTBD) and time-based ‘Quick Tags’, as well as IPTC keyword and caption metadata at a near automated pace to all popular video asset types. Compatible with both MAM and DAM, VRmeta is also used for exporting and sharing videos and their corresponding metadata. From filmmaking to sports to marketing, VRmeta is a must for all industries pertaining to metadata and content management. It’s the only solution

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

that adds the right human element that industries are clamoring for given the UI-friendly ‘Smart’ management of auto-tagging. AIDA Content Management is available to discuss the advances in discovery and personalization with In Frame Time Bases Descriptive Metadata (IFTBD) and the only UI for cleansing and enhancing its auto-tag output at a nearly automated pace.

>VSN

V

SN is a global technological company specializing in providing advanced software solutions for media and workflow management within a wide range of businesses, including broadcast and media companies, private corporations, sports venues, and educational institutions. Its flagship platform, VSNExplorer, is an openended solution comprised of several optional modules to optimize efficiency and speed-up content production and management: MAM for media management, PAM for production environments, BPM for workflows’ orchestration, and Business Intelligence for data analytics.

At IBC 2019, the company presented new AI tools and a workflows’ editor for the VSNExplorer platform, as well as its VSN NewsConnect plugin, an add-on to interconnect all third-party systems for news production under one single workspace. Also, it showcased VSNCrea webbased traffic and scheduling and its new module for advertising planning. Companies like Real Madrid TV, Barça TV, and Dorna Sports already trust on VSN for their daily operations.

>WAVE CENTRAL

W

ave Central’s high-quality RF wireless solutions distinguish them as a leader in sports and entertainment broadcast technology. Clients employing their unique and customized solutions include the Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs, NY Mets, UFC, and Georgia Tech. Wave Central offers fully integrated 4K HDR/UHD wireless systems not only for Sony cameras, but currently stand out as the only United States provider integrating these systems with other manufacturers such as Grass Valley, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Ikegami. At NAB 2019, Wave Central announced their partnership with Domo Tactical Communications (DTC), making them the exclusive North American market provider of DTC’s product portfolio. This newly forged relationship, accompanied by the Wave Central team’s extensive RF expertise, expands access to the powerful world-class technologies each company offers while providing client-oriented service and support in North America.

>WESCO

W

ESCO Broadcast & AV (WBAV), a division of WESCO International, Inc., is a value-added distributor known for its diverse selection of products and services for the broadcast and AV industries. Their unique distribution approach allows WBAV to provide its customers with the most recognized brands and cutting-edge technologies in the industry, while providing best of class services that improve supply-chain processes and reduce total cost of ownership. In addition, WBAV provides customized technology solutions to help customers resolve unique challenges in the field. With distribution and manufacturing facilities located in Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Illinois, WESCO Broadcast & AV remains focused on leading-edge technology, customer service, and education while continuing to provide the broadest range of professional broadcast and AV products, services, and solutions available.

>WESTERN DIGITAL

W

estern Digital creates environments for data to thrive. The company is driving the innovation

needed to help customers capture, preserve, access, and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives — from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices — Western Digital’s solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Digital is continuing its transformation in a fast-moving data technology landscape, which requires an exceptionally broad storage portfolio to address diverse needs. Unleash the power of your data. With Western Digital’s comprehensive line up of storage systems — from all-flash, to hybrid to object storage — you can transform data into actionable information faster and achieve new levels of efficiency and cost savings. Western Digital is a company with strong values and a passion to innovate and lead the charge in the transformation of data. Creating the right environment where its employees can thrive is key. Quality productions, exceptional customer service, and industryleading solutions all come from a culture that’s inclusive, forward-thinking, and bold enough to imagine the possibilities of data.

>WOWZA MEDIA SYSTEMS

T

oday’s live sports audiences seek more reliable, higher-quality streaming than ever before, and want to watch on a wider range of devices. Deliver the quality of experience these viewers demand with Wowza technology.

Wowza Media Systems is the recognized gold standard of streaming, with more than 24,000 customers in 170+ countries. By reducing the complexities of video and audio delivery to any device, Wowza enables organizations to expand their reach and more deeply engage their audiences, in industries ranging from live sports to broadcasting.

