Calrec Audio provided audio support to U.K.-based OB specialist CTV at the first-ever regular-season NFL game in Europe at Wembley Stadium in London, 28 October between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins.
"Fox Sports Network and the NFL treated this league match as they would a match played in the U.S., so there was no compromise in the way the operation unfolded", said CTV International Business Director Bill Morris. "Fox travelled with its full announcer, talent, and reporting team, as well as a core crew of U.S. operators from its regular NFL team. The sound supervisor immediately felt at home in OB9, and he was thrilled to see the Alpha as it is identical to the one he had been using on various shows in the United States".
"The NFL and Fox Sports contacted CTV some months prior to the game", Morris continued. "From the first survey in the summer to the transmission on 28 October, planning was conducted daily. Audio planning was critical, as NFL audio is acquired in a completely different way than most U.K. sports. Similarly, the NFL communications network is the most comprehensive and complex I have encountered in a sports operation".
The pitch mic array utilized parabolic mics that are rarely used in Europe. Two-handheld parabolic reflectors, 4.5 meters in diameter, coupled with RF transmitters were strapped to audio assistants, who ran the sideline following the plays. Along with a substantial array of FX mics, these were sub-mixed and sent as aux feeds to the Calrec in OB9. Announcers, presentation positions, reporters, and a large array of GPI graphics FX triggers were added into the resultant 5.1 mix.
