WNBA Finals 2022: ESPN Covers Cross-Country Series With Deep Storylines, Top-Line Tech Whether Las Vegas Ace or Connecticut Sun, it will be the team's first title By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor
Thursday, September 15, 2022 - 11:38 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The Las Vegas Aces are one win away from clinching the franchise's first WNBA title. Facing off against the Connecticut Sun, also vying for their first championship, Sin City could clinch a three-game sweep in Connecticut tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. From start to finish, the network has been with the league to tell the tale of this championship series.
This is a pretty significant production, says Michael Sullivan, lead remote operations specialist, ESPN. We're at an NBA Finals-level in terms of cameras and resources. There are important stories to tell, and our company has bought in on giving us the tools to do it properly.
Seeing in AR: New Technologies Include Virtual Graphics on a Handheld Camera Looking to evolve coverage of the WNBA Finals year after year, the ESPN operations team is infusing new technologies into the production. One of the main highlights so far is virtual graphics shown through the lens of an RF M VI camera. Typically used on a stationary camera, the technique has been deployed for other major events throughout the year, including Super Bowl LVI, the Men's Final Four, and the NBA Finals. In the WNBA wrinkle, fans get a courtside view alongside the virtual graphics. To improve the viewing experience, the technology has changed throughout the course of this series.
We learned a lot from Game 1, utilized those lessons in Game 2, and decided to have it used on an RF camera [in Game 3], says Sullivan. The feedback so far has been pretty positive.
Game Creek Video Riverhawk has led the onsite production of the first two games of the 2022 WNBA Finals.
The new virtual-graphics handheld is supplemented by other cameras. As was done for the NBA Finals, the RF M VI operator is also tasked with providing cinematic shots from down on the court. Deploying either a Sony Alpha 1 or a DreamChip ATOM one, the league has allowed this camera to get on the court and walk up and down the sideline behind each bench for various shots: players walking off the floor during stoppages in play, timeouts, free throws.
We worked with Faction Media and CP Communications to come up with a unique camera and lens combination and worked with the venue to acquire the space, says Sullivan. It gives us a lot of flexibility, and, with our partnership with the WNBA, they've been forward-thinking in allowing us to try out new things.
Enhancements to the WNBA Finals complement include a robotic camera installed at each end of the scorers table. Initially tested during the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago, these robos have become the main source of isolated shots of Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller.
Each game is captured with more than 20 cameras, including six Fletcher robos below and above the rim, a reverse camera for player interviews and isos, super-slow-motion feeds via two Sony HDC-4300's, and in-game audio.
Across the Country: Ops Team Handles Logistical Challenges Led by Sullivan, the operations crew is responsible for serving logistical needs for a series whose venues are 2,705 miles apart. Sullivan and ESPN Remote Operations Manager Leigh Michaud have deployed a two-pronged approach. For the first two games in Las Vegas, Remote Operations Producer Alice Garrett focused on all venue- and location-specific details. In Uncasville, CT, Remote Operations Producer BJ Smith will assume the same role for tonight's game.
An RF M VI camera captures cinematic shots behind the team benches.
Game Creek Video provides a mobile unit at the respective compounds. At Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, the crew operates from Riverhawk, which arrived shortly after the Western Conference Semifinals in Seattle on Sept. 6 before WNBA Finals Game 1 on Sept. 11. Parked outside Mohegan Sun Arena is Justice, which has been in Connecticut since the Sun's series-tying win on Sept 6 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Each venue also has an Edit truck for additional support.
If the Sun are victorious this evening, the two crews will have different issues to deal with. With a potential Game 4 on Sunday, Sept. 18, Smith and company will have to disassemble their equipment to accommodate very different events at Mohegan Sun Arena - Daniel Tosh's Leaves and Lobster Tour on Sept. 16 and Il Volo Live in Concert on Sept. 17 - and reconstruct it on game day.
If the proceedings reach a winner-take-all Game 5 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 20, Garrett and her crew will have to reassemble their equipment at a brand-new venue, MGM Grand Garden Arena. Assisting for efforts in both Las Vegas and Connecticut are Remote Operations Coordinators David Quintanilla and Jalen Taylor, handling gear shipments, equipment inventories, multisite credentialing, and hotel requests.
We've been planning for months about how we're going to get people back and forth and how we're going to support each site, says Michaud. We made sure to have two sets of equipment since we didn't know [before the end of the semifinals] if we were going to be in Seattle, Connecticut, Chicago, or Las Vegas.
On the remote side, ESPN is tapping into its REMCO (remote controlled) model for a handful of services. Located at its headquarters in Bristol, CT - 63 miles from tonight's contest - graphics operators are inserting the scorebug and implementing Vizrt's Viz Libero telestration from an offsite control room. Four EVS replay servers are working out of their home base. One of the broadcaster's biggest remote lifts is a REMI produc
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
WNBA Finals 2022: ESPN Covers Cross-Country Series With Deep Storylines, Top-Line Tech Whether Las Vegas Ace or Connecticut Sun, it will be the team's first title By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor 
