Big City Greens Classic 2: How Disney Branded Television, ESPN, Beyond Sports and Meta animate NHL action in real time

Following last year’s first-ever live animated telecast, the NHL Big City Greens Classic is back and even more innovative.

ESPN+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney+ present a Big City Greens animated presentation of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET). The traditional telecast will be available on ABC and ESPN+.

As much fun as the Capitals-Rangers Big City Greens treatment was last year, Saturday fans will enjoy even more technological advances and in-game surprises when the Penguins and Bruins face off. Front Row asked the two ESPNers leading the way this year – Phil Orlins (Vice President, ESPN Production) and Spike Szykowny (Vice President, ESPN Creative Studio) – to get the lowdown on what to expect.

This telecast will have the most advanced data tracking we have used to date, allowing us to visualize the action from any angle with unprecedented detail, and also fully weaves numerous Big City Greens characters and NHL stars into the telecast. – Orlins

What are some key differences between last year’s NHL Big City Greens Classic and this weekend’s?
Orlins: Big City Greens Classic 2 is the first animated telecast that truly realizes the potential of both optical tracking data and rich integrated storytelling utilizing Disney IP [Intellectual Property]. This telecast will have the most advanced data tracking we have used to date, allowing us to visualize the action from any angle with unprecedented detail, and also fully weaves numerous Big City Greens characters and NHL stars into the telecast. Additionally, the announcers will be truly immersed in the environment and call the game wearing Meta VR [Virtual Reality] headsets.

Szykowny: ESPN Creative Studio also built out an animated Skills Competition featuring Big City Greens characters for in-between periods; animated more characters to feature during the show; and put together more animations that explain hockey to casual fans.

What’s your favorite thing about working on these animated telecasts?
Orlins: The best part is the unselfish collaboration with so many different departments at ESPN and Disney. They are all so talented and so enthusiastic about being part of a new project like this. It’s also the most fun box of toys you could ever get to play with!

Szykowny: The collaboration between all of the groups at ESPN and Disney is really special. These types of projects seem to be everyone’s favorite, and when you ask someone to build something for the show, they usually come back with three or four pieces because they are all so into it! These types of projects are just plain fun and really get your creative juices going!

Total collaborative process between Disney, ESPN Creative Studio and Production teams, and Beyond Sports. The Houghton brothers [creators of Big City Greens] came up with some basic storylines to start the show, and that is where the fun starts.
– Szykowny

What makes [ESPN NHL commentators] Drew Carter and Kevin Weekes, wearing using Meta Quest Pro headsets, well-suited for calling these games?
Orlins: Drew’s role is quite complex. He has to call a hockey game as a high-level play-by-pay announcer while seamlessly weaving in Big City Greens characters and storylines. The main task is for Drew and Kevin to speak to a multigenerational audience in a way that is informative and educational but is also light, fun, and respectful. They really need to enter a new universe to call this game, and they are great at doing that.

Szykowny: Drew and Kevin are the glue that keeps the whole show together! They become well-versed in all of the material, and this adds an authenticity to the show that is unmatched! They definitely buy into the “fun” of the show, and that helps keep up the energy level up for the entire team!

Talk briefly about how you ideate the narrative surrounding the telecast.
Szykowny: Total collaborative process between Disney, ESPN Creative Studio and Production teams, and Beyond Sports. The Houghton brothers [creators of Big City Greens] came up with some basic storylines to start the show, and that is where the fun starts. We take their basic outline and start to develop as many ideas and storylines as possible that help weave together the entire story. We are telling the story of the actual game being played, but we also have stories “around the game” that we want to tell. A total team effort!

Jon McLeod produced the video above