After a 22-year absence, the NBA is back on NBC Sports, and the network is pulling out all the stops. A significant investment has been made, reflected in the sophisticated approach to studio production. The centerpiece of this effort is the renovated Studio 1 in Stamford, Connecticut. This 7,000-square-foot facility is designed for flexibility, transforming from NBA broadcasts to college sports and even Olympics coverage, offering unique experiences for different platforms and audiences.
Jared Sumner, who directs studio production for “NBA on NBC,” including the pre- and post-game show “NBA Showtime,” emphasized the importance of the studio from the beginning. “From day one, we knew we wanted to put a large emphasis on the studio,” said Sumner.
Early broadcasts have garnered positive feedback, with viewers appreciating the celebratory tone and nostalgic elements, such as the return of John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” theme. Studio 1 is built to handle both Peacock-exclusive broadcasts and those airing on NBC, with tailored approaches for each.
Sumner explained the different treatments for Monday and Tuesday broadcasts. “One of the things right off the bat was how we wanted to treat the Monday Peacock shows a little differently from the Tuesday Peacock and NBC shows,” Sumner explained. Monday broadcasts, branded as “Peacock NBA Monday,” focus on the demo area, a half court with floor LED and a basketball hoop where analysts Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Carmelo Anthony can move freely. “It’s more of a casual feel,” Sumner said. “Our analysts are standing up and kind of moving around. They have the ability to go grab a ball off the rack and shoot around if they want to while they’re on air and just give it a little bit more of that laid back vibe.”
“Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” shifts to a more formal setting, with analysts seated at a desk. Starting in February 2026, “Sunday Night Basketball” will further showcase the studio's versatility. Bryan Higgason of HD Studio, the designer of the set, emphasized its adaptability. “The space has to be very flexible,” said Higgason.
The design, in collaboration with Mystic Custom Fabrication, allows the set to adapt to various NBC properties, including “Big Ten Saturday Night,” while maintaining a distinct identity for “NBA on NBC.” Higgason also noted, “While it is the home of ‘NBA on NBC,’ it is also used for NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball and Olympic coverage,” Higgason said. “The tracking LED screens allow for flexibility in the use of the space, but it’s the scale that allows us to sculpt the space and reshape it.” Four LED bands encircle the studio, providing dynamic atmosphere control.
The entire space utilizes LED lighting for instant color palette adjustments. Planar technologies are integrated throughout, including Leyard ALF Series, Planar CarbonLight CLI, and Planar TVF Series displays. The studio incorporates a jib with a Stype AR tracker for augmented reality and a PTZ “slamcam” for unique basketball shots, alongside 4K monitors and touchscreens. Atila Ozkaplan and Mike Sheehan from NBC Olympics oversaw the studio's development on the production side, with lighting design by The Lighting Design Group.
Despite the emphasis on LED technology, the studio includes tactile elements, such as a logo wall featuring 30 etched glass panels representing each NBA team, backlit with LED. Higgason highlighted the unique, analog approach of the logo wall: “The logo wall is a unique feature with a more analog approach,” Higgason noted. “The panels are lit with LED so we can play with color to adjust the focus of the wall.”
The panels can be swapped for Big 10 teams or Olympic pictograms. Sumner pointed out a thoughtful detail: when Carmelo Anthony is on camera, the New York Knicks logo is visible behind him. According to Sumner "It’s just one of those things that you can play around with,” Sumner said. “There’s so many different little… I’m calling them Easter eggs. So many little things in the studio that you can change around.”
NBA coverage incorporates augmented reality through a system called Sandbox, enabling play breakdowns on a touch display. According to Sumner “It also has the capability to do a full five-on-five breakdown of a play where our analysts will stand over the display and move guys around and actually recreate a play,” Sumner explained. This technology builds on NBC’s previous use of Sandbox during Tour de France coverage.
Sumner acknowledged this move represents NBC Sports’ “entry point into AR and VR.” Storytelling remains central, with analysts McGrady, Carter, and Anthony bringing credibility and personal experience to the broadcasts. “Right away in rehearsals, we saw how comfortable they were with one another,” Sumner said. “For us, it’s really just giving them the platform. At the end of the day, we could do all these cool, amazing things in the studio, but what it comes down to is what our talent are talking about.”
The "On the Bench" concept during Peacock-exclusive games extends this philosophy. Sumner recounted stories shared by Carmelo, Tracy, and Vince, emphasizing the personal connection they bring to the broadcast. “There’s been so many times throughout this process where I’ve been in a room with Carmelo and Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter and just hearing them tell their stories,” Sumner said. “For Vince and T-Mac especially, playing on NBC when they were coming up, it’s just like, wow, I can’t wait until they can actually go on air and tell these stories for the world to hear.”
Studio 1’s renovation marks a new chapter in NBC Sports’ facility management. Sumner emphasized the focus on celebrating and educating the game: “Everything we do, whether it’s on the studio side or on the game side, is really about celebrating and educating the game,” he said.
Sumner concluded that "In a lot of ways, the studio has sort of become its own character,” Sumner reflected. “Every night of the week you’ll see every area of the studio utilized.”