Live From the NFL Draft: Q&A - NFL Media's Mark Quenzel Puts Nashville in Spotlight Reaching beyond Music City, NFL Network is also taking 60 live feeds from NFL cities By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Friday, April 26, 2019 - 3:14 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
NFL Media is all over the Draft action in Nashville this week, delivering more than 76 hours of live Draft Week coverage. NFL Network has bookended Lower Broadway with a pair of sets located on the Draft Main Stage and attached to the legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge honky-tonk bar. Connecting the two locations is a SupraCam point-to-point aerial system capturing the party happening on the streets below. In addition, NFL Media's coverage goes well beyond the borders of Nashville, bringing in more than 60 live feeds from NFL cities across the country, including a record 23 Draft War Room cameras and live picks from every team's home city in Rounds 4-6 on Saturday.
SVG sat down with NFL Media SVP, Programming and Productions, Mark Quenzel to discuss production philosophy for the Draft and how it has evolved over the years, how his team worked to create an authentic Nashville aesthetic for its Draft sets and broadcasts, how NFL Network differentiates its coverage from other broadcasters by incorporating NFL Nation coast-to-coast.
NFL Media's Mark Quenzel: This year is especially exciting because, for the NFL100 celebration, we're doing [live shots] from all 13 original NFL towns, including eight towns that aren't [currently NFL cities].
NFL Network's Draft coverage and onsite presence this year really emphasizes the culture of Nashville. How did your team go about coming up with the Nashville-esque concepts here at the Draft?
The first thing we wanted to do was learn the city. Obviously, we come to Nashville for [Titans] games, but we're in and out. So we came here for a walk-around to really get the vibe of the city. Where are the important places to be, and where are the important landmarks? Then we built our production plan based on that: how we are showing off the city and showing that we truly understand what their culture is all about.
That's why we ended up selecting Tootsie's for our big set. It's an amazing [structure], and that will tell you everything you need to know about [our philosophy] here. We literally built two stories [protruding] right out of the building, and it's designed to look exactly like Tootsie's. It looks like an extension of the building, and a lot of [visitors] don't even know that it's not a regular part of the building.
Nashville is also a big little city, and Broadway is the epicenter, so we wanted to have that surround. We decided we were going to put one set on the Main Stage at the bottom of Broadway and another one five blocks up at Tootsie's. And we have a two-point [SupraCam] cable camera system running all the way down Broadway back and forth. That allows us to show off those two locations, as well as all of the music and the bars.
And we have Good Morning Football every morning inside Tootsie's to give that honky-tonk bar feel.
How does Nashville differ from previous Draft locations, and what unique challenges does it present for you and your team?
Last year [at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX] was more the exception to the rule now. We had it at the stadium, and it was all about football and less about the city. Texas is the epicenter of football, and it was a football draft from start to finish. And that's the way we played it, generally speaking. [Our coverage in] Chicago was focused on the parks and Lake Michigan; Philadelphia was all about the steps [at the Museum of Art] and the incredible architecture of the city. Here we focused on the music and the culture of Nashville. And Vegas will be very different next year as well. That's the fun part about the Draft now: each city is just so different from the previous city, so we basically start from scratch.
How has the shift to making Day 3 picks from around the country affected NFL Network's coverage and production philosophy?
When we started doing the picks from the cities on Saturday, we made a strategic philosophical decision to cover the Draft as a national experience, not a local experience in the city [where it's taking place]. In 32 cities, fans care a great deal about what their team is doing. So we decided to take the broad perspective and serve as air-traffic control for [live shots from] cities around the country.
The draft is like Christmas. You're unwrapping the presents in 32 cities, so we need to capture the excitement in 32 cities. We work very hard on that. It's very much a hub-and-spoke model: the first two days, we focus on the hub, and, on Saturday, we focus on the wheel.
This year is especially exciting because, for the NFL100 celebration, we're doing [live shots] from all 13 original NFL towns, including eight towns that aren't [currently NFL cities]. We also have a live pick from an Army base in South Korea on Day 1, so it's truly a global event.
How has NFL Media's coverage evolved over the years from a production perspective?
Remember, it hasn't even been a decade since the Draft moved to primetime. That was the seminal moment that led to everything else. I think the evolution has been focused on how we have broadened it to become a fan event no matter where you were a fan. For the first 50 years, it was New York City and Radio City, and that was great. Now we are focused on fans in cities everywhere - both nationally and internationally.
It has truly become a pillar for us, along with the Combine. The Draft is the connective tissue that gets us from last season to next season. In order to do that, it's important that this event continue to grow and be as big as pos
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...
Live From the NFL Draft: Q&A - NFL Media's Mark Quenzel Puts Nashville in Spotlight Reaching beyond Music City, NFL Network is also taking 60 live feeds from NFL cities By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