>WSC SPORTS

W

SC Sports Technologies developed an award-winning technology that generates personalized videos for every sports fan on any platform — automatically and in real-time. Using AI and machine learning, WSC’s platform analyzes live sports broadcasts, identifies each and every event that occurs in the game, creates perfectly packaged customized short-form video content, and

publishes to any digital destination. This enables partners to instantly generate and distribute professionally edited clips and videos on a large scale to engage their variegated audiences and create new monetization opportunities. WSC’s platform is utilized by leading sports organizations and media rightholders, including Turner Sports, NBA and all its teams, FIBA, US Open Tennis, WSL, and others.

Do you want to remote control your wireless transmitters from hundreds of feet away? At IBC 2019, Zaxcom showed its flexible, player safe, patented Digital Recording Wireless transmitter with encryption, remote control, and audio you might mistake for a hard wire. Also on display was the first-of-its-kind portable mixer/recorder Nova that integrates built-in receivers and transmitter remote control.

>XYTECH SYSTEMS

>ZAYO

X

ytech, leader in facility management software for the broadcast, media, and video transmission industries, has rolled out several major updates to its MediaPulse product line, including a completely re-designed user interface. This re-designed UI is Xytech’s response to the industry’s need to place targeted functionality in the hands of every staff member, freelancer, and vendor in order to create a seamless, end-to-end automated workflow. To do this, the UI is now completely intuitive and can operate on any device and contains a unique, integrated mobile experience for low touch users on phones. Other key upgrades include an updated Personnel Manager to include real-time counters in the scheduling view as well as an upgraded rules engine to track all user-defined conditions, alert staff when thresholds are exceeded, compute costs, and prepare timesheets. The Transmission Module also now manages both the technical compatibility as well as service compatibility.

>ZAXCOM

Z

axcom has been creating innovative audio technology for the TV and film industry since 1986. With a focus on high-quality audio products in multi-track recording, mixing, and digital wireless, Zaxcom is proud to be honored with technical achievements from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Television Academy, and Cinema Audio Society. Zaxcom operates its production facilities Pompton Plains, NJ, and continues to set the standard for sound professionals worldwide. Worried about disappearing spectrum?

Wireless audio transmission being monitored or stolen?

Z

ayo’s Media Networks group delivers dedicated and occasional use video connectivity for broadcast, production, video distribution, sports, and live event providers over Zayo’s wholly owned-and-operated fiber network. Over the past year, Zayo has expanded its media offerings to include both managed and unmanaged IP video transport. In addition to the role Zayo has played in traditional broadcast, focus on esports and channelized content access has recently broadened Zayo’s scope in the media space. All of Zayo’s video solutions are monitored and supported by Zayo’s 24x7x365 Video Network Control Center (VNCC) in Tulsa, OK. This facility is staffed by media veterans with years of experience that proactively monitor and troubleshoot feeds across the network to ensure customer satisfaction.

>ZIXI

O

n August 16-17, Zixi, the industry leader for enabling dependable, live broadcast-quality video over all IP networks, provided the delivery for the inaugural WTA Thoreau Open to the Tennis Channel, a USTA Pro Circuit Event on the WTA and ITF calendars, which top-ranked players entered in preparation for the US Open. Because of its flexibility, reliability, and security, Zixi is trusted to stream some of the biggest live sporting events around the world, including the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and World Cup soccer. With multi-cloud integration, robust content analytics, and low-latency delivery of under 500 miliseconds, Zixi is the choice for video delivery over IP <

