Savannah Bananas Supercharge Remote Broadcasts With Calrec

Banana Ball TV has put Calrec at the centre of its rapidly expanding live coverage, rolling out a scalable REMI audio network to match the team’s rising ambitions and new Championship League.

The Savannah Bananas' production arm has installed three 36‑fader Argo M consoles, three Type R systems and Calrec’s True Control 2.0 to underpin a flexible, distributed infrastructure. The setup spans two main control rooms at BTV’s remote facility in Savannah, with additional flypacks deployed on the road, enabling the operation to scale for a busier nationwide schedule.

Savannah Bananas’ Head of Technology Matt Webster said: "We've seen lots of expansion for the 2026 World Tour season, and part of re-building our facilities from 2025 to 2026 was to expand capabilities and increase overall efficiency. The Calrec consoles are all being used to support REMI broadcasts; we have Argo consoles in our main control rooms and we deploy the Type R frame in the field in our mobile units and flypacks.

"This gives us a combination of analogue, embedded SDI, MADI and Dante, and all the audio is given a first pass mix and level set before it is embedded in our video transmission system back to Savannah. We ensure lip sync is correct on-site, so when it comes back into the control rooms, we just focus on mixing the broadcast as if we are doing it at our home stadium.

"We also have remote control of the consoles via the Calrec Assist GUI for changing things on the fly. The most challenging part of any audio console is how you have to interact with it if you are not standing directly in front of it, but nothing beats having access to a web page; it means we can access any console from inside the stadium to make changes, and I can also work remotely to support all our shows from home and fix issues that arise quickly. It is a game-changer for sure."

Access to True Control 2.0 is being phased in further as the season progresses, giving BTV added remote control and the flexibility to ramp up coverage. That capability is vital for the new Banana Ball Championship League, which adds more teams and a heavier broadcast load across 75 stadiums in 45 states.

"We want the technology to outpace production," said Webster. "It brings us a level of consistency that we have been looking for; it just works, and it is simple enough for any audio operator to just jump in and start driving. We have many local audio mixers in the Savannah area that have an entertainment and film focus rather than a broadcast one, but the Calrec consoles have been extremely easy for them not only to make the transition, but to excel.

"It means all our production staff are able to move from room-to-room and from site-to-site and not have any compromises or workflow limitations."

Webster added that the production philosophy mirrors the on‑field experience: "In many ways, Banana Ball is designed for casual sports enthusiasts and people who like a good entertainment performance first. But it also caters to diehard sports fans that want a legitimate competition to get behind, and follow through a season to the end."

calrec.com