ESPN's CFP championship coverage gives insights into potential XFL telecast features

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

Tonight, of course, is the College Football Playoff National Championship, and this year, like every year, ESPN covers the game with a Megacast: multiple camera angles, broadcast teams and perspectives.

One I noticed was new this year was the Refcast: the audio feed is mostly referee chit-chat and may not be of much interest to most people, but for the Refcast, they equipped four of the referees and two of the members of the chain crew with mobile cameras. The end result was an effect not much different from the Bubba Cams from the old XFL. A few months ago, they talked with Joe Cohen, who is Vince's media guy, and he said they wanted to bring back the Bubba Cam.

Technology has progressed quite a bit since 2001 and you're not going to need a hulking camera potentially getting in the way anymore. The cameras are much smaller and still in HD, enough that you can attach them to the officials and not disrupt their jobs.

I don't expect the full Megacast treatment for the XFL, but it I do expect seeing some of the features they're using to be tried out over the course of this season.

[MikeMitchell]

Good post Johnny. I noticed these features too.

The NFL tends to try out a lot of new broadcast concepts at the Pro Bowl. It's a couple of weeks before the XFL season starting and I wouldn't be shocked if a couple of the things, they experiment with, are actually going to be a part of XFL telecasts. The NFL was at some of the XFL's spring league test games, taking notes.

[LeoNY]

I think the XFL keeping all their stuff under wraps is very important. You want to introduce something first. Not have it stolen before you get your chance to introduce your innovations.