SimplyLive ViBox All-In-One Production System Serves Tennis Channel
By Jamie G
The Tennis Channel was one of the first networks to come back with live sports since the pandemic. August’s Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top Seed Open in Lexington, KY, represents the first WTA- or ATP event in the United States since the pandemic shut down sports in March. Since then, the Tennis Channel stayed up and running with producing five tournaments in the U.S and carrying hundreds of hours or live footage around the world. With the help of the SimplyLive ViBox, the network was able to produce the WTA Top Seed Open and keep the safety of their team a priority.
“We took great pride in being one of the very first networks to come back with live sports. “We never put the ‘gone fishing’ sign up. We have done five remotes since [the pandemic began], and we’re happy with that accomplishment. If we weren’t producing live tennis on our own, we took in live world feeds from Europe. And, if we weren’t doing that, then we had a live studio show where we incorporated some of our talent in studio and other talent via Skype.”
Bob Whyley, SVP/executive producer, Tennis Channel
To make sure the Network was following all safety measures for the WTA Top Seed Open in Lexington, KY they reduced the size of their onsite crew to 22 people. Normally the crew would be 50-60 people. Instead of the 53-footer they usually work out of they used Gravity Media’s Polaris midsize mobile unit. They were also able to reduced bodies onsite because of its Lose Angeles production facility. In L.A the Tennis Channel’s production team used a control room to supplement the feed with graphics, studio inserts, match commentary, and other storytelling elements. Back in Lexington, the Polaris was built around a 16-channel SimpyLive ViBox all-in-one production system.
“[The SimplyLive ViBox] takes a little bit of getting used to because it’s relatively new technology, but it has worked out great so far. Our operators in there have been doing a great job, and it’s accomplishing exactly what we need to accomplish, which is a nice, clean world feed.”
Bob Whyley, SVP/executive producer, Tennis Channel
As the tennis season continues, the network is looking forward to the real “Super Bowl” for the Tennis Channel, The French Open. The French Open will take place in the U.S for the first time at the end of September.
“Most of our focus right now is on the French Open. I think I could speak for everyone in saying we’re really excited to be a part of it. We will fall underneath the [French Tennis Federation] protocols when it comes to safety, and we’ll be scaling back in terms of people. But we’re in a good place, and we’re ready for it. You don’t know what tomorrow brings, but, being in production, we’re used to having to be flexible. So we will be ready, no matter what.”
Bob Whyley, SVP/executive producer, Tennis Channel
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