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TNDV powers broadcast of Pickleball Slam 4

When viewers tuned in to watch Pickleball Slam 4 live from Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, on April 16, 2026, they saw a fast-paced national broadcast showcasing some of the sport’s biggest personalities. Behind the scenes, the production was the latest chapter in a relationship that stretches back more than sixteen years between mobile production specialist TNDV (a division of Live Media Group) and sports production company Ohlmeyer Kusserow Group (OKG).

Tasked with producing and directing the live broadcast for a major US sports broadcaster on behalf of client Horizon Sports & Experiences and GSE Worldwide, OKG once again turned to TNDV for technical production support. The partnership dates to 2010, when OKG founders Lou Kusserow and Chris Ohlmeyer launched their company and selected TNDV to support some of their earliest tennis broadcasts.

“Sixteen years later, we rarely call anyone else”, says Kusserow, who directed the Pickleball Slam 4 broadcast from inside TNDV’s flagship Exclamation mobile production unit. “We trust Rob and his team completely. They understand how we work, they hire great people, and they consistently deliver.”

TNDV deployed its Exclamation truck for the main live broadcast and its Modulation truck for satellite uplink and transmission support. The production marked TNDV’s first pickleball event and required a workflow tailored to the pace and presentation style of the rapidly growing sport. Unlike traditional tennis broadcasts, Pickleball Slam 4 emphasized player interaction and personality as much as game action.

TNDV and OKG collaborated on a camera strategy designed to capture both the speed of play and the exchanges between competitors throughout the event. “Pickleball moves incredibly fast, and there’s a lot more conversation between players than you see in many sports”, says Rob Devlin, President of TNDV. “We spent time studying previous productions and finding ways to streamline the technical approach.”

The production utilized nine Sony HDC-4300 broadcast cameras, two jib cameras, and three Panasonic UE150 robotic cameras positioned throughout the venue to provide dynamic coverage and player-focused perspectives. A wireless camera captured player entrances and feature elements, while all four competitors and the referee were equipped with wireless microphones to bring viewers directly into the action.

At the center of the workflow was Exclamation’s Evertz Nexx routing infrastructure, which managed video and audio signal routing, audio embedding and de-embedding, transmission feeds to the Modulation uplink truck, and in-house IMAG feeds displayed throughout the venue. TNDV also relied on DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde color charts to match camera systems and maintain consistent image quality across the production.

Communication was equally critical. Kusserow directed the broadcast using an RTS/Clear-Com communications system that connected production personnel, on-air talent, venue staff, technical crews and event stakeholders throughout the facility. 

“This was one of those productions where everyone was pulling in the same direction”, says Devlin. “The venue was great to work with, the OKG team had been planning the show for months, and our crews worked seamlessly together. When you have a relationship that spans more than a decade and a half, there’s a level of trust that allows everyone to focus on making the show look great.”

(Photos: Live Media Group)

www.livemediagroup.com

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