We’re nearly a week away from the NBA’s return to action in Orlando, Florida. The …
Each venue is equipped with 30+ cameras for game coverage, with The Arena and HP having roughly the same camera complement and Visa a slightly smaller one.Chief among the new production elements is the RailCam system at both The Arena and HP Fieldhouse, which will glide along the court at floor level to create a valuable new shot for ESPN and TNT coverage.Visa Athletic Center will host the majority of the RSN-exclusive games.Nearly all court-level cameras, normally manned positions, have been converted to robos. Kevin Harlan & Ian Eagle will be Turner's play by players.
Turner Sports (TS) is the subsidiary of AT&T's WarnerMedia responsible for sports broadcasts on channels including TBS, TNT, AT&T SportsNet, TruTV, and for operating the digital media outlets NCAA.com, NBA.com, PGATour.com and PGA.com, as well as … LED videoboards; an additional videoboard displaying play-by-pay, replays, and stats will be on the fourth side.Fans’ live video feeds will be displayed on the 17-ft. videoboards on three sides of the court.The NBA is looking to integrate fans into the in-venue experience via a partnership with Microsoft, allowing them to watch the game live with their fellow fans in what the league is calling “Michelob ULTRA Courtside.” The 17-foot-tall LED screens around three sides of the arena will serve as “stands” displaying with more than 300 cheering fans who will join the game using Together mode in Microsoft Teams.
Alongside a view of their fellow fans, participants can watch a live feed of the game within Teams.Virtual graphics/signage will be used to integrate sponsorship and other content directly on the court, and national broadcasters and RSNs will be able to customize these elements for their respective broadcasts.During NBA national telecasts, fans will also see Second Spectrum player-tracking graphics and enhanced shot charts. ESPN, Turner, and NBA TV will incorporate the audio into their telecasts as part of the in-arena nat sound (crowd noise will not be directly integrated into the broadcast-audio mix).As for on-air talent, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV announcers will be located higher up than their typical courtside seat in a plexiglass-surrounded booth to ensure social distancing. Drones are also being used outside the arenas to capture scenic shots from the WWoS campus.A total of 357 microphones have been deployed (119 per court) across the three venues, including 34 microphones embedded in each court to capture sneaker squeaks, player interaction, and other sounds of the game rarely heard with thousands of fans in the arena.ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV announcers will be higher up than their typical courtside seat and in a plexiglass-separated booth.Mics will also be deployed around the benches, court, and backboards, and ESPN and Turner plan to mike coaches, players, and referees more often than usual to capture in-game audio. TNT will use two different crews for the official restart next Thursday.Ian Eagle and Stan Van Gundy will be on the call for the opening game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz. NBA TV, operated by Turner Sports, has adopted a three-pronged approach to entertaining basketball fans at home as it awaits the return of live games.
Turner Sports has rolled in NEP’s Supershooter 8, TS2, and M14 (all with A and B units). All onsite staff are tested regularly for COVID-19 and have daily temperature tests upon arrival at the facility.HP Field House will serve as Court 2 from the regular season through Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs.NBA games will be played across three venues at the WWoS: The Arena (Court 1, the main national-telecast court and site of Conference Finals and NBA Finals), HP Fieldhouse (Court 2 for the regular season to Second Round), and the Visa Athletic Center (Court 3, primarily for games broadcast exclusively by RSNs).RSNs will receive a world feed produced by either ESPN or Turner, along with a dedicated iso camera (with full comms to the camera operator) and access to several other camera feeds.