U.S. Open Cup Final 2023: VISTA Worldlink To Wrap Season-Long Soccer Tourney With World-Feed Production at DRV PNK Stadium

CBS Sports, Telemundo Deportes will supply studio show, additional live match coverage

Messi Mania has taken Major League Soccer (MLS) and the U.S. professional-sports scene by storm since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami, and he can help add more hardware to the club’s trophy case with Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup Final vs. the Houston Dynamo. For the event at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL, VISTA Worldlink will head 13 miles north from its facility in Dania Beach, FL, to handle the world feed of one of its biggest onsite productions of the tournament.

“With Messi, everything has gotten bigger and better,” says Mike Freedman, VP/executive producer, production services, VISTA Worldlink and NEP Broadcast Services. “We’ve been doing the U.S. Open Cup since 2019, and this is without a doubt the biggest final that we’ve done.”

DRV PNK Stadium from the main game camera for the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Final

Boosted Camera Arsenal: Match Coverage To Include 20 Cams, Skycam, Porta-Jib

Messi is attracting the technological firepower to the coverage of the final, and VISTA Worldlink worked closely with the venue to make sure the broadcast compound was ready to go for the production. Freedman worked with Inter Miami Senior Director, Broadcast and Event Presentation, Luis Dones to set up the necessary connectivity and infrastructure for all onsite broadcasters. Dones’s entire team — including Senior Coordinator, Broadcast and Event Presentation, Juan Pinzon; Director, Operations and Facilities, Michael Blanton; Director, IT, Alexis Farres; and Facility Engineer Cliff Branch — has been available to assist with any need. In addition to working with Inter Miami and the staff at DRV PNK Stadium, VISTA Worldlink has to ensure that every U.S.-based entity receives everything it needs.

“Despite everything that he has on his plate, Luis has been unbelievable to work with,” says Freedman. “From U.S. Soccer to CBS Sports and Telemundo Deportes, we want to make sure that everybody involved gets what they want. Since we’re also the truck and crew provider for Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, we’ve been through this multiple times with tech enhancements for games that involve Lionel Messi.”

A Skycam tops the 20-camera complement at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

This included production of Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati last month. The onsite effort deployed 12 cameras, but, with Messi being featured in the final, the camera complement has been escalated to more than 20, including a Skycam, a Steadicam jib, a Porta-jib, and aerial shots from the Goodyear Blimp.

“We’re significantly bumping up [our complement] from what we’ve been doing for every other U.S. Open Cup game,” adds Freedman. “It’ll be excited to have all of these tech toys.”

Home-State Advantage: Onsite Effort Benefits From Proximity to Production Facility

Typically, VISTA Worldlink specializes in remote productions from its home in South Florida, but, for the U.S. Open Cup Final, the company goes big and implements a full onsite production for the competition’s world feed. Since its first go, in 2019, Freedman and his team have traveled to two cities: Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the first year and Orlando’s Exploria Stadium last year (the competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). The 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final between Orlando City SC and Sacramento Republic FC was played in Florida, allowing VISTA Worldlink crews to drive the 217 miles or take a quick flight north. This year, the game is closer to home, permitting an even shorter commute.

“We do a lot of remote productions,” notes Freedman, “so, anytime we get to do an onsite show, people are itching to travel and want to get on the road. We’re able to tap into some of our resources within our staff and our local crews to continue the continuity we have built doing remote shows. There are certainly advantages with [this year’s edition] being in our backyard.”

NEP Supershooter 16 is VISTA Worldlink’s home for the world-feed production of the U.S. Open Cup Final.

Working from within NEP Supershooter 16 mobile unit, Freedman is joined by Tech Manager Steven Kravitz at the heart of the day-to-day operations, Operations Producer Victor Bague, and, at the world-feed front bench, Producer Mackenzie Pearce and Director Ken Neal.

Meeting Challenges: Relationship With CBS Sports, Telemundo Deportes Proves Essential

Although a must-watch U.S. Open Cup Final comes with hefty responsibilities on both the production and the operations sides, handling the world feed is always made easier by working with reliable broadcasters. With CBS Sports and Telemundo Deportes distributing the match to viewers in the U.S., Freedman’s relationship with both broadcasters’ crews has been vital.

