Bexel, Mylan WTT Provide First In-Match Player Mics for Pro-Tennis Broadcasts

Three players per match wore Q5X QT-5100 PlayerMics for league’s ‘Sounds of the Court’ feature

Concluding with the final in San Diego on Aug. 5, the 2017 Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT) season introduced state-of-the-art, player-worn wireless microphones. Supplied by Bexel, an NEP Broadcast Services Company, the Quantum5X (Q5X) QT-5100 PlayerMic kits were aimed at deepening fan engagement with live Mylan WTT broadcasts.

Audio tech (left) mikes Orange County Breakers’ Andreja Klepac prior to the Mylan WTT final.

Developed by Q5X in partnership with Bexel, the PlayerMics have been deployed in other sports broadcasts, including professional basketball, but they made their live pro-tennis debut on July 18 when Mylan WTT’s Washington Kastles and New York Empire squared off in Washington, DC. Bexel supplied the specialty wireless audio systems and provided an onsite engineer to support the remote productions in New York City and Washington, as well as the final in San Diego, in which the Orange County Breakers defeated the San Diego Aviators.

“The PlayerMics are one of the most innovative and impactful ways of getting fans closer to the action by letting them experience the high level of athleticism, strategy, and intensity that the best players in the world bring to the court,” says Mylan WTT co-owner/Chairman Mark Ein. “Our fans loved hearing the behind-the-scenes strategy before the points and then watching how it played out in real time. There is nothing else like that in sports, and we believe this is only the beginning of what this technology will bring to tennis and to our viewers.”

Mylan WTT selected up to three players each match to wear the QT-5100 PlayerMics for its “Sounds of the Court” feature. The concealed mic and lightweight wireless transmitter, which weighs less than 2 oz. and is only ⅓ in. thick, captured unprecedented audio sounds and effects for the league’s live broadcasts. A remote-control device enabled operators to turn the sound relay on or off easily during play.

Lee Estroff, VP, strategic accounts, Bexel, notes, “For 42 seasons, World TeamTennis has been on the forefront of game-changing advancements in tennis. With the PlayerMics, WTT is once again pushing the envelope of innovation, and we at Bexel are honored to be a partner as the league continues to advance the popular sport of team tennis.”