SVG Year in Review: October
Story Highlights
Over a mere 31 days, the world was introduced to Siri and the Rally Squirrel, said farewell to Apple visionary Steve Jobs and legendary director Joe Aceti, and shoveled its way out of a freak snowstorm that blanketed the Northeast. The month of October, arguably one of the best for sports television, was hardly boring.
After a late-September wild Wednesday catapulted the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays into the MLB postseason, October opened with the playoffs in full swing. MLBAM and Turner Sports returned with their third season of Postseason.TV, while Fox Sports took to the road for the ALCS pregame show.
As the Cardinals and Rangers faced off in the World Series, Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Southwest provided the regional point of view. On the national broadcast side, the Fox Sports crew found success with Hot Spot, and MLB Network showcased its innovative production model.
October was a busy month for the SVG crew as well, who brought together more than 150 industry leaders for the 2011 TranSPORT Summit on Oct. 11. Over the day-long event, attendees discussed proper transport of 3D and 1080p, venue circuits, satellite services, and more. For complete coverage of TranSPORT, CLICK HERE.
On the ice, NHL Network and CBS Sports Network dropped the puck on their respective new seasons, and Versus provided increased NBC Sports coverage for hockey fans. In October, NBC Sports announced that it would consolidate its Northeastern operations in Stamford, CT.
On the gridiron, CP Communications’ fiber audio setup hit the road for the NFL. DIRECTV and the Professional Bull Riders teamed up to present the conclusion of the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals on DIRECTV’s n3D channel.
In the NBA, mobile production vendors were bracing for the impending lockout. Elsewhere on the hardwood, however, basketball was heating up. The WNBA championships featured more sound on the court, and ESPNU tipped off Midnight Madness.
October was a busy month for venue news, with technology upgrades taking place at Vancouver’s BC Place, Michigan Stadium, Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, Purdue’s Mackey Arena, and Los Angeles’ Staples Center.
In the college space, university athletics departments increasingly turned to Facebook, Filmwerks prepared for the inaugural Carrier Classic, and the NEP SS3 set sail for the University of Hawaii.
