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Avolites D7 powers inaugural Pro Cheer League tour

Nashville-based technical production specialist UpLight Technologies recently deployed the new Avolites D7 console to anchor the lighting design for the debut season of the Pro Cheer League, the world’s first professional cheerleading platform for elite athletes aged 18 and older.

Produced by Varsity Spirit and broadcast nationally across the US via the ION Television network, the first season of this competition reached more than five million viewers. The series’ production and lighting designer was David Surbrook, owner and creative director of UpLight Technologies. Joining him at the helm was lighting programmer and operator André Huff. “David had already specified the D7-215 on the project when I was brought onboard”, says Huff. “But I would have chosen it anyway.”

Touring across five different cities and venues, the lighting design had to pull double duty: meeting broadcast television requirements while retaining enough visual headroom to deliver the high impact “wow” moments that cheerleading demands. “The goal with the lighting was to create plenty of big visual moments while ensuring the athletes remained the central focus”, explains Surbrook.

To achieve this, the team utilized a rig of 164 fixtures - a dynamic mix of automated moving lights and LED sources - running across 32 universes on the D7. The set design seamlessly integrated lighting with extensive LED video walls. Fixtures framed the main screens, filled negative spaces along the back wall, and blended into the motion graphics to create a cohesive, deep visual environment for the cameras.

At the core of the rig were thirty-two Robe BMFL Wash fixtures, providing illumination across the entire competition floor. This setup aimed to ensure optimal visibility for broadcast cameras while minimizing shadows during aerial stunts. The aggressive touring schedule sometimes required loading into an arena, shooting a show, and loading out essentially within a single day.

While the two-hour show followed a structured broadcast script, the nature of live sports required plenty of room for spontaneous execution. Team color palettes and winning moments needed to be highlighted and echoed instantly during big plays and scoring moments. “Being spontaneous and staying on your toes was essential for this hybrid style of show”, notes Huff. “For programming and busking lighting on the fly, this was definitely an Avolites space.”

To ensure absolute network reliability for the live broadcast, a second D7-215 was deployed on-site as a full tracking backup, though the primary console performed flawlessly throughout the run. “For me, the D7-215 is the perfect combination of hardware and software”, says Surbrook. “It has everything you need and nothing you don’t.”

UpLight has been investing in Avolites since 2011, consistently adding nearly every model of the brand’s lineup to their inventory. The team acquired the D7-215 from Avolites North America as soon as it hit the market, and immediately put it into service. Huff has also trusted Avolites as his console of choice for the last fifteen years.

With the success of Season 1, production plans are already expanding for Season 2, and the crew is considering the possible integration of the D7’s video control capabilities.

(Photos: Pro Cheer League/UpLight Technologies)

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