ESPN Taps NewTek For Winter X Games


NewTek, a provider of video and 3D animation products, announced that its Tricaster portable live production system, will be used to produce and live stream extensive coverage of the ESPN Winter X Games 15 from Aspen, Colo., Jan. 27-30. Fans attending the X Games will be able to watch events on the in-venue video boards at various locations in Aspen—streamed exclusively with TriCaster. Fans at home and on-the-go will have access to all the action via the TriCaster-powered high definition (HD) live stream at Facebook.com/xgames.

Last July, at the summer X Games in Los Angeles, live video streams of the event were available at Facebook.com/xgames on the “X Cast” tab and the X Games live stream page, with content that featured the Skate and BMX Park/street practice, daily “Inside X” show, athlete chats and jumbotron feed. With TriCaster, ESPN produced some 446,398 streams that garnered 2,253,380 viewer minutes and 124,776 unique viewers.

“When it comes to live events, especially action sports, producers, directors and content editors are always looking for ways to offer their fans more,” said Philip Nelson, senior vice president, strategic development, NewTek. “TriCaster allows a producer to elevate the overall event experience and provide unique coverage like no one else—up close and personal.”

Tricaster allows users to simultaneously produce, live stream, broadcast, project and record HD and SD network-style productions. A single operator or small team can switch between multiple cameras, virtual inputs and live virtual sets, while inserting clips, titles and motion graphics with multi-channel effects. In addition to the ESPN X Games, TriCaster is used by sports organizations, broadcasters, schools, houses of worship, government agencies and others to provide a new level of extended programming and content to their audiences.

For more coverage on the Winter X Games, see “Winter X Games Gets its Ollie On in 3D.”