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Scott Cannon

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800-645-5104

LEGRAND AV DIVISION

Corporate

Gordon Wason

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516-350-2327

LEVELS BEYOND

Corporate

Donnie Gilbert

dgilbert@levelsbeyond.com

720-508-8947

LH COMPUTER SERVICES

37

Mobile

Doug Cole

dcole@lhcomp.com

954-752-5805

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS

Corporate

Ron Rosenthal

rrosenthal@llnw.com

203-515-0966

Mobile

Brad Sexton

brad@livemediagroup.com

818-435-3006

LIVE MEDIA GROUP LIVEU

Platinum

Dave Belding

daveb@liveu.tv

714-916-8275

LTN GLOBAL

11

Corporate

Rich Rozycki

rrozycki@ltndigital.com

646-832-1952

LYON VIDEO

Mobile

Chad Snyder

chad@LyonVideo.com

614-319-4071

MARKERTEK

Premier

Gregory DeCelle

greg@towerpower.com

845-246-2357

MARSHALL ELECTRONICS

Corporate

Jackson Root

jackson@marshallelectronics.net

310-333-0606

MASSTECH INNOVATIONS

Premier

Luc Tomasino

Luc.tomasino@masstech.com

918-605-3236

MATROX

Corporate

Francesco Scartozzi

fscartoz@matrox.com

514-822-6075

MAXON

Corporate

Paul Babb

paul@maxon.net

805-376-3331

MEDIA LINKS

Corporate

Tom Canavan

tcanavan@medialinks.com

860-206-7326

MEDIAKIND

Corporate

Dan Burnett

daniel.burnett@mediakind.com

678-689-6535

MEDIAPRO

Premier

Mario Sousa

msousa@mediapro.tv

305-357-5893

METROVISION

Mobile

Jim McGillion

jim@metrovision.tv

212-989-1515

Mobile

Steve Meyer

steve@meyerproinc.com

503-638-2096

MEYERPRO

64

MICROSOFT

Premier

Scott Bounds

sbounds@microsoft.com

646-225-4380

MOBILE TV GROUP

Mobile

Philip Garvin

pgarvin@coloradostudios.com

303-542-5555

Corporate

Neal Pilzer

neal@mpenyc.com

212-245-0969

MPE MULTIDYNE

49

NCAM

Frank Jachetta

frank@multidyne.com

516-629-0373

Morgan Prygrocki

morgan.prygrocki@ncam-tech.com

310-941-4684

NECF

38

Corporate

Joseph Maar

Joseph.Maar@necfglobal.com

860-881-360

NEP GROUP

31

Platinum

Susan Matis

smatis@nepgroup.com

412-423-1339

NET INSIGHT

Corporate

David Dellafave

david.dellafave@netinsight.net

201-669-2037

NEUTRIK USA

Premier

Janet Tufo

jtufo@neutrikusa.com

704-916-0357

Corporate

Mike Root

sales@nevion.com

212-380-0550

NEVION NEW BOX SOLUTIONS

Mobile

Hannah Cash

hannah.cash@newboxsolutions.com

323-393-0216

NEWTEK

Premier

George Valentim

gvalentim@newtek.com

704-998-1602

NEXSAN

Corporate

Michael McDermott

mmcdermott@nexsan.com

732-616-4586

NOVELSAT NUTANIX

Corporate Corporate

113

Corporate

Sean Tietjen

sean.t@novelsat.com

201-284-2550

Platinum

Jarrett Schwenzer

jarrett.schwenzer@nutanix.com

646-660-5898

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

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SPONSOR INDEX SPONSOR OBJECT-MATRIX

