MLB Speedway Classic: FOX Sports Covers Sprawling Venue With Drone, RC Car Camera, Bullpen Car Cams, and More

First MLB game in Tennessee will break all-time regular-season single-game attendance record

With an MLB-record 85,000 fans in attendance and a full slate of live musical performances, Saturday’s MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway promises to be unlike any other baseball game. While the environment makes for a unique setting for fans, it presents a monumental challenge for FOX Sports: find a way to properly cover a baseball game from a concrete half-mile racetrack in the mountains of Bristol, TN.

The layout for FOX Sports’ coverage of the Braves–Reds game at Bristol Motor Speedway was developed with the help of pre-visualization software. (Photo: Earl Neikirk/Neikirk Image)

“We’ve got a great relationship with MLB on these special events,” says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, FOX Sports. “For the MLB Speedway Classic, this started out two years ago, and we’ve been with MLB side by side.”

Tall Task: Re-Creating the MLB Ballpark Experience at a NASCAR Track

FOX Sports and the league have collaborated on the layout and broadcast plan throughout six site surveys, the last one performed just a day after this month’s MLB All-Star Game. In addition, they have relied heavily on pre-visualization software to identify the most efficient setup for the game between the Atlanta Braves–Cincinnati Reds.

FOX Sports and MLB worked together on the layout and broadcast plan for televising a baseball game from a racetrack. (Photo: Earl Neikirk/Neikirk Image)

“The current design technologies allow us to pre-visualize what the ballpark will look like,” says Cheney. “We rely on the onsite visits to verify what the computer models show us. And, with a show like this, we will continue to make small tweaks to our setup throughout the week.”

In an effort to create what FOX is calling the “magnetic atmosphere of a NASCAR venue with the timelessness of America’s favorite pastime,” MLB has once again teamed up with BaAM Productions. This marks FOX’s fourth collaboration with BaAM, which also handled the league’s MLB Field of Dreams and MLB at Rickwood Field games in recent years.

“We’ve been very lucky to have a great partner in MLB and their main project partner in BaAM. which just makes things so smooth,” says Cheney. “We’re now on our fourth show together, and everyone enjoys working together.”

Noting the successful events in Dryersville, IA, and Birmingham, AL, Cheney says his operations team has truly found its groove for these one-off productions. “We continue to build on our successes at Rickwood and Field of Dreams to provide everything that production desires, while also being able to streamline the setups, which will really help [in Bristol] in the heat of August.”

Bristol Motor Speedway and the broadcast compound

FOX’s broadcast compound houses Game Creek Video Varsity and Edit 4 and CP Communications HD21 (which is providing RF support). Filmwerks Power (a Sunbelt Rentals Company) is supplying all power for the operation.

“Being a NASCAR track, this is a place we’re intimately familiar with,” says Cheney. “Both Francisco Contreras [director, field operations] and Tom Lynch [lead technical producer] have spent many years working at this venue so they had a great leg up in our planning and have been instrumental in supporting MLB’s efforts as well.”

All Angles Covered: Drones, UmpCam, RC Car Cam, Bullpen Car Cams

With a spectator capacity of 162,000 for a NASCAR race, the sprawling confines of Bristol Motor Speedway are a large canvas to cover. With that in mind, FOX has rolled out 40 total cameras, including drone shots from a helicopter (provided by NEP Specialty Capture) and a drone (provided by Beverly Hills Aerials).

FOX Sports’ RC Car Camera, which debuted at the Indy 500, will be at this weekend’s MLB Speedway Classic. (Photo: FOX Sports)

“With a game like this with 85,000 tickets sold,” says Cheney, “the drone is going to become a really special feature. It has been at Rickwood and Field of Dreams. Its ability to move and show the massive racetrack that this is will be spectacular.”

FOX will also deploy four super-slo-mo systems, an UmpCam at home plate, an RC Car roving camera, and in-car cameras deployed on the two bullpen cars, which will drive relief pitchers to the mound (as well as Hall of Famers Chipper Jones and Johnny Bench en route to throwing out the ceremonial first pitch).

The RC Car Camera, previously deployed by FOX Sports on Gasoline Alley at the Indy 500, will play a major role in covering pregame festivities, including player walkouts on the track and fan shots during the pregame concert featuring Tim McGraw, Pitbull, and Jake Owen.

FOX will also rely on 4G and 5G networks, wireless cameras, and remote camera-control systems to help navigate the expansive venue. “Our private network utilization continues to improve,” says Cheney, “and, across our MLB events, it has become a default for us. It’s allowing us to do more inside the limited RF spectrum because it’s IP based and full two-way-data–capable.”

All-Access Audio: Creating Unique Soundscape, Capturing On-Field Sound

On the audio side, A1 Joe Carpenter and his team will have 20 field-effects mics scattered throughout the venue.

“Joe and his team do such an amazing job of bringing the sound of a ballpark to life,” says Cheney, noting, “This will be completely different from anything we’ve ever heard before, with 85,000 fans at the game. Bridging sound is something this team does so well, and they have a great plan on how to bring it to the people.”

Bristol Motor Speedway is preparing for MLB Speedway Classic, a regular-season game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. (Photo: Randy Sartin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

As it did for the MLB All-Star Game, FOX Sports will mike players and coaches during the action. A total of 14 player/coach mics are available to capture a wide array of on-field and in-dugout audio content.

“This will be very different from what we’ve done in All-Star,” Cheney points out. “It won’t just be players. We’re going to be playing back their audio in the game, so it won’t be live. We’ve brought back the team that supported us during All-Star and are excited to bring more of the game to the fans.”

All Hands on Deck: FOX’s Onsite Efforts in Bristol

Producer Pete Macheska, who recently oversaw his final MLB All-Star Game for FOX, and Director Matt Gangl will be at the front bench for the Braves–Reds game. The onsite studio show will be led by Coordinating Producer Bardia Shah-Rais, Producer Jonathan Kaplan, and Director Derek Manning.

The onsite set for the studio show (Photo: Randy Sartin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Operations are overseen by Cheney, Contreras, and Lynch, along with Judy Lawless, Brian Obert, Chad McKelvey, Pam Chvotkin, Jennifer Freund, Taihe Miller, Nick Utley, Anil Leatherwala, Tanner Acone, Patricia Fischer, Brady Polansky, and Lou D’Ermilio.

Key technology and facilities providers on hand are Game Creek Video, CP Communications, NEP Specialty Camera, Beverly Hills Aerials, Filmwerks / Sunbelt, Pure Polish Fiber, and Beagle Networks.

“The MLB on FOX team is honored to be at these events,” says Cheney. “We are energized to bring these special games to our friends, family, and the global MLB community.”