A full deck of events last week saw ESPN once again take its franchise SportsCenter out of the studio and into the open, marking one of the sports industry’s busiest weeks. The company deployed staff and resources across the country spanning Chicago, Louisville, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Talladega, among other locations, and saw at least 21 episodes of SportsCenter originate from Vegas and Chicago during the week, using at least 10 anchors in the process.
Cynopsis Sports caught up with Hannah Storm, host of SportsCenter and Face to Face with Hannah Storm, along with Mike Shiffman, Senior Coordinating Producer of Strategic Content and Coverage at ESPN, to talk travel, logistics and multi-tasking on the road.
Shiffman on coordinating the SportsCenter trip: We basically started planning that Friday when the fight was announced, working on the logistics, getting our here to scout locations. Simultaneously, we are producing so many elements: fearures, conversations, slam elements, long element, in-between elements and so forth. Yes, we have a lot of guests and analysts but you also want highly produced elements to run throughout. It has been a two-two and a half month process. We always have to figure out “how much?” We want coverage to be big, bold, beautiful. After you figure out how much content, exactly, you want to produce, it becomes fun because then you are working in a room with a team of really smart people.
On the fans: I think it’s great for the fans and the talent, having the touchpoints where they can interact. It shows they are real people and not just up on a TV screen from a studio in Bristol and when they come by the set or see them around town, they can approach them and ask them questions. Having that interaction with the fans and not just through a TV screen is important.
Storm on the pre-fight scene in Las Vegas: With the hype we have seen in this fight, it is extending the sport of boxing into mainstream interest and its definitely had the feel of a Super Bowl and the feel of a national championship game. There is potential for the biggest day of the year in terms of wagering to happen on Saturday because of the confluence of the Derby and the Game 7 and Yankees/Red Sox, all culminating with the main event. It is our understanding that the betting
On producing: I just finished a film I directed called Shaq and Dale, about Shaquille O’Neal and Dale Brown and it was rally well received. People loved it. From a directing standpoint, it was a bold decision to do a film with just two people in it. I feel like we pulled it off. Right now I am directing some series, one for Ford and one for Speed Stick and I hope there will be more films down the road. I love that aspect of the business and I enjoy being on the other side.
