Emory Healthcare Studio

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Atlanta United partnered with industry leaders to deploy best-in-class technology
throughout the Emory Healthcare Studio, growing the club’s production footprint
from a single cramped location to a five-room suite of spaces for digital,
photography and podcast content for supporters to enjoy. The studio’s
technological advances have generated enhancements to existing programming,
spurred the development of new fan-favorite productions and diversified original
content offerings to attract fresh audiences.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The technology used by the Emory Healthcare Studio is moving the industry
forward and has already become a benchmark as sports franchises look to find
ways to produce content for new and existing fans. Multiple MLS clubs have
consulted us as they’ve entered the design and build process for their own
studios. We’ve also provided guidance to franchises in the NBA and NFL, along
with industry leaders across the Southeast. We also now use the Emory
Healthcare Studio to stream matches played by our youth Atlanta United
Academy from our control room, eliminating the need to outsource that work to
an external company. Further, we can program content for fans to view
specifically during halftime of those Academy streams.

Objective

Our overarching objective was to use technology to take an already popular club we’ve led MLS in attendance in eight of the past nine seasons – and raise the profile of our team, our players and brand through expanded content and increased access for established supporters and new audiences. We wanted to make it easier and more efficient for stakeholders – players, staff, and our fans – to engage with world-class Atlanta United content. We wanted a space that would allow us to create resonating content for an emerging digital audience. We desired an on-site content capturing space that eliminated the need to rent a warehouse and transport players to-and-from a facility for internal media days. We sought a control room capable of being a hub to produce livestreamed team press conferences and an all-new video podcast in our building, as well as remote streams of our MLS NEXT Pro games. We wanted a space capable of producing studio shows around key moments that rivaled those housed by television stations. Ultimately, we needed a technologically-advanced space to allow us to deliver big projects for fans around key moments for our club and the sport of soccer in Atlanta directly from our training ground.

Strategy & Execution

We recognized that the modern sports fan doesn’t only consume their media in
one form, so we intentionally designed the Emory Healthcare Studio to deliver
multiple methods of delivering content. “Studio 17,” our primary location for
producing studio shows and branded content, features strategically placed top-of-
the-line LED screens and can be configured in multiple ways to avoid a templated
look and to fit the content we’re creating for fans. It can be set “traditionally” with a large landscape LED screen to create high-quality long-form content such as the FIFA World Cup Draw reaction show for fans looking for in-depth analysis. We also invested in vertical LED monitors that work best to create snackable, vertical content for TikTok and other apps fans use to view content on their
mobile devices. Those boards can feature different content across each screen, which also provides value for team partners who wish to display their brands to consumers of Atlanta United content.
Additionally, we have a podcast room we’ve used to record “The Guuuzan Show,” our new original offering hosted by team legend and fan favorite Brad Guzan. We’ve also allowed local media to use the podcast room to record their own pods

Organizations

• Atlanta United F.C

  Alpha

  Pinnacle 

  ILS Lighting 

  Baker Audio/Visual

  Ross Video

  Provost Studio

  Whiting-Turner

  Impact Development Management

   

Credits

Matt Moore
Director of Broadcast and Video Production
Atlanta United F.C

Sarah Kate Noftsinger
Chief Business Officer
Atlanta United F.C

Ravi Mody
Studio Production Manager
Atlanta United F.C

Christopher Jordan
Studio Producer
Atlanta United F.C

Joe Freihofer
Bilingual Host
Atlanta United F.C

Michael Ridley
Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Fan Engagement
Atlanta United FC

Dimitrios Efstathiou
Senior Football Executive, Club Strategy & Football Operations
Atlanta United FC

Josh Blank
Vice President of Executive Strategy, AMB Sports & Entertainment
AMBSE

Ryan Mucatel
Chief Marketing Officer at AMB Sports and Entertainment
AMBSE

Paul Wong
IT Manager at Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC

Chris Winkler
Senior Director, Communications at Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC

Kacey Covino
Director of Business Operations for Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC

Richard Jakob
Director of Facility Operations at Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC

Sonya Ivashchenko
Video Production Manager at Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC

James Thomas
Creative Video Producer
Atlanta United FC

Frank Martinez
Video Content Producer
Atlanta United FC

Holly Duque
Project Management + Business Operations
Atlanta United FC

Jeffrey Volk
EVP - Strategic Accounts, Sports & Live Events
Alpha

Peter Provost
CEO
Provost Studio

Jelani Downing
Brand Communications Manager
Atlanta United FC

Tucker Brooks
Design Director
Atlanta United FC

Larry Luk
VP of Creative
AMBSE

Mitchell Martin
Team Photographer
Atlanta United FC

Brandon Magnus
Director, Photography and Digital Asset Management
AMBSE

Khoury Kennedy
Video Producer
Whoop

Daniela Burleyson
Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing at Atlanta United FC

Van Emberger
Senior Content
Atlanta United FC