Many television (TV) networks are solely dedicated to sports, with much of the programming consisting of live telecasts. A sports producer is in charge of bringing all of the disparate elements of a sports telecast together into a cohesive whole, all while ensuring that the broadcast meets modern broadcasting’s high technological standards and entertains the widest possible audience. A sports producer’s basic responsibilities typically include coordinating coverage with the sports director, directing replays and graphics, and developing story packages to help round out coverage.
There is very little seen during a live sporting event broadcast that is not under the direct or indirect supervision of a television sports producer. As the two most important members of the production team, a producer collaborates with the director. The best way to explain the relationship between the two jobs is that the director is in charge of putting all of the different components of the broadcast together, and the producer usually prepares those components ahead of time.
The way the game is broadcast the announcers is an example of the sports producer’s control over a televised sporting event. The producer communicates with the announcers via headset radio throughout the event, keeping them informed of everything they need to know to make their call of the action as smooth as possible. When they need to take a commercial break, what graphics or replays are on the screen that need to be described, when it’s time to make a promotional announcement, or any other pertinent information to help the broadcast, a producer will inform them.
In addition, the sports producer creates additional content to complement the live action and create a well-rounded telecast. This extra content is frequently in the form of pre-recorded packages that are relevant to the event, and the producer is usually in charge of the interviews and videography that go into these packages. In addition, the producer may decide to add special effects to the broadcast, which can include anything from high-tech graphics to special video technology to computer animation. All elements must typically adhere to a budget set the television network — the sports producer is usually in charge of ensuring this.
In addition to assembling all of these elements, the sports producer must have a sense of how the event is unfolding. It may be necessary to deviate from the broadcast plan on occasion. In that case, quick thinking and planning can save a sports producer from a potentially disastrous broadcast effort.