SMT/IDS to Provide Broadcast, In-Stadium Services For Reebok CrossFit Games

SMT/IDS continues to expand its partnership with CrossFit by providing broadcast and on-site solutions unique to the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games, which began Tuesday with the three-day Masters competition and concludes with the main competition today through Sunday in Carson, Calif.

Since 2011, SMT/IDS has supported CrossFit, delivering the first scoring services to the CrossFit Games and adding timing services in 2013. (n+1) designstudio, SMT’s creative division, has been CrossFit’s official design firm since 2012, expanding services this year to include the CrossFit Games show opener, to be featured on ESPN today and Saturday night and on ESPN2 Sunday night. The same coverage streamed on ESPN3 of the masters and team competitions will be available on Games.CrossFit.com.

“For 2014, one of our major goals was to have an animated show opening that matched the standard set by the objective of the CrossFit Games – to find the fittest people on Earth,” said Joe Novello, coordinating producer for the CrossFit Games. “Using universal imagery that simultaneously applies to the core CrossFIt community as well as the newly interested, the team at (n+1) designstudio created a bold, explosive and definite illustration of the journey these amazing athletes make to reach the pinnacle of their sport. In short, they dead-on nailed it.”

CrossFit’s webcasts utilize SMT’s GOTO Board touchscreen. The GOTO, operated by CrossFit’s webcast hosts, is powered by SMT’s graphics publishing system, Data Matrix Switchboard (DMX), which absorbs and organizes statistics and displays such information as:

• Comparisons of age, weight, height and records of participating athletes
• Historic and live competition statistics, including current leaders
• Data enhancing competition highlights
• Limitless statistics by categories, such as records for individual sports competitions

Additionally, SMT’s GOTO Board allows hosts to post social media updates during the webcast, including fan comments, pictures, trending topics and instant polling that can come from any social channel, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SMT/IDS services for the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games include:

Enhanced scoring services: This flexible and robust system allows for multiple scoring use cases and points configurations, necessary for the ever-changing CrossFit competition.

Central clock controller: This system allows the handheld scoring devices to receive an automatic start, eliminating the potential of human error that can occur when scoring an event. This system will also allow for the wireless handheld scoring devices to be synced with the time of day to provide a time stamp, making post production work easier to associate data and video from the CrossFit Games.

Redesigned graphics: New for 2014, (n+1) designstudio has created a new look for the 3D graphics, and also added: show tease, show open, replay effects, theme interstitials, new transition elements, athlete interstitials, full screen background elements, new broadcast elements, and revised CrossFit Shield.

Closed Circuit Television Feed: CrossFit’s closed circuit television system has one channel of live video of the CrossFit Games, one channel displaying a schedule of the day, and a third channel that shows the current leaderboard for the men’s, women’s, teams and master’s competitions.

Ribbon Board Interface: A 3′ x 90′ LED ribbon board, built on the CrossFit tennis stadium floor, will show lane assignments, event descriptions and sponsor logos.

Rig Display Interface: New for 2014, a 3’ x 270′ LED display, built on the north end of the CrossFit soccer field, will show real-time scoring, lane assignments and sponsor logos.

“Our partnership with CrossFit and the CrossFit Games allows SMT/IDS to showcase our complete suite of products and services, from our comprehensive broadcast package, to in-stadium video boards and data integration, timing and scoring systems and our GOTO Board for the studio,” said Jessica Schacht, senior business development manager SMT/IDS. “With our 23-person team on-site at the CrossFit Games, we also ensure a smooth production flow as we bring viewers closer to the stories behind these incredible athletes.”