NEP today announced the launch of ND1, a landmark new mobile television production unit designed and built primarily to support NBC Sports’ coverage of Sunday Night Football America’s most watched prime-time show each of the past three years.

NEP today announced the launch of ND1, a landmark new mobile television production unit designed and built primarily to support NBC Sports’ coverage of Sunday Night Football America’s most watched prime-time show each of the past three years. ND1 is the latest result of NEP’s Next-Generation Mobile Unit design initiative, which includes ground-breaking innovations for creating facilities that are highly flexible, efficient, and scalable. One such innovation is a revolutionary workstation design platform, which enables almost any job function to be performed from almost any workspace in the truck at the push of a button.

“ND1 is a truly cutting-edge broadcast facility, perfectly matched to support Sunday Night Football, the most-watched and most technically advanced broadcast on TV. NBC Sports and NEP have had a fantastic relationship for nearly 20 years, and the launch of this new mobile unit exemplifies the synergy we have developed as a team over two decades — and continues our legacy of working together to push remote broadcast technology forward,” said Ken Goss, senior vice president, Remote Operations and Production Planning, NBC Sports Group.

ND1 consists of four 53-foot double-expanding trailers with seating for more than 75 operating positions. Boasting a completely 1080p-capable infrastructure and the largest routing switcher available for a mobile production facility in the U.S., ND1 is configured to support a 25 percent increase in production levels into the future. The unit’s 100 percent fiber-optic connectivity supplies all interconnections between the trailers and from the trailers to the stadium venue. EVS XT3 media servers support tapeless, fully digital recording workflows, with extensive embedded audio support for 16 channels. In addition to the Evertz routing switcher, ND1 includes a Grass Valley Kayenne Elite 9 M/E production switcher and Calrec Artemis and Apollo audio consoles. 

“The launch of ND1 is a significant milestone in our 30-year history of providing state-of-the-art mobile units and facilities,” said George Hoover, chief technology officer, NEP. “With ND1, we’re continuing to drive the leading edge of innovation and technology forward for the on-site production of live, high-profile television events. ND1 is a prime example of why the world’s leading broadcasters continue to rely on NEP for the facilities, expertise, and deep pool of resources necessary to produce today’s most watched programs.”

As a member of NEP’s family of Next-Generation Mobile Units, ND1 represents a completely new approach to design, construction techniques, and materials — resulting in trailers that offer more interior space while taking up a smaller footprint in the compound. In addition, NEP engineers used advanced, computerized stress analysis tools from the aircraft industry to design a trailer that is stronger, stiffer, and 20 percent lighter. The result is greater weight-carrying capacity, reduced maintenance downtime, a better ride for the equipment, and a longer life for both the equipment and the trailer itself.