AD PAGE

LEVEL

CONTACT

EMAIL

PHONE

47

Corporate

Nick Pearce-Tomenius

nick.pearce-tomenius@object-matrix.com

[44] 2920 382308

OPENDRIVES

Corporate

Paul Swanson

p.swanson@opendrives.com

310-659-8999

Premier

Carter Hoskins

carter.hoskins@us.panasonic.com

770-619-1779

Mobile

Koby Zontag

kzontag@pccwglobal.com

212-389-6257

PIXELLOT

Corporate

Stephen Hamilton

stephenH@pixellot.tv

213-321-9554

PLIANT TECHNOLOGIES

Corporate

Gary Rosen

Gary.Rosen@PliantTechnologies.com

818-264-9730

Platinum

Andrea Berry

andrea.berry@prg.com

818-252-2645

PANASONIC

75

PCCW GLOBAL

PRG

C3

PRIMESTREAM

Corporate

Namdev Lisman

namdevlisman@primestream.com

305-625-4415

PRIMEVIEW

Corporate

Chanan Averbuch

chanan@prineview.biz

212-730-4905

PRODUCTIONHUB

Corporate

Steve Rotz

srotz@productionhub.com

877-629-4122

Mobile

Amy Scheller

ascheller@programproductions.com

630-792-9700

PROGRAM PRODUCTIONS PSSI GLOBAL SERVICES

Mobile

Clint Bergeson

info@pssiglobal.com

310-575-4400

Premier

Ruth Compton

ruth.compton@Quantum.com

949-856-7793

QUANTUM5X

Corporate

Paul Johnson

pjohnson@q5x.com

519-675-6999

QUMULO

Corporate

Molly Presley

mpresley@qumulo.com

720-940-5736

RCN BUSINESS SERVICES

Corporate

Sean Sullivan

sean.sullivan@rcn.net

571-623-4332

Mobile

Jeff Heimbold

j.heimbold@realitychecksystems.com

323-465-3900

QUANTUM

74

REALITY CHECK SYSTEMS RF WIRELESS SYSTEMS RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS

84,85

ROBOVISION ROCK-IT-CARGO ROSS VIDEO

13,67

Mobile

Rob Bunn

rob.bunn@rfwireless.com

613-228-7171

Platinum

Joyce Bente

joyce.bente@riedel.net

818-559-6900

Mobile

Richard Glandorf

rich@robovision.com

973-879-1096

Corporate

Hillary Nosbisch

hillaryn@rockitcargo.com

940-465-0303

Platinum

Kevin Cottam

kcottam@rossvideo.com

613-228-0688 x4366

RT SOFTWARE

Corporate

Mike Fredriksen

mike.fredriksen@rtsw.co.uk

[44] 020 7384 2711

SANKEN

Corporate

Jim Pace

jpace@plus24.net

323-855-1404

SDTV

Mobile

Mark Parikka

operations@sdtv.com

619-293-7777

SENNHEISER

Premier

Chris Clay

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860-434-9190

SES

Premier

Richard Lamb

richard.lamb@ses.com

[31] 70 306 4211

Corporate

Stephen Bowles

stephen@shoflo.tv

866-774-0026

SHOTOVER

SHOFLO

Mobile

Gordon Barry

gbarry@shotover.com

[64] 275458777

SHURE

Premier

Bill Ostry

ostry_bill@shure.com

847-600-6282

SIGNIANT

Corporate

Jon Finegold

jfinegold@signiant.com

781-221-4000

SIMPLYLIVE

Corporate

Gregory Macchia

g.macchia@simplylive.tv

484-273-0760

SKYCAM

Mobile

Stephen Wharton

stephen.wharton@skycam.tv

719-963-4150

SMARTCART

Mobile

Gil Cowie

gil@smartcartsvx.com

646-863-6263

SMT

Corporate

Patricia Hopkins

p.hopkins@smt.com

919-493-9390

SNEAKY BIG STUDIOS

53

Corporate

Ben Grafchik

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502-523-0268

SONY

C4

Platinum

Deon LeCointe

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201-930-6926

SOS GLOBAL

25

SPECTRA LOGIC SPEEDCAST

Platinum

Stephen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell

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252-635-1400

Corporate

Hossein ZiaShakeri

hosseinz@spectralogic.com

303-449-6444 x 1118

Mobile

Mike Scotto

mikes@globecomm.com

631-974-2311

SPORTRADAR

Corporate

Stephen Byrd

s.byrd@sportradar.com

847-274-3322

SPORTZCAST

Corporate

Michael Connell

mike@sportzcast.net

321-888-3800 x101

STATS PERFORM

Corporate

Stephanie Brown

sbrown@stats.com

646-324-2444

118

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

SPONSOR INDEX SPONSOR

AD PAGE

SUPPONOR

CONTACT

EMAIL

PHONE

Corporate

Isabel Najera

Isabel.najera@supponor.com

[44] 77 8988 2431

SWIFTSTACK

Premier

Bert Condensa

bcondensa@swiftstack.com

415-625-0293

T2 COMPUTING

Mobile

Dominick Tarabocchia

dominick@t2computing.com

212-220-9600

Corporate

Abe Zerbib

abe@tagvs.com

315-646-8400

TAG V.S.

