Super Bowl Three Times the Fun for Corplex

Super Bowl XLVI saw an increased presence from Corplex. Its expanded HD fleet was able to meet the needs of the NFL Network with three HD trucks — Chromium, Iridium, and Platinum — covering a multitude of events.

Corplex Chromium outside of Lucas Oil Field, the home of Super Bowl XLVI.

“We arrived at the end of January with two of the trucks to get them set up at the stadium and NFL Experience; the third truck, [which] handled events at the Media Center, arrived a week later, on Jan. 30,” says Corplex President Scott West.

He notes that the biggest responsibility was on Super Bowl Sunday, when Chromium handled NFL Network’s pre- and post-game coverage.

Corplex has been at the center of NFL Network operations for previous Super Bowls, but this was the first time the company had multiple trucks at multiple locations. Platinum was located at the NFL Experience; Iridium, at the Media Center.

“They were separate but also tied together because of the proximity of the locations,” adds West. “So, even though they were running independent shows, they could all see what the others were doing at the other events. And all transmission ran through Platinum.”

Getting fiber to the different locations was priority one. Setup began with cabling dropped over the roof and down the side of the Indianapolis Convention Center, host to the NFL Experience. In addition to three sets, the network had a roving Steadicam that would offer coverage from around the Zip Line in the Super Bowl Village, one of the hottest places to be during the festivities.

“We had to get all the cabling laid down before they opened the doors to the public and the whole area was packed with fans,” says West. “We were definitely dodging the crowds.”

An Evertz Magnum router also played a key role, enabling extra distribution capacity as well as handling up/downconversion and audio embedding and de-embedding in the router.

“We were just pleased to be a part of the NFL Network’s plans and that they asked for additional facilities,” adds West.

Although Chromium will quickly head to Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards’ red-carpet show for ET Canada, it will soon be back in Indianapolis. The NFL Combine, where college athletes run through drills and tests in front of NFL scouts, takes place the week of Feb. 20.

“The Combine continues to grow, and we’ll be handling that all on our own with a lot of cameras, drops, and preparation,” says West. “We learned a lot last year and look to build on that knowledge.”

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