TurnerBroadcasting has built a new multimedia studio set called “TNTArena,” made to look like a mini-basketball arena on top of a 60-story building.An arched roof over the anchor desk creates the arena feel, with a miniature3-D skyline lurking in the background dubbed “NBC City.”
Production Design Group, out of New York, beat outseveral other design firms by presenting the arena concept.
“They had the best completeidea for a set,” said LennyDaniels, senior vice president, coordinating director at TNT. “It wasn’t just pretty setpieces or a good-looking background, it was an idea.”
The set functions as a full360-degree theater in the round, with a rotating desk completely surrounded bya backdrop. That will allow TNT’s anchors to be more physically active oncamera and enable various looks and camera positions.
A demonstration area, madeto look like an outside balcony, directly overlooks the miniature city. LCDscreens pop up from the city like billboards and will be used to promoteupcoming segments and possibly sponsors.
The new set is thecenterpiece of a complete graphic overhaul for TNT’s NBA telecasts, which kickoff Nov. 1.
Daniels said all “NBA onTNT” graphics will have a new and cohesive look this year that runs throughevery segment of the telecast. “Anything we have that touches the NBA willreally have a consistent feel, and that’s really the first time we’ve been ableto do that,” he said.
For about 20 games, TNTalso will suspend a CableCam from the center scoreboard, used mostly duringfree throws or when players are coming on and off the court for time-outs. Thecamera, dubbed “TNT CourtView,” will be in a fixed position in terms of whereit hangs over the court, but it can be raised or lowered throughout the game.Daniels said the network is negotiating with the NBA about how low it can go,but he said 15 feet is probably the lower limit.
BOBCATS ON LIMITED TV LOCALLY: The Charlotte Bobcats arelocked into a multiyear agreement that won’t allow their games to be shown inthe Charlotte area via direct broadcast satellite. That’s because the originaldeal that put the team-owned C-SETnetwork on Time WarnerCable’s digital basic platform included a cable exclusivity clause.When C-SET was shuttered to get broader distribution for the Bobcats, puttinggames on Time Warner’s local news channel, the cable exclusivity carried over.Therefore DirecTV and Dish Network, which serve morethan a quarter of the pay television subscribers in the U.S., are shut out.
All but a handful of majorleague teams have their games on satellite, the exception being the San DiegoPadres and the Philadelphia pro teams on ComcastSportsNet (whose parent company owns both the major cable systems inthe area and the 76ers and Flyers).
For the second-yearBobcats, who open a new arena this season, not having satellite means it willbe that much harder to build a fan base. But the Bobcats’ chief marketing officer,Chris Weiller, saysthe team’s local exposure will be “increased exponentially” over last seasonwhen the club was only on digital cable, and the Bobcats also can seek dealswith other cable operators in the Carolinas.
HBO DARES TO MARKET: Every year HBO Sports picks onedocumentary to throw sizable marketing support behind. This year, it’s goingbeyond even that for “Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s SoccerTeam.”
The network is making agrassroots push, staging screenings on college campuses and working withvarious nonprofit organizations to get a nationwide buzz going before the118-minute documentary debuts Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET. This will be in addition tobillboards in New York and Los Angeles, a print buy, radio spots in 11 major marketsand promotion on HBO.
“It’s getting moremarketing support than any documentary we’ve ever done,” said HBO SportsPresident Ross Greenburg.
Some of the grassrootsactivity includes an agreement with SportsIllustrated On Campus to stage screenings on 15 college campuses,mostly major state schools with strong women’s soccer programs. Six additionalscreenings will be held in soccer hotbed cities around the country, plus a galapremier in New York on Nov. 29. Women’s team members will appear at the screeningsand participate in many of the activities.
AndyBernstein can be reached at abernstein@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
