SVG Year in Review: July

July is routinely one of the busiest months on the sports calendar, and SVG was there to cover the vast array of events, including Wimbledon, the MLB All-Star Game, the British Open, X Games 17, and America’s true pastime – the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

The All England Lawn and Tennis Club and Sony dove head first into the 3D waters this summer, producing Wimbledon in 3D for the first time as part of a three-year 3D commitment. While the production proved to be a rousing success, issues remained on the delivery and viewing theater side of things. And not to be overlooked, the 2D Wimbledon operation was among the largest and most complex of the year. In addition, 2011 marked the final year that Breakfast at Wimbledon will air on NBC, as ESPN inked a comprehensive 12-year rights deal just after the tournament concluded.

After Novak Djokovic’s epic defeat of Rafael Nadal finished off Wimbledon, SVG jetted to Phoenix, AZ for the MLB All-Star Game festivities. For the second consecutive year, ESPN produced the Home Run Derby in 3D and continued to innovate on the 2D side, as well. As for the game itself, Fox Sports teamed up with Game Creek to produce an impressive telecast than ran almost entirely on fiber/MADI cabling and routing. In addition, MLB Network tapped NEP facilities and MLB International utilized Corplex Iridium to help with its massive efforts in Phoenix.

From Phoenix, SVG hopped a puddle jumper to Los Angeles for ESPN’s X Games 17, which featured a host of new technologies and served as the largest “5D” production yet for ESPN. The network built out a massive infrastructure for both the marathon telecast and the on-site experience. A full army of tech vendors were also on hand to support ESPN, including BSI, Fletcher Sports, Illumination Dynamics, NewTek, Sony, and many more. CLICK HERE for SVG’s full coverage of the most Xtreme event in sports.

July also featured not one, not two, but three SVG events taking place across the globe – the Sports Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles, the Sports Asset Management Summit at NASCAR Media Group Headquarters in Charlotte, and the Sports Trade Mission to Brazil. The Sports Entertainment Summit, produced in conjunction with Variety, featured a look at the state of the sports entertainment business, while the Sports Asset Management Summit provided an inside look at NASCAR Media Group’s state of the art facility and the latest developments in the Asset Management sector. In addition, the Sports Trade Mission to Brazil offered a trade delegation of SVG members and sponsors a first-hand look the one of the world’s fastest growing sports production markets.

Other highlights included ESPN’s larger-than-life presence at the British Open, the Women’s World Cup Final on ESPN, and Fox Sports Detroit’s inside-the-truck telecast of a Tigers game.

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