Better Broadcasts
Posted on Nov 14, 2024 by FEED Staff
Riedel Communications’ Simplylive Production Suite has changed the game for Lafayette College, lifting its student-run sports network to new heights
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As sport broadcasts and social media streams continue to dominate athletic entertainment, colleges and universities are graduating from amateur to pro-grade productions to meet consumer demand. Lafayette College, a Pennsylvania-based liberal arts institution and member of the Patriot League, uses Riedel Communications’ Simplylive Production Suite (SLPS) to deliver high-quality live broadcasts of its sporting events – from American football and basketball through to fencing and track and field – via the Lafayette Sports Network (LSN-TV).
Simple things
With a sub-3000 student population, Lafayette College – home of the Leopards – is a small but mighty squad. Recognised as one of the country’s best college- or university-owned networks, LSN-TV boasts a national viewership of 90 million, hosting the college’s 23 Division I sports and delivering over 35 live broadcasts annually. The studio also recognises the rise in live streaming, offering 80+ events in this format each year. “I see the need for live streaming going up and up. The more we can stream, the better,” says John Sabino, video production manager at Lafayette College. Riedel’s SLPS has allowed LSN-TV to up its game, raising the quality of its productions to match what’s expected of modern streaming services, including ESPN+.
The user-friendly solution also allows students to streamline their production workflows without any formal training. Thanks to its intuitive touch-screen UI, SLPS has shaved down training times and boosted efficiency. “When you have a board in front of you, there are a lot of buttons that you’re probably never going to hit. Now, everything you need is in front of you,” describes Sabino. Student broadcasters – even those with no production experience – can learn SLPS’s ins and outs within the span of one game. This ensures a seamless production process for the team’s camera, replay and graphics operators.
“I feel like I’ve mastered the system relatively quickly,” admits Jack Strini, production assistant, who had no prior hands-on experience with broadcast equipment. “It’s allowed me to get clips at lightning speed and send replays to my director before he’s even thought about his next move.”
All at once
Covering 23 distinct sports – some of which have overlapping schedules – is no mean feat. Thanks to SLPS’s All-In-One system, which runs on a portable V Mini server, LSN-TV can broadcast and livestream from various locations across campus. When the station previously operated from a single control room, it could only distribute one event at a time; now, Lafayette can broadcast concurrent matches, ensuring no sport is left in the dark. “Adding a second system helps us cover all our sports; we didn’t miss a single one this fall,” states Sabino. “With this Mini, we’re able to have a set-up pretty much anywhere.”
This is important to those closely associated with the college, including alumni and the athletes’ families. “You have an audience that’s so focused on the event itself,” explains Scott Morse, assistant vice president of communications and marketing at Lafayette. “They are watching for a reason; they care. In some cases, they live and breathe with every turn on the playing field.”
New normal
Riedel’s broadcast solutions have elevated LSN-TV, bringing Lafayette College athletics to new audiences and satiating existing fans alike. “We have a true partner in Riedel,” begins Morse. “Their staff have been instrumental to our success, and the capabilities they have provided us with have exceeded our expectations. I’ve often thought, ‘I can’t believe we have a product out there on a national level that looks so darn good.’”
“Lafayette’s success is a testament to both the seamless integration and top performance of our technology, underscoring its ability to empower educational institutions with state-of-the-art tools that simplify production, facilitate training and elevate the quality of live broadcasts,” adds Greg Macchia, Riedel’s vice president of business development, live production.
From its ease of use to its no-frills interface, Riedel Simplylive Production Suite is the future of broadcast tech. “I think the system we have will become the norm,” predicts Strini. “We are already ahead of the curve.”
This feature was first published in the Autumn 2024 issue of FEED.
