Case Study

NBC Sports – Regional Networks

SECTION 1

Introduction

The NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of NBCU Local, is a group of regional sports networks in major U.S. markets that provide live sports coverage of NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, totalling hundreds of games and thousands of hours of programming annually.

Serving the San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia regions, the networks also produce live gameday shows covering the NFL franchises in their regions, as well as daily news, analysis, commentary programming, and original content across multiple platforms.

SECTION 2

The Challenge

Given their vast portfolio, the NBC Sports Regional Networks faced the challenge of finding a large-scale and comprehensive graphics solution to support their studio shows across multiple regional networks.

The graphics solution needed to be adaptable for the studio and MOS-style workflows in the network’s main broadcast centers and deployable for live sports production workflows across third-party remote trucks.

NBC Sports Regional Networks critical objectives included:

  • Streamlining workflows through automation and tighter integration of graphics systems in control rooms and the broader NBCU Local ecosystem.
  • Synchronizing graphics packages across remote sites and extension studios.

In addition to increasing the efficiency of their graphics workflow, NBC Sports Regional Networks sought to work with a vendor that could support future requirements. These included enhanced coverage for major events with features like studio touchscreen applications, score bugs and tickers, in-studio telestration (where a commentator or analyst draws on the screen to highlight or illustrate specific plays, strategies, or movements), and Virtual Effects/Mixed/Augmented Reality systems.

From a financial perspective, NBCU Local also wanted to be able to add additional tools through a more flexible pricing model, allowing them to scale up operations during peak times and scale down for regular programming.

SECTION 3

The Solution

Ross Video’s graphics solutions, including XPression real-time motion graphics, PIERO sports analysis tools, and Voyager virtual graphics engine enable the networks to streamline their workflow while delivering more compelling and visually rich productions.

With XPression Studio and XPression Tessera, NBCU Local’s hub-and-spoke graphics workflow is supported across their three regional networks, using a single tool to manage all on-screen and studio-wall graphics content from a centralized graphics system.

To further elevate programming, the PIERO sports analysis toolset, along with the Voyager virtual graphics engine and Lucid Studio are being used across several sites to unlock new storytelling opportunities and deeply engage fans. PIERO’s rich toolset of customizable effects for a wide range of sports not only helps informs viewers about the action on the field, court or ice but it’s another tool that helps the networks add entertainment value to their programming. Additionally, the user-friendly Voyager and Lucid virtual production solution enables more immersive storytelling.

The breadth of the Ross Video’s Graphics ecosystem also means that the NBC Sports Regional Networks have a trusted partner for future requirements. Tools like, XPression Telestrate and XPression Touch Factory for advanced interactivity and talent-driven graphics, provide NBC Sports Regional Networks with a comprehensive graphics toolset and unmatched customer support for the biggest sporting events.

As a live sports producer with unique requirements, we’ve relied on XPression and XPression Tessera to manage and synchronize our graphics across multiple studios. Its flexibility and real-time capabilities ensure that our visuals are always on point, regardless of the complexity or scale of the production.

Earl Camburn
Senior Director, Creative Services

NBC RSN solutions powered by Ross Video include:

Section 4

The Impact

The combination of XPression Graphics and PIERO Sports Analysis helped NBC Regional Sports Networks enhance their storytelling capabilities. The integration of XPression Datalinq™ into their workflow allows the networks to easily enrich their broadcast graphics with real-time data.

Datalinq transforms XPression into a powerful real-time renderer. Once a third-party data-source is connected via Datalinq, XPression can automatically populate on-air graphics with up to the second information from a wide range of sources, including official sports data providers, social media, and other platforms. 

A key strength of XPression and PIERO is their ease of use. The user-friendly nature of these systems allowed the team at the Networks to generate compelling, real-time data-driven graphics without extensive training. 

To speed up the onboarding process under some very tight deadlines, Rocket Surgery, Ross Video’s Creative Services group, collaborated with NBC Regional Sports Networks to rebuild their existing graphics with XPression. Rocket Surgery provided additional support with data integration and DashBoard design, helping to optimize the workflow for automated rundown creation. This partnership allowed NBC Regional Sports Network to implement the new system without disrupting their broadcast schedule. 

Learn More

To discover how Ross solutions are helping sports broadcasters tell a more compelling story for fans, visit rossvideo.com/sports-broadcast.