UFL Kickoff 2024: FOX Sports Builds on USFL Success With Drones, Helmet Cams, Ref Hat Cams, and All-Access Audio

Majority of this year's games will be Home Run Productions in 1080p HDR

The next chapter in professional spring football kicks off this weekend with the launch of the United Football League (UFL). As was the case for the XFL and USFL before it, the league will serve as a technological petri dish of sorts for its broadcast partners, ESPN and FOX Sports, to experiment.

FOX will deploy more than 25 cameras (plus PylonCam systems) for its UFL game productions this season.

“We truly see this as a showcase property for technology,” says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, FOX Sports. “That said, our goal is not to just put technology out for technology’s sake but to use it to enhance the broadcast and provide the look and feel that you’d [experience] if you were inside the stadium. At the same time, the work we’re doing here with technology will also benefit the other leagues and conferences that we work with in the long run as we explore new ways to tell stories using these [production tools].”

Many of the usual high-tech suspects have migrated from FOX Sports’ USFL coverage to its UFL broadcasts, which will be produced in 1080p HDR. The production armory will include live in-game drones from Beverly Hills Aerials, ActionStreamer Helmet Cams, PylonCam systems from C360 and 3G Wireless, Skycam wired aerials systems, referee Hat Cams from CP Communications, and FOX’s signature Megalodon cine-style shallow–depth-of-field roving RF camera. Unique inside-the-game audio will also continue, with 12 players miked for each game, along with access to all coach and referee communications.

“Having this level of access,” says Cheney, “we’re allowed to cover aspects that wouldn’t be possible otherwise and provide additional insights for fans. Sometimes that’s [focused on] the X’s and O’s of the sport, and sometimes it’s more about the emotion of the players and the sport itself. Our production team merges those two together to tell the story in a way that I think is unique compared with [other football broadcasts].”

Hitting It Out of the Park: Home Run Productions Are Back

The majority of FOX’s game productions will be Home Run Productions (HRPs) that use equipment from the onsite truck but locate the bulk of the crew at the FOX Network Center in L.A. One exception will be Saturday’s regular-season opener (Birmingham Stallions vs. Arlington Renegades) in Arlington, TX, which will be a fully produced onsite show out of Game Creek Video Gridiron mobile unit.

Mobile TV Group 53-RP, pictured here in Detroit on opening weekend, will be one of two primary mobile units for FOX’s UFL productions this season along with Game Creek Video Gridiron.

Gridiron, which handled USFL for FOX last year, will join Mobile TV Group 53-RP, a remote-production–specific mobile unit that debuted on FOX’s college-football package last fall, each weekend throughout the season. MTVG 46FLEX will roll out for FOX’s three-game weekends during Weeks 4-6. CES Power and Saunders Electric will power the UFL production compounds, and CP Communications will have its own facilities onsite to manage all RF audio and video.

FOX and ESPN are deploying largely similar crews and operations leaders for both their college-football packages and UFL efforts, creating an extra level of comfort and familiarity between the two broadcast partners. At FOX, the production team is led by director Mitch Riggin and producer Mark Teitelman, company vets who also led its USFL productions.

Springing Into Action: Drones, Helmet Cams, Ref Hat Cams, and More 

FOX is in its third season of spring football working with Beverly Hills Aerials (BHA), which will deploy the latest version of its high-speed Bumblebee drone featuring a more agile camera platform and new imager.

The latest version of Beverly Hills Aerials’ Bumblebee drone features a more agile camera platform and new imager.

“Every year, we are finding new ways to show the viewer the action and gain insights using these drones,” says Cheney. “Our production team has been able to integrate BHA into these shows in a way that enables them to do a lot more than what is typically done with live drones. With two years under our belt, everyone understands how to use the drone [in relation to] where the other cameras are placed and how to orchestrate that all out correctly. The more reps we get, the better BHA gets with their technology, and the better we get at working it into the show.”

FOX has also worked with ActionStreamer to enhance the WiFi transmission capabilities for the Helmet Cams to deliver a higher-quality 720p image, which is upconverted to 1080p. CP is also providing two ref Hat Cams for each game: one each for the umpire and the side judge.

The 25+ camera complement (plus PylonCams) is composed primarily of Sony HDC-5500’s with Canon 100X and 22X lenses. Key positions include four 6X super-slo-mo systems, two RF sideline cameras, an RF Megalodon featuring a Sony FX6 cine camera, and two wired sideline handhelds with ARRI Alexa 35 and Sony F5500 shallow–depth-of-field cine-style cameras.

“With RF handhelds,” notes Cheney, “it’s all about access, and UFL gives us as much access as we could ask for. Our ability to fully integrate with the league is second to none and helps us push the technology forward. The collaboration we’ve had with the UFL has been absolutely perfect, and we’re excited to partner with them going forward.”

The majority of FOX’s UFL production will feature PylonCams on both goal lines as well as on the line-to-gain marker. The broadcaster is working with multiple technology providers on its PylonCam systems: C360 (a Cosm company) will deploy systems with an expanded field of view; 3G Wireless is delivering a system with super-slo-mo capability. In addition, FOX is working with NEP to test out BSI PylonCam systems on a handful of games this season.

“We’re continuing to get the reps on that technology to see how it impacts our broadcasts,” says Cheney. “We’re looking for both quality and scalability so, the more we test, the better our broadcasts will be in the long run.”

Sounds of the Spring: UFL Offers Plenty of Audio Access

As part of extended on-field access for UFL games, FOX Sports is allowed to place parabolic microphones in the zone of action.

On the audio side, FOX Sports will use 24 bodypack microphones per game, 11 per team. Defensive coordinators will be captured through their intercom partylines; a separate channel will listen in on officials’ discussions of on-field rulings; and yet another channel on the PLs can be switched to for coaches interviews during the game.

“It’s hugely satisfying to be part of a project and a team that is breaking boundaries and pushing not only broadcasting but the sport itself forward,” says Cheney. “We all believe that this is going to be something very special for a long time to come.”