TV Sports Boldly Goes To Far Reaching Coverage

Michael Hedges October 19, 2020 Follow on Twitter

That light at the end of the tunnel is still flashing red for the sports media world. Everything is different, they whistle. Sports broadcasters are, strictly speaking, no longer offering coverage of live events. The game must go on, somehow. That means a quite different presentation on television.

For the German national football league Bundesliga (DFL) stadiums remain a health hazard. Of course, fans in the stands are limited, replaced by cardboard cutouts and pre-recorded cheers. People working the games remain at risk. This includes reporters, broadcast technicians and camera operators. The DFL has set-up a special task force to address yet another unexpected consequence of continued coronavirus infections, reported German sports portal Kicker (October 13).

It’s an occupational safety issue for broadcasters. Public broadcasting network ARD produces sports programming from a central studio in Cologne and pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland has its program operations center near Munich. DHL’s video provider Sportcast is also located in Cologne. Persons normally residing in high risk areas could receive additional attention from officials. Other than voluntary contact tracing and a mask requirement, spot testing for media workers is not currently being considered. Both cities have infection rates at “high” levels, limiting personnel on location. This includes fewer referees, team members and staff, groundskeepers, stadium stewards and broadcast crews.

“It could be that our commentators do not report from the stadium, but from the studio,” said ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky to tabloid Bild (October 13). "As long as the production company Sportcast delivers pictures of the game, the sports show will also take place.” Rules in place for broadcast crews this past weekend include two-meter (6 feet) distancing, no closed rooms or hand-shaking. Radio broadcasters are similarly affected.

At the height of the first coronavirus outbreak last spring, sports broadcasting effectively stopped. Attempts to sell classic events - oldies but goodies - mostly fell flat. “It’s all about the betting,” said one sports broadcaster. Yesterday’s news is nice but never satisfies the fans’ need to be there when it, whatever that is, happens. And sharing it, making social media all the more important. Sports broadcasting is about being in the moment.

The lessons of the last half year have led everybody in the sports media supply chain to explore every option. Perhaps the most watched for innovation is the US NBA (National Basketball Association), which has taken a variety of steps to ameliorate many of the coronavirus side-effects. Understanding that fans in the stands were not coming back this year, probably not next year or even further, the NBA looked for creative solutions through its Next Gen Telecast subsidiary.

With all games played in the Orlando, Florida “bubble” emphasis turned to pure made-for-TV. It was a “new opportunity to test different camera angles and other ways to bring fans closer to the game that wouldn’t otherwise be possible with fans in the arena,” said Next Gen Telecast programming manager Sara Zuckert, quoted by Sports Business Daily (October 14). With no fans in the stands rail-mounted cameras were installed along with court-side cameras.

“More than half of our cameras now are robotic,” she added, separately, to Variety (October 16). “I think that a key learning for us is that these new technologies can really open up new perspectives, bringing our fans closer to the game and which I think will carry forward as well.” Yes, broadcast technicians no longer pack those outside broadcast vans; everybody works remotely.

Another innovation came from Microsoft, now the NBA’s official technology partner. This is a bit more out-there. Using artificial intelligence (AI) the Microsoft Teams conferencing application can “place” a fan anywhere in the virtual stadium. Seventeen foot (5 meter) LED screens surrounding the court allows players to see and hear the fans. It’s just like being there.

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