59

TATA COMMUNICATIONS

Corporate

Utkarsh Gosain

utkarsh.gosain@tatacommunications.com

917-499-0236

TEDIAL

Premier

Jay Batista

jay.batista@tedial.com

424-645-5300 x602

TELESTREAM

Premier

Scott Murray

scottmu@telestream.net

530-470-1306

TELOS ALLIANCE

Premier

Martin Dyster

martin.dyster@telosalliance.com

717-735-3611

TELSTRA

Corporate

Anna Lockwood

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877-835-7872

TERADEK

Premier

Jon Landman

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818-667-4258

THE STUDIO - B&H

Premier

The Studio Team

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800-947-9962

THE SWITCH

Premier

Christian Kneuer

christian.kneuer@theswitch.tv

212-239-3715

THE VIDEO CALL CENTER

Corporate

Larry Thaler

LThaler@TheVCC.tv

212-235-7019 x720

THE WEATHER COMPANY, AN IBM BUSINESS

Corporate

Therese DeMatteo

therese.dematteo@us.ibm.com

917-318-8488

Mobile

Brian Carr

brian@thumbwar.tv

310-910-9030

THUMBWAR TSL PRODUCTS

Corporate

Greg Siers

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301-272-0939

TVU NETWORKS

Corporate

Ken Valdiserri

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312-316-3776

Mobile

Jon Kelly

jon.kelly@unicomgov.com

571-499-0101

Corporate

Marcel Naef

marcel.naef@uniqfeed.com

347-401-2020

Mobile

Anne Komarovsk

anne@unisatmobile.com

(310) 717-7643

Corporate

Barry Singer

bsinger@utsci.com

917-880-5366

Corporate

Matt Hughes

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[44] 7780 998 902

VERITONE

Corporate

Logan Ketchum

lketchum@veritone.com

818-519-0054

VERIZON MEDIA

Corporate

Jeff Casey

jeffrey.casey@verizon.com

908-559-2036

Mobile

Jim Jachetta

jimj@vidovation.com

949-777-5435 x1001

Corporate

Megan Wagoner

megan@vimond.com

202-422-6844

Premier

Jeff Daubert

jeff.daubert@vislink.com

908-852-3700

Corporate

Joshua Liemer

jliemer@vistaworldlink.com

954-838-0900 x210

Corporate

Heather York

heather.york@vitac.com

303-468-4290

Premier

Geol Yeadon

geol.yeadon@vitec.com

650-230-2563

Corporate

Mark Gederman

mgederman@vizrt.com

401-787-0120

UNICOM UNIQFEED UNISAT UTAH SCIENTIFIC V-NOVA

61

VIDOVATION VIMOND VISLINK TECHNOLOGIES VISTA WORLDLINK VITAC VITEC

81

VIZRT VRMETA

Mobile

Peter Flood

peter.flood@aidacm.com

201-693-5451

VSN

Corporate

Doug Wynn

doug@vsn-tv.com

608-345-1568

WAVE CENTRAL

Corporate

Anthony Sangiovanni

anthony@wavecentralrf.com

973-222-5270

WESCO BROADCAST & NETWORK SOLUTIONS

Corporate

Mike Vivian

mvivian@wesco.com

256-604-6362

Platinum

Seth Cohen

seth.cohen@wdc.com

203-500-4099

WESTERN DIGITAL

LEVEL

19

WOWZA MEDIA SYSTEMS

Corporate

Brad Wright

brad.wright@wowza.com

720-608-4733

WSC SPORTS

Corporate

Galit Shiri

galit@wsc-sports.com

[972] 54 471 6862

XYTECH

Corporate

Greg Dolan

gdolan@xytechsystems.com

347-746-4734

ZAXCOM

Corporate

Colleen Goodsir

colleen@zaxcom.com

973-835-5000

ZAYO

Corporate

Desmond Gallahue

desmond.gallahue@zayo.com

917-716-6444

ZIXI

Corporate

Eric Bolten

eric@zixi.com

978-853-8482

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

119

THE FINAL BUZZER

Summer of Sports and the Drive for Innovation

By Ken Kerschbaumer SVG, Executive Director, Editorial Creating the SVG SportsTech Journal is an all-hands-on-deck effort as our team sits down and sorts through the numerous events we covered in the months prior to publication. Events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, or World Cups tend to take center stage, and this issue is no exception as the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup dominates our cover.

But when we sat down and considered the other events, it became clear that more and more innovation is happening at every event. And thus, the decision was made to create a Summer of Sports section that highlights more than just the Women’s World Cup. The fascinating thing about what happened this summer is that it wasn’t too long ago that the “odd” summer (and entire year, in fact) would be quiet. Business would slow down; vendors and broadcasters alike would take a breath and even begin planning for the following year’s events without the distraction of ongoing major events.

Those days, it appears, are over as the odd years are now as busy as the even years. And the smaller events in those odd years are in fact growing in importance. The Women’s World Cup, for example, saw increased ratings growth and importance around the globe, not just in the U.S. In Brazil, more than 19 million people watched the first match and, in France, the opening match was watched by 10 million and nearly half of all TVs were tuned into it. Sports fans are hungrier than ever for live sports coverage.

The advantage for those who make a living in sports production is that this constant hunger coupled with new distribution platforms is having a two-fold effect on the industry. First, the need for constant innovation and improved workflows means that manufacturers and vendors have a steady stream of potential clients and customers. Second, there is an increased demand for expertise and seasoned production professionals who can make a difference on a production team.

