The three-day draft used a variety of TVU Networks’ cloud-based live production products to stream content to fans

TVU NFL1

The 2021 NFL Draft has worked with cloud-based live production experts TVU Networks to distribute video content around the three-day draft.

All 32 NFL teams used the TVU Anywhere remote production app and TVU Grid, a cloud-based video distribution network, for footage of their draft rooms during the draft, beginning on 29 April.

The draft was held in Cleveland. Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment (VWSE) Productions managed all aspects of the video production.

As well as the production from the draft rooms, TVU also supported the live video feeds of 50 off-site player prospects for the production. Prospects who chose not to attend the draft in person were sent all-in-one camera kits that included a webcam, lighting, and a Mac mini preloaded with TVU Anywhere.

The camera feeds were sent to a bank of 25 TVU servers in Cleveland, which provided up to 50 SDI outputs for use during the live broadcasts.

The servers were also networked through TVU Grid, enabling all live video feeds to be monitored online, even on mobile devices, using TVU GridLink.

A separate bank of 17 TVU servers (providing 34 SDI outputs) in Cleveland was assigned to manage behind-the-scenes video feeds from all 32 teams.

The feeds provided live footage of team personnel as they reacted to draft picks and conducted business during the draft. Each club was shipped an iPhone preloaded with TVU Anywhere that was positioned to provide coverage of the draft room.

Nate McCoart, director of technical operations at VWSE, said: “TVU’s solutions worked very well for us during the NFL Draft. They made it easy to manage live video from dozens of locations across the country for the broadcast, and they were able to manage secure draft room feeds for both our production and NFL officials.”

Greg Doggett, director of sports and entertainment and strategic partnerships, TVU Networks, added: “Over the years, the NFL Draft has become an incredibly popular event. We’re proud to be part of the team that helped support the in-person production with remote video content. TVU’s data-centric approach to the media workflow for the NFL Draft simplified the capture and distribution of an enormous amount of content without sacrificing quality or security.”