The invisible performance: How broadcast production shapes the sport we see

Most fans never consider the production behind the sport they love. And yet, it’s often the single biggest influence on how they experience it. The mood, the emotion, the intimacy; much of it is curated by a team they’ll never see.

Broadcast production has become an invisible performance of its own; one that shapes the story around the on-field or in-arena narrative.

From point-and-shoot to production as performance

There was a time when sports coverage simply followed the action. One or two cameras, a static feed, and limited replay. The aim was visibility, not experience. Fact and not storytelling.

Today, production is part of the performance. It adds pace, rhythm and perspective. Camera angles do more than track the ball or puck, but set the tone. Tunnel shots, cable cams, close-ups of players mid-shift all help fans feel like they're part of the moment

In short, production has shifted from a function to a foreground influence. It’s become part of how we emotionally connect to it.

The new role of production in shaping narrative

Modern broadcast production is editorial as much as technical. It anticipates storylines, builds emotion, and brings viewers closer to the players, not just the play.

At the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, production crews captured everything from player arrivals to locker-room reflections. These seemingly small details build familiarity. They help fans care—not just about results, but about people.

The shift isn’t just in what gets filmed. It’s in how it’s packaged. Broadcasters want modular content—interviews, feature edits, B-roll, reaction shots—material they can tailor to their audience across platforms.

“I can honestly say that every single year we are coming up with new ways to innovate, and Infront Productions really leads those discussions,” says Katie Reynolds, Media Project Lead at Infront.

That mindset is what defines the modern production team. It’s less about covering what happened, and more about revealing what it meant.

Why this should matter to federations and rightsholders

The production model now plays a direct role in shaping fan loyalty, broadcast value, and even sponsorship return. It’s not just about technical delivery. It’s about emotional reach.

Federations that treat production as a core strategic function and not simply a technical necessity, are the ones building lasting engagement. Because fans judge a sport by how it makes them feel. And those feelings are increasingly shaped by what happens behind the lens.

High-end production translates directly to higher rights value. It gives broadcasters more to work with, sponsors more to align with, and fans more reasons to stick around.

Investing here provides both better coverage and future-proofs your sport. Once again, its about adding storytelling to the concentrated substance of sport.

The show behind the show

Production teams remain largely invisible. But their influence is everywhere.

They choreograph a complex, multi-platform performance that shapes everything a fan sees. They respond in real time, adapt to challenges, and work across teams and venues to maintain consistency.

“Complete project management is coming from the creative ideas to the content delivery,” adds Lou Oppenheim, Project Manager at Infront Productions. “It’s a mix of different people and different groups of entities.”

What the fan sees is seamless. What sits behind it is a coordinated, cross-functional effort with its own pace, pressure and creative ambition.

Case in point: the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

At the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Infront’s production model was put to the test across two countries, 64 games, and a global audience.

More than 130 crew worked across two venues in Stockholm and Herning. Each arena was fitted with 31 cameras—rising to 34 for the final weekend—including referee cams, tunnel cams, and on-ice POVs. A cable cam swept across the rink to give fans the scale and speed of the action.

But it wasn’t just about the live coverage. Editorial teams produced:

• 85 in-depth player and coach interviews
• 256 post-game and intermission interviews
• 50 edited features and non-live packages
• A dedicated B-roll team capturing arrivals, reactions and locker-room shots

Live feeds were enriched by data and narrative prompts delivered to commentators in real-time. Meanwhile, broadcasters were supported with ISO feeds and tailored clip packages to fit their markets.

The result?

• 195 million cumulative live TV audience
• 28 billion digital impressions
• 5,500 hours of broadcast delivered
• 91 broadcast partners across the world

It was orchestration, and a model that raises the bar for how a tournament is seen and remembered.