Drone Magic at the 2024 NCAA Women’s College World Series

The 2024 NCAA Women’s College World Series kicked off in Oklahoma City, and ESPN is bringing an impressive production to Devon Park. This five-day, eight-team double-elimination tournament features Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Stanford, Duke, and Alabama, and will be broadcast across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+.

High-Flying Tech: Drones and Cabled Cameras

ESPN’s SVP of Production, Meg Aronowitz, leads the charge in this year’s coverage, highlighting innovative aerial technology. The live drone and two-point cabled camera system flying above the ballpark are the stars. The cabled camera runs from the press box to the left-field line, providing unique and wide views of the field and capturing thrilling moments of runners heading down the third base line.

Meg Aronowitz tweeted, “Finally on the air at the @NCAASoftball Women’s College World Series!! Weather can’t keep us down!!! Let’s go softball fans!! #WCWS.”

Rail and Gimbal Cameras: Unique Angles and Cinematic Shots

A rail camera stretches 80 feet along the outfield wall from left to centerfield, offering scenic shots and unique replay angles of defensive plays. For the first time at this event, ESPN is using an on-field camera on a stabilized gimbal, delivering cinematic shots with shallow depth-of-field that have become popular in live sports.

Umpires in the Spotlight

Umpires are also playing a crucial role. The home plate umpire wears a mask camera in every game, while all four umpires on the field are mic’d up, enhancing the viewing experience with their real-time communications.

DroneXL’s Take

This year’s NCAA Women’s College World Series coverage showcases how Drone Technology and innovative camera setups can transform the viewing experience. By providing unique perspectives and cinematic shots, ESPN is setting a new standard for live sports broadcasting. Drones, in particular, are proving to be game-changers, offering dynamic and immersive views that keep fans on the edge of their seats.