Rob King, senior vice president of SportsCenter and news at ESPN, calls the new "Digital Center 2" building a "big swing," instead of what it might be - a big gamble.
The facility is "a Disney amusement park ride of a studio, a gleaming and cavernous space with virtual 3-D special effects, a sweeping overhead camera, a 360-degree theater-in the-round layout, and 145 display screens - nearly 10 times more than the current studio has," according to Fast Company, which gained exclusive access to it.
Chuck Salter wrote that the anchors and staff are "Like a flight crew testing out a state-of-the-art aircraft, they're eager to see what this studio can do that the current one can't."
The a wave of their hands, panels and screens change, creating a viewing experience that only a company like ESPN could financially afford to attempt, according to Fast Company.
"We're helping people imagine what they haven't imagined before," King told Fast Company. "We're encouraging them to think of this in a big way."
Planning for the new facility and design concepts behind it have been in the works since 2012.
Two enormous 15-foot screens will be prominently featured in the show, making athletes appear larger than they already are. The strategy is to make images more recognizable and eye-catching, since most people register only glimpses of SportsCenter as they pass through spaces or are preoccupied in them, such as a bar, restaurant or airport.
Displays were also designed to create more eye contact between the anchors and viewers.
Craig Bengtson, the new vice president and director of news, told Fast Company that in the current program "sometimes you're not sure who's anchoring the show. Now you'll have the talent in front of the wall, talking to directly to the audience. It's a better way to communicate. It's easier for viewers to develop a relationship with them rather than just hearing their voice."