“It has been amazing with everyone getting along and seeing how they can help,” he says. “Between site surveys and weekly conference calls, everybody wants to put out the best possible product, and it has been an awesome project to work on.”

The CBS Sports team is led by Coordinating Producer Jonathan Segal and Producer Mike Nastri. At Telemundo Deportes, Freedman has worked with SVP, Content Operations, Chris Suarez-Meyers and Director, Production, Sports, Adrian Costas. Outside the U.S., 40 broadcasters will be showing the match in more than 100 countries.

Seeking More Messi Magic: CBS Sports Adds ‘Star Cam’ Second Screen to Studio Show

As Messi takes center stage in the highly anticipated final, English-language viewers will get a catered viewing experience from CBS Sports. Linearly on CBS Sports Network and digitally on Paramount+, the studio team of Kate Abdo, Micah Richards, Clint Dempsey, and Charlie Davies will set the table with a 90-minute pregame show from a dedicated set on the pitch. Nico Cantor and Susannah Collins will provide live reports onsite; play-by-play commentator Andrés Cordero, analyst Ray Hudson, and rules analyst Christina Unkel will be on the call. In terms of studio coverage, this is a departure from the broadcaster’s semifinal coverage, for which the studio team provided pre/postmatch and halftime analysis from its studios in Stamford, CT. On Wednesday night, the team will be directed by an onsite crew from NEP Supershooter 32.

“This is the first time we have our full studio show onsite,” says Segal. “It creates a lot of extra logistical challenges to deal with.”

CBS Sports is brining their studio team onsite for the Final.

Along with studio coverage, live match coverage is being augmented with Star Cam. Exclusively on Paramount+, digital-centric viewers will be treated to an iso camera dedicated to following Messi. The technique was used for Inter Miami’s semifinal victory vs. FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. For high-profile matches featuring can’t-miss talent, CBS Sports’ soccer coverage has tapped this workflow for international matches as well, including for Manchester City’s Erling Haaland during last year’s UEFA Champions League Final vs. Inter Milan and then-Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic during the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final vs. Manchester City.

At this time of year, CBS Sports is occupied with the weekly slate of NFL and college football, midweek productions of the UEFA Champions League, and other fall-season events. Adding its first-ever U.S. Open Cup Final to the mix can be daunting, but, luckily, the CBS Sports soccer crew led by VP, Production/Senior Creative Director, Pete Radovich is focused on providing a high-quality show amid the broadcaster’s other production priorities.

“We’ve created this amazing soccer unit of production people that handle the Golazo Network, our coverage of Serie A, and more,” says Segal. “While we’re dealing with a lot of other responsibilities, we’re never going to complain about covering sports.”

Soccer Fever in the U.S: VISTA Worldlink, CBS Sports See Opportunity in Messi-Led Final

Heading into Wednesday night’s final, there is a lot at stake for CBS Sports and the greater U.S. soccer community. With one of the greatest soccer players ever on the pitch, myriad eyeballs will be viewing the television production. At CBS Sports, this event is a crowning achievement for all the work it has done to draw more domestic attention to the sport. In its first-ever year of U.S. Open Cup coverage, the final means a lot to those working on it.

“Having been at CBS Sports for over 20 years and being a huge soccer fan, this is something I want to do and be a part of,” says Segal. “With everything we’ve done at the network, it shows the growth of soccer in this country, but, anytime you get to crown a champion at the end of a game, it’s a lot of fun for someone in production.”

At VISTA Worldlink, the production company handling every single match of the tournament, the buzz surrounding this particular final resonates with Freedman and his team.

“[U.S. Open Cup] holds a special place in our heart,” says Freedman. “There’s nothing like this tournament in the U.S. It’s something different, and we love being a part of it.”

Coverage of the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Final on CBS Sports begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. Coverage on Telemundo Deportes begin at 8 p.m. ET on Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock.