“There was no script. There was no playbook.” – Bill Stafford, VP of Engineering and Technology Operations, Raycom Sports
A bit of sports television history was made last week when the first Harlem Globetrotters game was broadcast live on television in more than 40 years.
In partnership with Gray Media, the Globetrotters’ historic home game at the American Dream in New Jersey on Aug. 18 was produced by Gray’s Raycom Sports division and distributed to more than 90 Gray-owned local television stations nationwide, including Peachtree TV in Atlanta.
Iconic sports venue [that hadn’t been broadcast live in the modern era of television] Playing in the unconventional venue of a major shopping mall was an exciting clean slate for the Raycom Sports team.
“There was no script or playbook,” said Bill Stafford, vice president of engineering and technology operations for Raycom Sports. [wasn’t] It was very complicated, but I learned a lot and it was fun. I think about the history of this team, the memories that were made for the people there. It’s one of those things that you can enjoy on television.”
Producing basketball games is nothing new for Raycom Sports. The organization has nearly 50 years of experience producing more than 10,000 live sporting events, including a college basketball tradition. But this wasn’t just any basketball game. This was a game without a preset graphics package, theme music or announcing team, with the entertainment-focused Globetrotters playing in the crowded atrium of a shopping mall that wasn’t built with live broadcasts in mind.
To meet this challenge, the operations team, consisting of Stafford, Executive Producer Rob Likely, and Technical Manager Mike Zukowski, parked a Raycom Sports production truck, RHD3, in the American Dream parking lot and strategically deployed fiber optics from Fiber Transport Systems to create the broadcast nervous system. From there, they strategically placed cameras on the upper levels of the atrium towering over the basket, floor, and court to get just the right angles for the live show. The camera lineup relied heavily on Fletcher robots and 3G Wireless RF. The graphics package was built for Ross Xpression, and the clock and scorebug system was run by TV Graphics.
Additionally, audio was a big focus for the broadcast. Not only was it a difficult space to reduce echo, but the Globetrotters’ entertainment element required capturing audio from outside of the game as well. The Globetrotters’ “showman” is regularly on the mic for in-venue entertainment, and there’s a fair amount of interaction with the live crowd. Raycom utilized powerful wireless microphones, including mic placements for the four players, the umpire, and of course the on-air talent.
The television crew worked closely with Globetrotters Showrunner and Venue Producer Zoltan Berenci to ensure the entire Harlem Globetrotters game-going experience was delivered to television viewers.
“Covering a basketball game means that it’s entertainment in and of itself. Not all of the content is on the court,” Stafford noted. “It’s the crowd that’s affected. You have to cover the entertainment as well. What I’ve found to be the most unique about this is that it’s a basketball game, and you have to cover it as a basketball game, but you also have to cover the entertainment part.”
The broadcast featured producer Scott Snyder and director Ken Neal on the front bench, with play-by-play announcer Tom Wurm, commentator Brian Oliver, and reporter “Maxwell” as on-air talent.
The match was a key part of what was being billed as the first-ever “sports residency.” The Harlem Globetrotters performed at American Dream for 10 days, providing a multi-faceted fan experience that combined clinics, interactive fan experiences, live games, retail merchandise and this historic live broadcast. The club hopes this is the start of something new and big for the legendary sports venue.
“Our history-making resident show continues to attract partners who want to help us elevate this moment,” said Keith Dawkins, president of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios. “It’s been more than 40 years since audiences last saw the Globetrotters live on television, and we’re grateful that Grey Media is helping us revitalize our brand for an entirely new generation.”