ESPN Boosts Player Access, Tech Tools in Second Year of 1080p Domestic Broadcasts

Arthur Ashe Stadium matches again in UHD, provides Dolby Atmos audio

Since taking up full management of each the US Open host feed and home feed in 2015, ESPN has labored with the USTA to additional increase the know-how toolset with every passing yr. After a monumental leap ahead in 2022 with the implementation of 4K UHD at Arthur Ashe Stadium and 1080p broadcasts customary throughout all courts, this yr’s efforts are centered on refining these workflows even additional.

Larry Wilson – Sr Manager; Stephen Raymond – Sr Specialist; Brian Sanders – Sr Rempte Traffic Ops Coordinator; Eric Grossman – Ops Producer; Joa OConnor – Ops Producer; Traci Flohr – Sr Ops Producer; and Sam Olsen – Sr Specialist
“It’s a testomony to the assist that we get from the USTA and [facilities provider] Gravity Media, in addition to the planning of the ESPN operations workforce that these [1080p and UHD] techniques got here collectively final yr and we’re persevering with to [enhance] them this yr,” says Larry Wilson, affiliate director, distant manufacturing operations, ESPN. “The US Open continues to extend in dimension and scale each single yr and we’re thrilled to have the ability to assist that and produce it to followers.”
In order to level-up the 1080p workflow this yr, all EVS replay servers for each the host and home feeds have been upgraded to EVS XT-VIA live-production servers and a brand new high-speed file switch system has been established to accommodate the flood of content material operating between Flushing Meadows and Bristol over the two-week match.
Over at Ashe, Dolby Atmos sound has joined the social gathering. In addition to producing the host feed for all Ashe Stadium matches in UHD, middle courtroom matches are additionally being produced with enhanced 5.1.4 audio this yr. Although ESPN doesn’t distribute them domestically in UHD or Atmos, the host feed is offered to USTA, which provides it to rightsholders (together with DirecTV in the U.S.)

1080p Takes the Next Step: XT-VIA’s, File Transfer to Bristol, and Graphics ResultsGravity Media, which handles all technical integration for ESPN’s “double stack” manufacturing facility on the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, upgraded the large EVS ecosystem to XT-VIA live-production servers alongside related upgrades to the XHub Via and Xsquare VIA suite of instruments. The full EVS VIA server and infrastructure contains greater than 30 Servers, in addition to 15+ XTAs and 20+ IP Directors.
The large EVS ecosystem because the US Open has been upgraded to XT-VIA live-production servers throughout the board.
“Having VIA’s throughout the board supplies us with extra 1080p enter channels and permits us to keep up the amount of phases we’d like on our tremendous sluggish cameras in 1080p,” says Sam Olsen, senior distant operations specialist, ESPN. “It additionally allowed us to attach our XHub-VIA community on to NEP’s Supershooter 9, [which is] supporting our dual-network and DirecTV productions in order that we’re all wanting on the identical XNet community. That wasn’t the case final yr, so it’s been a pleasant improve.”
In order to accommodate 1080p, ESPN additionally needed to bulk up its file-transfer spine between Queens and Bristol. This yr, ESPN enlarged the scale of its switch system storage unit and moved from spinning disc to stable state drive infrastructure to extend the velocity and the robustness. ESPN now has a 2-Gbps pipe established for file switch that comes with Signiant workflows, sizzling folders, and precedence visitors lanes to make sure as a lot effectivity as doable.
“The essential motive for rebuilding it was the transfer to 1080p since we have been already just about filling the pipe with 1080i, so it was basically a compulsory refresh for us,” says Senior Technical Specialist Steve Raymond. “It was a win-win-win scenario – it’s at an reasonably priced value, supplies higher velocity and bandwidth, and is rather a lot smaller and lighter than spinning disc arrays we’ve used in the previous.”
Inside ESPN’s home feed PCR on the US Open
ESPN additionally commissioned a brand new custom-built 1080p on-air results system to exchange an getting older Orad graphics system that was nonetheless serving a major function in its broadcasts.
“The Orad field was 10 years outdated and hadn’t been supported for a number of years, so we reached a degree the place we needed to refresh that,” says Raymond. “We determined to contract some very proficient people to rebuild the entire idea from scratch utilizing off the shelf laptop {hardware}.”
Raymond says ESPN was on the hunt for a low-latency resolution from established broadcast-equipment producers, however couldn’t discover a system that provided something lower than eight frames of latency. So as an alternative, ESPN enlisted a small group of specialists to create {custom} software software program and {hardware} utilizing off the shelf know-how. The ensuing system has simply two frames of latency, based on Raymond.
“Having solely two frames [of latency] permits us to make that transition from the impact to the stay courtroom with out having any bounce cuts or different on-air points,” says Raymond. “It takes in 16 inputs and it’s tied to the switcher so it is aware of what your transitions are going to be forward of time by your presets and generates an entire completely different set of graphic packages for our varied wants.”
ESPN’s robotic cameras operators management techniques which might be scattered throughout the USTA Tennis Center grounds.
Although all of the ACES automated court-production techniques for outer-court protection have been upgraded to 1080p final yr, NEP Fletcher continues to enhance them. In addition to refining the algorithms used to routinely produce match-coverage on the courts, a number of ACES techniques are actually utilizing 20x lenses for its major digital camera as an alternative of 14x lenses.
“That clearly offers a extra intimate perspective to the viewer,” says Wilson. “There was really a Sports activitiesCenter Top 10 play at No. 1 from one of the ACES courts [in week 1] that confirmed a participant hitting the ball by his legs utilizing one of these 20x lenses. That exhibits you ways a lot of an enchancment [it offers].”
Closer to the Action: ‘Towel Cams’ and Practice Court Interviews Bring Fans CourtsideESPN and the USTA have labored carefully this yr to offer extra entry to gamers than ever earlier than for viewers.
Earlier this yr at Wimbledon, ESPN started mic’ing up gamers throughout observe classes so they may share their perspective on their coaching and efficiency immediately with followers. That distinctive on-air ingredient has made its solution to the US Open with a number of gamers participating, together with phenom, together with American sensation Ben Shelton. ESPN is utilizing Riedel Bolero wi-fi intercom techniques and wi-fi mics to conduct the stay interviews.
A Sennheiser Presence earpiece is getting used for on-court interviews throughout observe classes.
In addition, after making its debut final yr, ESPN has introduced the “towel cam” to middle courtroom at Ashe – including a 3rd unit this yr. ATOM one mini 1080p PTZ cameras are affixed to the participant’s towel bin, providing up-close views of the participant’s face between factors.

