Riedel’s Bolero and Artist intercom ecosystem to provide communications backbone for NBA Bubble

Riedel’s Bolero and Artist intercom ecosystem is to provide an extensive communications backbone for the 2020 NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida.

Located within Walt Disney World, the NBA Bubble is a strict isolation zone created to allow the 2019-2020 basketball season to continue while protecting NBA players from COVID-19.

Firehouse Productions deployed the Riedel system to enable officials, coaches, and production personnel to communicate safely during NBA games.

Vinny Siniscal, from Firehouse productions, commented: “This was a complex installation, and there’s no way we could have met all of the NBA’s comms requirements with any intercom manufacturer other than Riedel. Working with the Riedel team, we were able to design a truly elegant and integrated solution that enables crystal-clear communications while also ensuring that officials, coaches, and producers maintain safe distances from each other.

“The ability to add custom logic to the Artist network is a huge plus because it allowed us to build in more redundancy and ensure effective monitoring for the entire intercom ecosystem. It’s an example of why Firehouse chose Riedel, and why Artist and Bolero are our go-to solutions for big events.”

Firehouse Productions’ NBA Bubble deployment consists of 12 Riedel Artist intercom nodes, providing almost 500 active communications ports to support 113 master panels; 57 Performer C3 intercom beltpacks; 116 Bolero wireless intercom beltpacks; and 186 analogue 4-wire connections to six onsite OB trucks. Deployed in a fully redundant fibre ring configuration, the Artist nodes are able to support users communicating via Bolero beltpacks throughout the vast ESPN complex, including players, coaches, and officials in the green zone, where games are played on three venues, and the yellow zone, encompassing the technical and broadcast compound.

“The NBA Bubble is a perfect example of thinking outside the box to ensure continuity for one of the world’s most popular sports, and we’re proud that Riedel has been able to play such a key role,” said Joyce Bente, president and chief executive officer at Riedel North America. “Once again, our partnership with Firehouse Productions has ensured a smooth and highly creative deployment that meets the NBA’s stringent requirements for safe and reliable communications.”