Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NBA Travels to Abu Dhabi for Third Straight Year of Preseason Basketball

07/10/2024

NBA Travels to Abu Dhabi for Third Straight Year of Preseason Basketball League supplies English commentary for two games remotely from Secaucus, NJ By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Monday, October 7, 2024 - 2:26 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

In what has become a yearly tradition, the NBA headed overseas to the capital of the United Arab Emirates for a couple of preseason matchups between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets on Friday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 6. Despite the long hours of travel, the exhibition games represented two poignant facts: the league still has a global reach beyond the U.S., and the broadcasts offered its production and operations teams an opportunity to get ready for the 2024-25 season.

The NBA's international games provided memorable experiences to the crews who play a role in producing and delivering the excitement of these games to fans around the world, says Francesca Martinelli, SVP, broadcast operations and events, NBA.

In Abu Dhabi: NBA Staffers Adjust to Time Change, Hire Local Crew Members After celebrating a league-leading 18th championship over the summer, the Boston Celtics began their title defense on foreign soil. Similarly, the NBA shook off the offseason rust by producing two games thousands of miles from home.

For the third straight season, the NBA traveled to Abu Dhabi for two games between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets at Etihad Arena.

It was an ambitious decision to begin this year's campaign of productions with a pair of international games, and the challenges were plentiful: the broadcast department had to decide who would make the trip, how they would adjust to the eight-hour time difference, and how they would pull off the broadcasts. To resolve the second issue, the crew that was to be onsite flew out earlier enough to get acclimated to tip-off times typically not seen in the U.S.: 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time.

The time difference certainly poses some challenges, particularly when troubleshooting unexpected issues, says Martinelli. We have a long history of hosting games internationally, and our extensive pre-planning process ensured smooth execution.

To resolve that first issue, the league sent a trio of its best to lead the onsite operation: Senior Manager, Broadcast Operations, Mary Mak; AVP, Broadcast Systems Engineering/Support Lead Eb Tesfalidet; and, from NBA Broadcast Engineering, Taki Kohiyama. For additional support, the NBA recruited local talent to round out the team of experts that would be needed for the two-day event.

We had to hire several local vendors for various positions, including producers, camera operators, and graphic operators, adds Martinelli. Pro TV, which produced the NBA Abu Dhabi games in 2022 and 2023, as well as the USA Basketball exhibition games in the UAE this summer, once again handled local production.

World-Feed Model: Video Feeds Were Sent to Secaucus, Redirected to NBC Sports Boston The most sophisticated aspect of the show was deploying a world-feed style of production. Since the Celtics were technically playing a home game, NBC Sports Boston was the league's main TV partner. Emanating from Etihad Arena, the host venue on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, primary video feeds were sent nearly 7,000 miles to league headquarters in Secaucus, NJ, via Eurovision satellite. Backup feeds were transported via SRT as a redundancy. Once the feeds arrived in New Jersey, the NBA redirected clean, camera, and clock feeds to NBC Sports Boston with the help of high-speed arena-network (HSAN) connections. The HSAN links were crucial, allowing the home regional sports network to remotely produce the games.

As the Celtics' home regional sports network, NBC Sports Boston remotely produced each broadcast via video feeds sent from NBA headquarters in Secaucus, NJ.

NBC Sports Boston had sideline reporter Abby Chin at the game and used LiveU to transmit her signal, says Martinelli. The NBA also delivered the game to Ball Arena in Denver for radio broadcast via HSAN.

In addition, English commentary and virtual signage were handled in Secaucus. With much of the league's efforts focused on transmission, the production simplified video acquisition, deploying nine cameras and three EVS replay servers to capture the action. U.S.-based viewers outside the Boston market were able to view the game on NBA League Pass, but, outside the States, the league also hosted two international broadcast partners at the venue for live onsite commentary.

Relying on Experience: Communication and Planning Allow a Smooth Weekend Producing two games miles from home isn't an audacious new task for the NBA. The league first forayed into Abu Dhabi two years ago, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks squaring off in two games in 2022. In 2023, the crowd in Abu Dhabi enjoyed a visit from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks. With three years' experience, the crew applied the lessons from the first two efforts to ensure success of future broadcasts from outside the country.

Effective and diligent communication among all parties, including the team liaising between in-arena operations/production and the local broadcaster, is critical to success, says Martinelli. Every game we produce outside the U.S. - whether in Abu Dhabi or elsewhere around the world - provides new learning opportunities, which makes these events even more exciting.

The Celtics were victorious in both games, including a 107-103 win in Game 1 on Friday, Oct. 4.

International games aside, the broadcasts are becoming an important tool for growing the league's broadcasting plan. Within a constantly innovating and evolving sports-video-production industry, it's critical that the crew is cognizant of the latest trends in production and sharpen their skills whenever possible
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/10/07/nba-travels-to-abu-dhabi-for-th...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

14/03/2025

Avid Appoints New CTO, Adds to Its Executive Leadership Team

BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...

14/03/2025

TVU Networks Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation at 2025 NAB Show

CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...

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....