PVI does virtual ads for NESN from broadcast center

By Andrew Lippe
New England Sports Network inserted
virtual ad graphics during Monday night’s Boston Red Sox game using
downstream technology developed by PVI. “Ad insertion in the past
was done on-site from the production truck with calibrated camera lenses,”
says Sam McCleery, PVI Executive VP, sales and marketing. Downstream
technology inserts graphics from the broadcast center instead of from
a mobile unit.
“It is nice having the guys in the
broadcast center as opposed to being inside the truck,” says John O’Leary, general sales manager for NESN. By inserting the graphics from the broadcast center NESN reduces the costs associated with the graphics.
Virtual ad graphics will be seen Monday nights on NESN while the games
air nationally on ESPN (ESPN viewers will not see the NESN virtual graphics).
“A single operator loads the ads into rotation using PVI software,” says Jay DiGiovanni, PVI Virtual
Media Services, SVP, and general manager. Advertisements were implemented
after each half inning as the operator advanced through the ad map.
“The pre-game set-up takes all of 90 seconds,” says DiGiovanni.
PVI also does Virtual ads for MLB international as well as the New York
Mets and the New York Yankees.