DENVER — As the Nuggets and Avalanche embark on their playoff quests, a behind-the-scenes team at Ball Arena is hard at work, ensuring every game day is an unforgettable fan experience.
Ryan Gonzales, broadcast services executive producer for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, oversees the intricate workings of the control room deep within Ball Arena.
“You could come in here at 10 a.m. the day of the playoff game, and you can feel the building is buzzing and ready to go,” said Gonzales. “We're here to make the teams look good, and they do that on their own, but we want to make sure we highlight what they do.”
In the days before a game, departments across Kroenke Sports collaborate to create an atmosphere that will engage fans.
“It’s not a one-person job,” said Gonzales. “There's a whole team of people that make sure this building sounds good, this building looks good, and you know, it's a huge team effort to put on these events, and we're very lucky to be able to do it."
On game day, the challenge is to deliver engaging, cohesive content on 28 video boards throughout the arena. Most of that content has been updated for the playoffs.
“Everything other than the intro sequence is all improvisation,” said Gonzales. “We’re going with the game, so if the Avs score a goal… we’re going to celebrate with the fans.”
Gary Scarselli, executive director of video services for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, is working alongside Gonzales. The in-house video services team first produces all of the content that appears on the screens.
“The overall goal is to make sure whatever video content we are building delivers the right emotion,” said Scarselli. “You're telling the story. You're enhancing the situation that happened in the game. You're part of the fan experience.”
Scarselli and his team have an entire season’s worth of raw footage to comb through for two different playoff-bound teams. It can be a lot of work, but it all comes together because of everyone’s commitment to working together as a team.
“We are a piece of the puzzle that keeps the energy up in the room,” said Scarselli. “Everybody's working together to make this show happen. And we're really excited to be a part of that, but we're certainly not the only part of that.”
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