Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

USFL Kickoff: Fox Sports, NBC Sports Aim To Revolutionize Football Coverage With Specialty Cameras, 32 Miked Players

15/04/2022

USFL Kickoff: Fox Sports, NBC Sports Aim To Revolutionize Football Coverage With Specialty Cameras, 32 Miked Players All games will be produced in 1080p HDR with many upconverted to 4K By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor

Friday, April 15, 2022 - 3:16 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Although several spring football leagues have popped up in recent years, none have come close to packing the production-technology punch that is expected in USFL broadcasts. The league, which is majority-owned by Fox Sports, kicks off this weekend with a simulcast of its first game on both Fox and fellow broadcast partner NBC. Regardless of the quality of play on the field, one thing is for sure: the broadcast will look unlike any football game you've watched before.

Since the outset, the directive from [Fox Sports CEO/Executive Producer and USFL Chairman] Eric Shanks and [Fox Sports President, Production and Operations/Executive Producer], Brad Zager was to come up with technology that meaningfully complements the game on the field, says Mike Davies, SVP, field operations, Fox Sports. As league owners, we can work seamlessly with USFL football operations to integrate these elements - and we swung for the fences on quite a bit of it.

A New Era: Production Technology at the Core of USFL Broadcasts All games will be produced in 1080p HDR, and more than half the Fox games will be available as 4K HDR upconverted broadcasts. Fox Sports will carry 22 games (12 on Fox, 10 on FS1); NBC Sports will present 21 games (eight on NBC, nine on USA Network, four on Peacock). The league will call Birmingham, AL, home for the entire regular season (with the majority of games played in the recently opened Protective Stadium) before shifting to Canton, OH, for the Playoffs at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

With the production and engineering teams essentially given carte blanche to think big, these broadcasts will feature bleeding-edge production tools rarely, if ever, seen on NFL broadcasts.

A high-speed drone is among the many innovative cameras being used for USFL coverage in Birmingham this season.

Among the highlights: high-speed drones, HelmetCams on four players, dual Skycams (one behind the offense, one behind the defense), RF wireless 3X-super-slow cameras on the field, 16 player microphones per team, full access to the coach and ref comms systems, an automated first-down measuring system with accompanying animations (think Hawk-Eye for tennis), and, possibly, even a glowing football in key situations (remember FoxTrax on NHL games in the '90s?). Plus, the 10-week regular season looks to be the biggest Home Run Production effort Fox has ever undertaken.

What we're doing is unprecedented, says Fox Sports producer Chuck McDonald, who will be at the front bench for Fox's USFL productions. I don't know of anybody who has ever had this kind of opportunity. No one has ever had a blank slate where you are asked, How would you like to cover the best television sport that exists if you had no limits?'. That's how it has been approached from the beginning, and I can't wait to see what we do as the season goes on because it's just going to get better.

Not Your Granddad's Cameras: Custom Drone, HelmetCams, Dual Skycams Beverly Hills Aerials has designed a custom-built drone specifically for the USFL that is as fast as a racing drone but is roughly the size of your open hands together.

Who is ready to fly?

See every game on @FOXSports and @NBCSports from above with the help of drones, starting next Saturday! pic.twitter.com/VkmPs5nz5G

USFL (@USFL) April 9, 2022

While the use of dual Skycam aerial systems has become more common for high-profile NFL and college football games, USFL broadcasts will use the pair in a very different fashion. The low Skycam will be in the usual configuration just behind the offense, but the high version will be used primarily on the defensive side of the play with a 25X lens, allowing the production team to isolate a player or route to better capture action coming at the camera.

ActionStreamer is providing four HelmetCams per game (two for each team), and CP Communications is on hand with two RefCams.

Here s what it looks like to catch a TD pass from @BryanScottQb

Get ready for more Helmet Cam starting next Saturday on @FOXSports and @NBCSports. pic.twitter.com/B4ZfN5onl0

Philadelphia Stars (@USFLStars) April 9, 2022

3G Wireless is providing three RF 3X-super-slow wireless handheld cameras: two handhelds and one Steadicam (Week 1 will feature two Steadicams).

In addition to the drone, dual Skycams, four HelmetCams, and two RefCams, the broadcast will deploy four PylonCam systems located in the end zones (with three cameras per pylon) and two line-to-gain wireless PylonCam systems on the field.

In all, Fox and NBC will deploy 56 cameras in Birmingham, including 20+ for coverage (eight of them super-slo-mo), four for the coaches booth, and two dedicated to the play audio iso shots.

We're trying to make a concerted effort to make this look and feel and sound different from what you would see on an NFL Sunday, says NBC Sports producer Matt Marvin, who will be at the front bench for NBC this weekend and split USFL games with producer Steven Greenberg throughout the season. With that in mind, there are plenty of new and different cameras and audio [elements] that we think are going to create an entirely new experience [for viewers].