A personal highlight for me this summer was getting to spend time with those involved in producing the World Cup from France. FIFA TV, HBS, Fox Sports, Telemundo, and others all embraced new ways to deliver world-class coverage for a world-class event. Thanks to the power of fiber connectivity, production teams located in North America could control the production operations taking place thousands of miles away. And the host coverage expanded with dedicated ENG crews for each team (versus ENG crews in each city in the past), expanded distribution via digital platforms, and a polished production every bit as good as that deployed for the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Russia.

The goal of all of these efforts is complicated technically but simple philosophically. In today’s age of digital distribution, there is more demand than ever for not only quality content but tonnage of content.Advances in file-based workflows, editing systems, and content publishing tools have allowed for rightsholders to maximize the value of their rights by more easily meeting the specific demands of fans. And by being able to more easily maximize those rights they can more easily justify those rights fees and recoup an investment.

Thirty-five years ago, in 1984, ABC Sports was coming off of what was then a herculean effort to broadcast 180 hours of the 1984 Olympics from Los Angeles. I can recall being amazed at the sheer number of hours they were broadcasting each night and staying up until the wee hours on the East Coast, watching volleyball on a 13-inch black-and-white TV. Next summer, we will have more than 6,000 hours to choose from. In 1984, the concept of broadcasting 6,000 hours of Olympic content would have been as unthinkable as, well, watching the Olympics on a 13-inch black-and-white TV will be next year.

But that is the beauty of an industry on the move. The need for innovation moves us forward and leaves the technology of the past behind. But it is the knowledge and experience gained in that past that makes the difference. < 120

SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019

PUBLISHED BY SPORTS VIDEO GROUP 19 West 21st St., Ste. 301 • NY, NY 10010 Tel: 212.481.8140 • Fax: 212.696.1783 www.sportsvideo.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS PAUL GALLO, Executive Director

paul@sportsvideo.org | 212.696.1799

MARTIN PORTER, Executive Director

marty@sportsvideo.org | 646.448.9570 EDITORIAL KEN KERSCHBAUMER,

Executive Director, Editorial kenkersch@sportsvideo.org | 646.205.1810 JASON DACHMAN, Chief Editor jason@sportsvideo.org | 646.861.2373 BRANDON COSTA, Director of Digital brandon@sportsvideo.org | 646.861.2370 KRISTIAN HERNANDEZ,

Assistant Editor and Social Media Coordinator kristian@sportsvideo.org | 646.880.4902 SUSAN QUALTROUGH, Copy Editor susan@sportsvideo.org RIVA DANZIG, Art Director riva@sportsvideo.org SVG SERVICES KAREN HOGAN KETCHUM,

Director of Production karen@sportsvideo.org | 646.559.0434 KATIE CHAMPION, Production Assistant katie@sportsvideo.org | 646.524.7497 ANDREW LIPPE,

Membership & Client Services Manager andrew@sportsvideo.org | 212.481.8133 CRISTINA ERNST, Event Operations Director cris@sportsvideo.org | 917.309.5174 ALICIA MONTANARO,

Conference & Organizational Coordinator alicia@sportsvideo.org | 646.880.4901 SPONSORSHIP ROB PAYNE, Managing Director,

Worldwide Sponsor Development rob@sportsvideo.org | 212.481.8131 ANDREW GABEL,

Manager, Sponsor Development agabel@sportsvideo.org | 646.998.4554 DYLAN DAVIDSON, Sponsorship Coordinator dylan@sportsvideo.org | 646.559.0435 SVG EUROPE CONTACTS FERGAL RINGROSE, Executive Editor

fergal@sportsvideo.org Tel: +353 (1) 294 7783 JOE HOSKEN, General Manager joe@sportsvideo.org Tel: +44 74290 90134 ABOUT SVG

The Sports Video Group was formed in 2006 to support the professional community that relies on video, audio, and broadband technologies to produce and distribute sports content. Leagues, owners, teams, players, broadcasters, Webcasters, and consumer-technology providers have joined SVG to learn from each other, turn vision into reality, and implement innovations, while sharing experiences that will lead to advances in sports production/distribution and the overall consumer sports experience.

SportsTech Journal is produced and published by the Sports Video Group.

SportsTech Journal © 2019 Sports Video Group.

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