Other key cameras this yr embrace SpiderCam wired-aerial techniques on each Ashe and Armstrong, a SupraCam two-point aerial system overlaying the grounds, InternetCams throughout the three largest courts, 11 robos for courtroom protection, 32 specialty cams positioned across the grounds and on the courts, and a number of RF gimbal cameras and 10 customary RF Cameras traversing the Tennis Center.
ESPN has as soon as once more rolled out a colossal complement of cameras for the US Open.
“We’ve definitely added extra this yr in phrases of entry,” says Olsen. “Production is at all times trying to get to get nearer and add extra behind the scenes [coverage]. So we’ve modified out a couple of places right here on the venue to dip additional into the precise expertise of the gang and the gamers right here.”
ESPN’s on-site studio protection can be as soon as once more taking part in a key function in bringing the ambiance of the Flushing Meadows to the viewer at dwelling. In addition to its long-established set places on the observe courts, the ESPN and ESPN International units on the South Plaza Fountains, and the Chase Lounge set, the community has added a brand new spot on the Chase Terrace on prime of Grandstand roof.
ESPN’s essential US Open set is as soon as once more positioned on the South Plaza Fountains.
Inside the ‘Double Stack’: A Technological Beast of a Broadcast Facility
Each yr, ESPN’s manufacturing workforce makes requests for extra cameras and audio sources that may have despatched the engineering workforce scrambling in previous eras. However, because the facility is totally IP-based, ESPN has the headroom and suppleness to scale up as required.
ESPN’s IP-based host-broadcast facility is constructed round a Cisco Nexus 9508 core switcher, with two Nexus 9236C models serving as leaf switches in the TOC and a Lawo VSM IP management system. Grass Valley IQUCP25 gateways have been put in on the IP core to offer bridges to the remaining of the ability. The Grass Valley Kahuna manufacturing switchers (with Maverick panels) and Grass Valley MV-821 multiviewers assigned to the seven production-control rooms on the facility are all IP-native as properly.
Inside the gear room at ESPN’s “double-stack” manufacturing facility on the USTA Tennis Center
“Since we took over this undertaking, no two years have been the identical,” says John Williams, Director of Media Services & Facilities, Gravity Media. “We’ve developed from a 1080i baseband manufacturing to a 1080p IP resolution with Ashe now UHD as properly. Every yr half of our large stock will get a refresh and we carry this to the US Open. If it’s new, it’s right here.”
Getting every thing rigged and prepared for the primary day’s play required a full Gravity Media crew of greater than 150 arriving on website in early August.
“Working with the ESPN and the USTA is at all times a pleasure,” he provides. “They are improbable companions and we actually are an excellent workforce juggling regardless of the match can throw at us.”
Olsen provides: “The US Open will get larger each single yr and Gravity Media Group are the first suppliers of providers to make that every one occur. Once once more, they’ve delivered to a really excessive degree and performed a superb job.”
Other key broadcast distributors moreover Gravity embrace Filmwerks, which is offering energy for all of the services on-site, The Switch, which is ESPN’s major transmission supplier (ESPN has a whopping 40 transmission paths going out and one other dozen return paths), and SMT, which supplies a wealth of information feeds to drive the published.
A Logistical Labyrinth: Crewing ESPN’s Biggest Remote of the YearThe US Open is ESPN’s largest and longest annual on-site distant operation with 957 matches performed over the course of 18 days (totaling 260 hours of protection on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes, and over 550 essential draw matches on ESPN+ and ESPN3). So, whereas the technical complexities of the US Open are extraordinarily daunting, the crewing and logistics are equally formidable.
ESPN’s 18-day marathon in Flushing Meadows was really prolonged to 19 days this yr resulting from climate issues throughout qualifying.
“It’s a really difficult time proper now in phrases of crewing any occasion and that is our largest all yr, so we begin serious about subsequent yr the day after this occasion ends,” says ESPN Senior Operations Producer Joa O’Connor. “From a crewing perspective, all we will do it to only attempt to be forward of it and attempt to anticipate the place we would want kind of assist. Considering we now have an 11:00 AM begin and don’t usually wrap till after midnight, we do our greatest to handle individuals and keep away from an excessive amount of overkill We are also doing every thing we will to carry youthful and extra various individuals into this business and that’s very thrilling to me personally.”
This yr’s US Open marathon will really whole 19 days resulting from climate points that prolonged play throughout qualifying rounds. In order to finish all the required qualifying matches, ESPN and the USTA have been in a position to scramble to get extra courts up and operating for broadcast forward of schedule. This included extra ACES courts and Court 17 on Thursday and Friday, in addition to Armstrong for in the future.
“We’re comfortable to assist the USTA and really glad that we have been in a position to accommodate them in order that they may get their play in,” says Wilson. “It was a really wild few days after which we had the precise essential draw instantly after. I couldn’t be prouder of this whole workforce for pulling all of this off.”