CBS Sports is set to debut a revamped Studio 43 for the 2024 NFL season, mixing enhanced technology with an upgraded aesthetic.
The studio, now named in honor of longtime CBS Sports and CBS News executive Sean McManus, is the primary home of CBS’ NFL coverage and “The NFL Today,” along with college football and March Madness – located inside the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.
“It’s a proud moment for us that someone who’s been so important to the CBS family for the last 27 years, — that we bestow this honor on him,” said Harold Bryant, executive producer and executive vice president, production, CBS Sports. “It’s well-deserved and well-earned.”
The redesign comes as “The NFL Today” changes its talent lineup, with Matt Ryan joining James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and JJ Watt.
“We wanted to continue to advance our show and grow the show and look,” said Bryant. “We’ve had some talent changes…. We felt it was time to change up the studio as we get new additions.”
Bryant noted the desire to retain past iterations’ warm, inviting atmosphere familiar to viewers on Sunday mornings and beyond while mixing in modern touches.
“We didn’t wanna be cold and clinical, concretes and glass — that’s not us,” said JP LoMonaco, VP, on-air graphics and design, CBS Sports. “Our motivation was to take our space, maximize our space, and then create more flexibility for the movement of talent and movement of cameras within the space,” said Bob Matina, director, “The NFL Today.”
“For ‘The NFL Today,’ we have five talent at the desk, and we’ve got Jonathan Jones, who’s also involved in the show. So we’ve got six people that we’re integrating into the show and we like to move them around,” added Matina.
The redesign focused on creating a contemporary space that reflects the CBS Sports identity while maximizing efficiency and versatility. The studio’s new design features clean lines and a more open layout, moving away from the previous “man cave” aesthetic.
“We wanted to add modern touches to it… technology, as well as color schemes and styling,” said Bryant.
The team prioritized finding an aesthetic aligned with CBS Sports’ personality while accommodating the studio’s diverse programming needs.
“We wanted to find ways to differentiate NFL season from March Madness, college football from college basketball,” said LoMonaco. “There’s a lot that comes through that room that is on the docket.”
The main desk is now positioned at an angle in a corner, opening up more wall space for additional screens and talent positions. A recurring design motif features linear slats framing various elements of the set, creating a more contemporary look with large-scale backlit graphics.
The redesigned studio incorporates several upgrades to enhance production capabilities and visual presentation.
1.8mm pixel pitch Planar LED screens have been installed throughout the studio, including a large vertical screen behind the anchor area. The desk itself includes a flexible, curved 1.9mm Planar display, with Video Visions handling integration. Ross Video XPression Tessera drives these screens pixel-for-pixel, minimizing scaling issues. Three existing tracking LED screens remain but have been updated with new scenery elements.
The studio lighting grid has also been upgraded and replaced with remotely controlled LED lighting instruments using the ETC Eos Apex system, improving energy efficiency and offering greater flexibility for lighting changes.
“There’s lots of flexibility in creating a lighting environment there,” said Greg Coppa, VP studio engineering and technology, CBS Sports.
“We had like 300 conventional lights up in the grid. We replaced those with all LED lights that are movable and remotely controlled, so we’re not sending a stagehand up into the grid to reposition a light…. And of course, we’re always keeping in mind our sustainability. There’s definitely a power efficiency improvement by doing LED lights,” added Coppa.
“In the old studio, there were considerations we would have to make sometimes about where we’re placing people and how we were going to get them there. Because we had to find a way to get lights there. So, that’s not a concern at this point, which is unbelievable,” said Matina.
A key feature of the new studio is its adaptability. The desk can be repositioned, and various elements can be reconfigured to create different looks for different shows.
“We built in a lot of flexibility for us from a staging standpoint,” said LoMonaco. “You’ll have a different look, a different feel.”
The studio’s versatility extends beyond sports programming. Removing the desk entirely allows the space to function as an open sound stage for various productions.
CBS Sports worked with Drive Studio on the redesign, with Showman Fabricators providing fabrication. The lighting design was handled in-house.
The previous set, which debuted in 2015, reused the architecture of a design dating back to 2006.
Photos courtesy of Mary Kouw/CBS