CLICK HERE for Fox Sports and NBC Sports Producers on Creating a Totally Different Kind of Football Broadcast'

Audio All About Access: Player Mics, Coach Comms, Transparent Officiating All USFL game productions will deploy 16 Q5X player mics per team, all available to use live via a player-mic audio submixer. The system, which is being provided and managed by CP Comm
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/04/15/usfl-kickoff-fox-sports-nbc-spo...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

13/03/2025

You Will Leave Opus Singing the Original Bops Performed by John Malkovich

(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...

13/03/2025

How Spotify Is Driving Growth, Discovery, and Innovation in the Audiobook Market

Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...

13/03/2025

Spotify Audiobooks Launches a New Publishing Program for Independent Authors

At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...

13/03/2025

Evolving EO/IR Technology For All-Domain Airborne Law Enforcement

Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...

13/03/2025

Craft Interview: Jamie McCombs, Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio

Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...

13/03/2025

Craft Interview: Paul Sandweiss, Production Sound Mixer/Audio Director

On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...

13/03/2025

Riedel To Showcase New StageLink Smart Edge Devices At 2025 NAB Show

WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...

13/03/2025

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring for VOS360 Streaming Workflows at the 2025 NAB Show

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...

13/03/2025

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage Platform that Empowers Video Teams to Scale Effortlessly

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...

13/03/2025

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Life at NAB 2025 Exhibition

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...

13/03/2025

Ajit Pai Appointed President of CTIA

CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...

13/03/2025

NAB: FCC's 60 Minutes Investigation Is Unconstitutional, Invalid

he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...

13/03/2025

CBS Miami to Launch AR Coverage of Weather and Sports for March Madness

MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...

13/03/2025

Meet the co-founder and chief customer success & innovation officer

Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...

13/03/2025

FCC Chairman Carr Launches Massive Deregulation Initiative

WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...

13/03/2025

SDVI Integrates Rally With Spectra Vail

SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...

13/03/2025

FCC Approves Gray's Acquisition of KXLT

ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...

13/03/2025

NAB Show 2025 Exhibitor Insight: Blackmagic Design

TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...

13/03/2025

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions. ...

13/03/2025

Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content

Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...

13/03/2025

Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew Cross

Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...

13/03/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size on Completing Customizable Studios for All Clients

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...

13/03/2025

IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036; Add Digital Projects, Initiatives

IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...

13/03/2025

NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical Video Feed, Mascot Mode, and Popular Boss Button

NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...

13/03/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive Experience for Daytona, The PLAYERS, and March Madness

SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...

13/03/2025

Sky Business Launches Cloud Voice A New Cloud Communication Solution for UK Businesses

Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...

13/03/2025

Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark for F band applications

Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...

13/03/2025

The ICG Marketing Survey 2025

We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey. Our 2025 survey p...

13/03/2025

Harmonic Amps Up Video Streaming Efficiency with New Origin Capabilities

SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...

13/03/2025

Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025

Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025 Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...

13/03/2025

FOR-A America Theme Connecting the Present, Building the Future Comes to Life at NAB 2025 Exhibition

Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...

13/03/2025

2025-03-13

A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...

13/03/2025

Italia 90 Republic of Ireland Squad, Riverdance, Cian Ducrot & B*Witched on Friday's Late Late Show

Here is your host, Patrick Kielty! Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...

13/03/2025

RT Celebrating all things Irish this St. Patrick's Weekend

This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...

13/03/2025

GTC 2025 - Announcements and Live Updates

What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...

13/03/2025

T-Mobile, Thales and SIMPL ease IoT deployments with a flexible and secure connectivity solution

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...

13/03/2025

Relive the Magic as GeForce NOW Brings More Blizzard Gaming to the Cloud

Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library. Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...

13/03/2025

Gaming Goodness: NVIDIA Reveals Latest Neural Rendering and AI Advancements Supercharging Game Development at GDC 2025

AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...

13/03/2025

Drop It Like It's Mod: Breathing New Life Into Classic Games With AI in NVIDIA RTX Remix

PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...

12/03/2025

Como o Impacto Cultural e Financeiro da Indstria Musical Define Seu Sucesso em 2025

O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...

12/03/2025

Cmo el impacto cultural y financiero de la industria musical define su xito en 2025

Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...

12/03/2025

Nourish Mind, Body, and Soul This Ramadan With Spotify

Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...

12/03/2025

How the Music Industry's Cultural and Financial Impact Define Its Success in 2025

Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...

12/03/2025

FAST now transcends back catalog content

More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...

12/03/2025

Viamedia Adopts ShowSeeker Pilot To Streamline Ad Workflows

GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...

12/03/2025

Mediagenix Appoints Wael Yasin as Sales Director Central Europe

BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....

12/03/2025

Omdia: Global Online Consumer Expenditure to Hit $6.6 Trillion by 2029

LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...

12/03/2025

Comcast Technology Solutions Upgrades to Interra Systems BATON Version 9

CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....

12/03/2025

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments High-capacity switch enhances existi...

12/03/2025

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...