ESPN’s Fifth College Football Playoff National Championship MegaCast to Feature Multiple New Presentations Highlighting the Network’s Best Innovation and Technology

• ESPN’s MegaCast Features 17 Presentations
  • Monday Night Film Room, Field Pass, Goodyear BlimpCast and TechCast Make Debuts
  • Command Center, DataCenter, Sounds of the Game, SkyCam and All-22 Among the Productions Returning
• Traditional Telecast to Offer State-of-the-Art Technology
  • Ultimate Pylon Angle to Assist on Potential Scoring Plays; AllCam, RefCam and Line-to-Gain PylonCam, Marker Cam, High Sky Cover the Field in Unprecedented Fashion
•  Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit Call Fifth CFP National Championship Game and Conclude 23rd Year Together; Maria Taylor Reports on Alabama and Tom Rinaldi on Clemson

ESPN’s fifth College Football Playoff National Championship MegaCast will debut multiple new presentations complementing reoccurring viewing options, highlighting the best of the network’s innovation and technology as the critically acclaimed production offers 17 ways to watch No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Clemson from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPN will carry the traditional telecast with Monday Night Football Film Room, Field Pass, Goodyear BlimpCast, and TechCast headlining the new offerings, with Command Center, Sounds of the Game, DataCenter, SkyCam, and Hometown Radio among the presentations returning this year. Overall, the 17 presentations will be available across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN3, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio. All presentations are available on ESPN App.

ESPN Features Approximately 250 Cameras Inside Levi’s Stadium; Activates Ultimate Pylon Angle and AllCam for Their CFP National Championship Debut
ESPN’s innovation and technology will be on full display for the CFP National Championship as it deploys a network record number of cameras — approximately 250 — inside Levi’s Stadium. The vast array of technology will provide vantage points from unimaginable angles, while also utilizing two state-of-the-art technologies: Ultimate Pylon Angle and AllCam

• Ultimate Pylon Angle: A technology for plays occurring around the goal line pylons, as ESPN will have 40 cameras focused on each of the four pylons along the two goal lines. The cameras will composite together the multiple angles providing a replay that will be utilized on hard-to-determine scoring plays around the pylons.
• AllCam : Captures the entire playing surface on every play.  Paired with zoom capabilities, provides views of any action on the field at any time.

ESPN will also have cameras positioned in unique areas including inside the referees hat, the line-to-gain marker and a moveable pylon.

• RefCam: A camera affixed to four referees’ hats, providing a similar camera view as the refs’ line of sight. The refs wearing the cameras are expected to be the line judge, field judge, side judge and back judge.

• Line-to-Gain Marker Cam: A rotatable camera that can pan and scan the action, located inside the top of the Line-to-Gain Marker providing views along the first down line and just before and beyond it.

• Line-to-Gain Pylon Cams: Wireless camera systems built into two movable pylons and repositioned throughout the game by the chain crew, providing a replay angle straight down the line to gain on both sides of the field.

Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit Call Fifth CFP National Championship; Herbstreit Concludes Season after Emmy Recognition; Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi Report
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the Crimson Tide-Tigers showdown, the duo’s fifth CFP National Championship together. The two highly accomplished broadcasters have worked together each fall for 23 seasons, first with College GameDay and now as the network’s primary broadcasting tandem. For Herbstreit, this year marks his 10th national championship game as an analyst and his first since winning the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Event Analyst in May of 2018.

Maria Taylor will cover Alabama as she reports for her second national championship game. Tom Rinaldi will cover Clemson, his fifth consecutive year reporting the final game.

ESPN’s Telecast Available in 179 Countries

ESPN’s presentation of the CFP National Championship will be seen in 179 countries around the world through ESPN networks and streaming services.

Sean McDonough Calls Third CFP National Championship for ESPN Radio; Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe Their Fifth; Ian Fitzsimmons’ Third
Sean McDonough calls his third CFP National Championship on ESPN Radio, joining Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe and Ian Fitzsimmons. Blackledge and Rowe have called the CFP National Champioship all five years on the platform, while Ian work’s his third consecutive year. The radio broadcast is available throughout the country on more than 400 ESPN Radio stations, the ESPN App, ESPNRadio.com, SiriusXM, Apple Music, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.

 

ESPN’s College Football Playoff National Championship MegaCast
Five New Productions

ESPN2: Field Pass Features Adam Amin and Steve Levy Hosting Free-Flowing Commentary from Field Level
Field Pass will offer free-flowing commentary of the CFP National Championship, anchored by Adam Amin and Steve Levy who will roam the sidelines of Levi’s Stadium. The two play-by-play announcers will call the action from the unique vantage point while simultaneously being joined by a rotation of ESPN analysts, notable personalities and celebrities throughout the game. The Field Pass concept has been utilized in the last two national championships during the pre-game, providing fans an alternate angle of the warm up period.

