The pomp and circumstance that is an everyday norm on the Las Vegas Strip will hit a new level on Saturday night when the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix finally hits the streets after more than a year of hype. And ESPN is rolling out the red carpet accordingly.
“Much like the popularity and growth of F1 in the Unites States, ESPN’s on-site presence grows with each race,” says Kate Jackson, VP, Production, ESPN. “There is a lot of interest and excitement around the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix race and our crew list and coverage plans reflect that.”
F1’s U.S. rightsholder will surround Saturday’s race telecast with programming and content across platforms including the on-site presence of SportsCenter, a live preview show at 11:30 p.m. ET, a cavalcade of social media and digital content, and two podcasts, as well as support for ABC News’ Good Morning America. In order to pull this all off, ESPN is using several different production models and, according to Jackson, must be prepared for a variety of unexpected left-turns for the inaugural race.
“The inaugural race at any location can present challenges,” she says. “No matter how much you prepare, there is always something you didn’t plan for. You have to live through a full race weekend to really understand what each individual event will be like.”
The line cut for all F1 competition – including practice sessions, qualifying, and race coverage – is an F1 Media-produced world feed. This is shared with SKY UK, which adds commentary and additional graphics, and then broadcast on ESPN for U.S. viewers. Additional coverage over the weekend like Ted’s Notebook, the Grand Prix Sunday pre-race show and Checkered Flag post-race show are also produced by SKY UK and carried by ESPN. The awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony, which was produced by F1 and the LVGP, was also televised on ESPN2 at 12:30 a.m. ET on Thursday.
“The Las Vegas Street Circuit is something to behold,” says Jarrett Baker, Manager of Remote Facilities, ESPN. “How often does one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the world pivot to become a Formula 1 circuit?”
Inside the F1 Garage: ESPN Right in the Middle of the Action
Since ESPN’s first U.S.-based F1 event at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022, the operations team has moved from a full-sized OB and large set in an iconic setting to a nimble Bexel-supplied flypack and compact garage set. According to Baker, this strategy closely aligns to the approach that other rightsholders repeat week after week around the globe.
Jarrett Baker on the frontstretch at the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit
ESPN has a small crew on site in Las Vegas – with additional production staff back at its Bristol, CT campus – and a purpose-built 12’x12’ set inside the garage that provides a 360 view of team hospitality and garage areas.
“Our on-site approach for F1 events is much different than other sports,” says Baker. “One of our primary missions at U.S. races is to add to the world-class coverage of our partners at Sky Sports. And the F1 Garage is the place to be at any Grand Prix – Celebrities and VIPs rub shoulders with drivers, team principals, and engineers and it gets crowded. Our 12’ x 12’ set is unobtrusive and ensures that our journalists can speak with as many drivers and principals as possible. It’s a literal night-and-day difference from how we approach other properties.”
A general view of the ESPN cabins in the International TV Compound at the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
ESPN has a REMI flypack system on site with three PTZ cameras and microphones along with a director and lighting director on site. All cameras and audio are sent back to ESPN Bristol for integration in the program feed. This setup also supports ESPN’s shoulder programming, SportsCenter, ESPN Bet, ESPN Deportes, ESPN International, Good Morning America, and ABC News.
ESPN settled on this custom flypack for the U.S. races after testing two mobile unit approaches last year. It’s a combination REMI/REMCO model that can be set and struck in about four hours. Three Bristol-controlled Panasonic 150 PTZ cameras and a DANTE audio network are deployed to the set. A Ross Ultrix backbone and Unity Intercom link the compound with Bristol. ESPN has three outbound J2K circuits, multiple IP returns, and access to F1’s on-site CATV system.
Chris Watson, director of studio & remote lighting, preps fixtures for use on ESPN’s set in the garage area of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“Our goal is to seamlessly join the International TV Compound at each US race while providing the best-in-class support our department is known for,” says Baker. “We deploy that purpose-built set in the F1 Garage and an ENG team with TVU connectivity to enable efficient newsgathering, enhance our social team’s reach, and support the company’s experiential marketing group.”
Good Morning America is also on-site in Las Vegas with a mobile set and three cameras being driven by TVU Networks transmission both inside the racetrack and around Las Vegas.
Navigating the Vegas Strip and Building on Miami
According to Jackson, road closures and safety barriers make production operations even more complex on race weekend and with a track the size of Las Vegas, detailed zoned credentials and access passes are required across the Strip. Another major technical challenge for the ops team in Vegas is longer cable runs between the compound and the set.
(Clockwise, from left) ESPN Operations Producer Spencer Chmiel, Director Susan Molinsky, Managing Producer Lori Mancini, and Senior Production Manager Dominick Vargas review set up plans at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“Anytime you are converting a major city into a racetrack and back to a city every day, there are some real logistical challenges,” she continues. “So understanding what is needed for each area of the racetrack can be tricky. The LVGP team has been incredibly organized and communicative, which is the best way to lead up to a new event.”
The circuit’s design gridlock along the Strip can create hours of gridlock at a time. As a result, ESPN has found creative ways to quickly move talent and executives between locations and deliver supplies to the compound during the week.
“Mundane logistics are the question mark for Vegas because we don’t know what we don’t know,” says Baker. “What is the best and safest walking route between the hotel and compound for our crew? That trip takes 30 minutes now; what should we allow later in the week? Our plan is to stock up on compound consumables in advance, minimize runner trips, and stay flexible.”
Baker and company are also taking cues from their work on the Miami International Autodrome, which debuted in 2022.
“We had an idea of on-site expectations and technical workflows in Miami last year, but there was so much to learn,” says Baker. We feel at home in the compound now and have a scalable workflow in place.”
F1 Grows Stateside Presence, While ESPN Looks to Expand Outside the U.S.
Since ESPN started carrying F1 again in 2018, the number of U.S. races has expanded from one to three and F1 has made the market a priority. That effort culminates this weekend in Las Vegas.
SportsCenter is delivering live reports from Vegas this week as it did for the Austin Grand Prix earlier this year.
“We have an increased responsibility as the U.S. broadcaster to put these races (and all other F1 races) in front of as many viewers as possible,” says John Suchenski, ESPN Director, Programming & Acquisitions. “To do so, we have increased our on-site presence at each of the U.S. races, For Las Vegas this week, we will have more people and news outlets on the grounds covering the event than ever before.”
This season, ESPN only traveled its crew to F1 races in the U.S. for extra coverage on SportsCenter and other platforms. The network covered all races away from the U.S. through its digital ESPN.com/F1 site and with reporters sometimes appearing on SportsCenter remotely. However, with the custom flypack now in place, Baker says he is hopeful ESPN will travel to more races next year.
SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe interviewing Max Verstappen
But, at least for now, all eyes are focused on the Las Vegas Strip as the green flag drop on a new era in Formula 1 racing.
“We are very excited to break new ground this week and showcase the debut of the F1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix to fans across the country,” says Suchenski. “Since the announcement of the race last year, there has been a lot of interest in this event and it is one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year. Between the cars racing down the famous Las Vegas Strip under the lights and the long roster of celebrities that will be in attendance, it will be a spectacle and the pinnacle of the season. We cannot wait to see it and bring the event to fans in the U.S.”
