Basketball fans can’t sit courtside these days, but they might just get the ultimate view of NBA action when ESPN opens its coverage of the league’s season this evening." data-reactid="19">Basketball fans can’t sit on the sidelines these days, but they may have the final view of the NBA’s action when ESPN opens its coverage of the championship season tonight.
Football” analyst Booger McFarland that ESPN for a time placed on top of a cart that could move with the game up and down the sideline). ESPN tonight will broadcast the Boston Celtics against the Milwaukee Bucks at 6:30 p.m. eastern, followed by Dallas Mavericks taking on the. Houston Rockets at 9 p.m. eastern." data-reactid="20">Fans using the ESPN app will be able to access full games with a “rail-cam” view, which allows the streaming audience to see the action through a camera lens placed on a mobile table. As the action moves up and down the field, the camera can move with it (a concept not unlike the “Boogermobile”, a high chair for former Monday Night Football analyst Booger McFarland, who ESPN for it was once placed on top of a cart that could move with the game up and down on the sideline). Tonight ESPN will broadcast the Boston Celtics against the Milwaukee Bucks at 6:30 p.m. East, followed by Dallas Mavericks who will face the. Houston Rockets at 9:00 p.m. East.
NBA game and provide unique access and angles that we’ve always wanted to be part of our coverage,” says Tim Corrigan, senior coordinating producer of NBA broadcasts for ESPN. “This is another example of technology we’ve tested at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas that has turned into a reality for our regular season and playoff productions.” The camera, he says, has a lens height of six feet and sits 10 feet off the court’s apron." data-reactid="30">“Railcam will bring the incredible athleticism of the NBA game to life and provide unique access and angles that we’ve always wanted to be part of our coverage,” says Tim Corrigan, senior coordinator producer of NBA broadcasts for ESPN. “This is another example of technology that we tested at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas that has turned into a reality for our regular season and our playoff productions.” The camera, he says, has a target height of six feet and is 10 feet from the field apron.
ESPN intends to use the “rail-cam” also at various points during the television broadcast.
NBA game co-hosted by Katie Nolan, Jay Williams, Gary Striewski and Mike Korzemba, all of whom were superimposed at the bottom of the screen while emoji popped up during game play to call attention to various parts of the action." data-reactid="34">The non-traditional game angle marks ESPN’s latest experiment in offering fans “alternative views” of the traditional game. In August of last year, ESPN tested a kidscast from the annual Little League World Series on ESPN2. The program featured two 16-year-olds offering comments in the broadcast booth and two 15-year-old reporters on the sidelines. In June last year, the ESPN app featured an adolescent-focused stream of an NBA game co-hosted by Katie Nolan, Jay Williams, Gary Striewski and Mike Korzemba, all superimposed across the bottom of the screen as emojis appeared during the game to draw attention to various parts of the action.
App users who tune into the games will also listen to the audio from the microphones positioned under the field: better to listen to the sounds of squeaky shoes and bouncing balls.
NBA has worked with its two primary rights holders – Disney’s ESPN and WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports – to fill the void left by the lack of live crowds at its games, which are playing out in Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports facility near Orlando, Fla. More than 300 fans will be invited to appear live on 17-foot video boards surrounding the court at the games. Their antics are sponsored by Anheuser’s Michelob and coordinated with technology from Microsoft. “We’re really focused on bringing our fans closer to each other and to the action than ever before and creating new ways for them to watch,” said Sara Zuckert, head of next-gen telecast at the NBA, in a recent press conference. “We’re also creating new ways for them to interact with the game since they can’t be there in person.”" data-reactid="36">The NBA has worked with its two primary rights holders – Disney’s ESPN and WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports – to fill the void left by the lack of live crowds in its games, which take place at the nearby Disney ESPN Wide World of Sports facility. in Orlando, Florida. More than 300 fans will be invited to appear live on 17-foot video cards that surround the pitch during the games. Their antics are sponsored by Michelhe of Anheuser and coordinated with Microsoft technology. “We are really focused on bringing our fans closer to each other and in action than ever before and creating new ways for them to watch,” said Sara Zuckert, head of the next generation TV show at the NBA, in a recent press conference. “We are also creating new ways to interact with the game since they cannot be present in person.”
Many of the new on-screen features are also used by Turner.
In an era in which streaming services turn viewers away from traditional TV, live sports broadcasts have evolved into a fundamental element of the offerings of linear networks. Customizing their presentation for younger viewers who are more at home watching videos on mobile screens is taking on new importance as traditional media try to keep the audience most desired by advertisers.
New shooting angles could also bring new challenges. The rail camera is positioned on only one side of the field, which means that part of the action on the ESPN app stream could take place further away from the camera.
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