STAMFORD, Conn.—When the Premier Lacrosse League’s inaugural season kicks off on June 1, NBC Sports will bring the sport to audiences with a number of new production features aimed at showcasing the game and its athletes.
One of the elements that will be highlighted is player communication. This will be done with player-to-commentator communication, which will have two players on the field able to communicate with the NBC Sports PLL broadcast team throughout the game to provide an inside perspective of the action. This will be done with Gubser & Schnakenberg LLC communication applications installed in the players’ helmets.
In an effort to provide more insight into the strategy of the game, NBC Sports will feature a player from one of the six PLL players not playing in the game being broadcast to help call the game from the field. Also, various players and coaches will be mic’d up each week so fans can hear their on-field commentary.
To emphasize the speed of the game, the broadcasts will have sensors from SMT on each end of the field to track shot speed from various angles. Using SMT’s lacrosse intelligence engine, the sensors will be able to provide real-time speed tracking.
A familiar element for sports fans, but now set to be more common for the PLL, NBC Sports will feature a Skycam for multiple games throughout the season. The computer-controlled, cable-suspended camera system can be maneuvered over the field to provide different angles to home viewers.
The first game for the inaugural PLL season will take place on June 1 at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. NBC Sports will broadcast it exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s Premier Lacrosse League Pass. The first televised game will be on June 2 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The network will carry games throughout the summer, with three games on NBC and 16 on NBCSN. All 39 games will be available for live streaming on NBC Sports Gold’s Premier Lacrosse League Pass.