ESPNEWS: Monday Night Film Room with Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Todd McShay
Monday Night Film Room will house ESPN’s MNF trio – Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Booger McFarland – along with college football and NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay. The four football minds will breakdown the game in real time the way active players and coaches do leading up to and following each game. The production will take place within the compound of Levi’s Stadium, be presented with limited commercial breaks.

SEC Network: Thinking Out Loud with Greg McElroy, Marcus Spears and Alyssa Lang
Thinking Out Loud the popular weekly show during college football season on SEC Network, makes its CFP National Championship debut following a success CFP Semifinal appearance. The trio of Marcus Spears, Greg McElroy and Alyssa Lang bring hijinks, highlights and hilarity, while offering astute analysis and reaction throughout the game. They will be joined by other guests throughout the game.

ESPN3: Goodyear BlimpCast Soars above Levi’s Stadium
BlimpCast will bring the MegaCast to unprecedented heights, as SportsCenter’s Matt Barrie and Elle Duncan will be inside the Goodyear Blimp for the full duration of the game. The unique viewing option will be tri-box, showing the duo in one screen, the game telecast in another, and the view from the blimp in the third – with the entire presentation accompanied by the two college football fans commentary throughout the duration of the game.

ESPN3: TechCast Showcases the Best of ESPN’s Innovation at all Times
TechCast will spotlight the best of ESPN’s innovation throughout the game, as 12 different camera views will be showcased in smaller boxes, surrounding a split screen view. The split screen views will rotate between the 12 options throughout the game. Among the vantage points include: SkyCam, High SkyCam, RefCam, PylonCam, AllCam, Marker Cam, and many more.

Returning Productions

Command Center and DataCenter Combine Telecast, Stats and Analytics; SkyCam, High SkyCam and All-22 Bring Unique Vantage Points
The backbone of ESPN’s MegaCast presentation is offering fans stats and analytics, as well as the game telecast, on one screen and a variety of multiple vantage points — two principles that remain prominent in this year’s presentation.

• Command Center (ESPNU): A split-screen with simultaneous multiple camera views, which could include the main ESPN camera angle, the SkyCam, High SkyCam, and All-22 among others, and isolated camera feeds of both Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Enhanced statistics and real time drive charts supplement the game action. The traditional telecast’s call of the game will be part of the presentation.
• Sounds of the Game (ESPN Classic): Fans can enjoy the natural sounds of Levi’s Stadium as if they were sitting inside. Fans will watch the ESPN traditional game telecast, sans commentators, and hear the complete pre-game on-field festivities, including band performances, the public address announcer and referee calls. The presentation’s audio will be amplified with dozens of microphones positioned throughout the stadium. Both school’s halftime band performances will also be featured.
• DataCenter (Goal Line/ESPN3): On-screen graphic content ranging from analytics, real time drive charts, win probability updates, curated social media reaction and more. ESPN Radio’s call will be part of the presentation.
• SkyCam (ESPN3): A continuous feed of the camera that maneuvers above the field of play and often provides a behind-the-offense look at game action.
• High SkyCam (ESPN3): Similar to the SkyCam, but several feet higher, offering an alternate view well above the action
• All-22 (ESPN3): Watch the game the same way players and coaches study film, with a vantage point high above the field of play. The angle allows for the 22 players on the field to be seen at all times providing the ability to distinguish how plays develop.
• Hometown Radio (ESPN3): A partnership with Learfield (Alabama) and JMI Sports (Clemson) pairs the ESPN telecast with the hometown radio call of the two teams. Broadcasters:
  • Alabama: Eli Gold, John Parker Wilson, Rashad Johnson and Chris Stewart
  • Clemson: Don Munson, Rodney Williams, Reggie Merriweather and Tim Bourret

ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio Carry the Spanish-Language Call of the Game
Lalo Varela and Pablo Viruega call the game for ESPN Deportes with Kenneth Garay and Alex Pombo for ESPN Deportes Radio.

Imagine Dragons Perform Live at Halftime from Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay
Imagine Dragons — the No. 1 streaming group of 2018 and from KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records — will perform live at halftime from Treasure Island, located in the San Francisco Bay, singing several songs including tracks from their latest album, Origins. This is the second year ESPN has had a special musical performance at halftime of the CFP National Championship, as last year ESPN featured another Interscope artist, Kendrick Lamar.

 ESPN Sets Up Shop in San Jose, Calif., for Studio Coverage Jan. 4-6; Shifts to Levi’s Stadium on Jan. 7
ESPN will have an extensive studio presence in San Jose, Calif., beginning Friday, Jan. 4, with its primary set located at The Quad | Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Coverage will mainly originate from there through Sunday, Jan. 6. On Monday, January 7, ESPN will shift its operation to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., for extensive game day coverage. Complete details around ESPN’s studio coverage will be announce in the next 24 hours.

-30-