Fox Sports Ohio Shares COVID-19 Safety Protocols For Cleveland Cavaliers Broadcasts

The 2020-21 NBA season will be an unprecedented one for the Cleveland Cavaliers due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. When the team opens up its season at home on December 23 against the Charlotte Hornets, it will be to only 300 fans in an arena that holds 20,562. Those fans will be family members of those affiliated with the organization, season ticket holders and other team partners to begin the season. Thankfully, for those who are unable to tend and have to watch Cleveland at home, there will be plenty of familiar faces.

Fox Sports Ohio, the official TV home of the Cavaliers, will air all 38 games of the team’s first half regular season schedule. Play-by-play voice John Michael, analyst and Cavaliers legend Austin Carr are back to call all the games along with Angel Gray reporting. Jeff Phelps and Campy Russell also return as hosts of the Cavaliers Live pregame show providing commentary, features, and in-depth pregame coverage 30 minutes prior to every regular season game. Even if there aren’t going to be nearly as many fans in the arena this year, the Fox Sports Ohio team will still bring the same quality production like they do every season.

“While I’m sure that it will be a little different with only a few fans in the building, I’m just thrilled that the Cavaliers are back on the floor,” said John Michael, play-by-play voice for the Cavaliers. “It’s been nine full months since the Cavs were last in action, so I’m ecstatic simply that they’re back on the floor and that our terrific fan base can enjoy them once again.

“I can tell you that the Cavaliers organization has been working feverishly to get fans back in the building as safely as possible. As we saw with the smashing success of the Orlando bubble, the NBA has done a phenomenal job to ensure that the safety of everyone involved – players, staff, fans, you name it – is of the utmost importance. It’s no surprise that the Cavaliers and Fox Sports Ohio have followed suit and continue to do everything within their power as safely and as quickly as possible to get fans back into Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, where they belong. The Cavaliers’ front office, business leadership, building folks, engineers – the whole works – deserve a big tip of the cap for making all of this a reality.”

But, there will be of course some changes behind the scenes in order to broadcast the Cavaliers in the safest way possible. In compliance with NBA in-arena health and safety guidelines, the FOX Sports Ohio production crew will be based at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and will operate out of a television truck and additional mobile unit equipped to provide the appropriate health and safety precautions. Michael and Carr will call the game from the seating bowl, allowing for proper social distancing. Gray will also report from inside the FieldHouse during home games. The network’s productions of the road games will be produced out of the Cleveland studio’s control room with Michael, Carr and Gray broadcasting from the Cleveland studio.

“In terms of road games, there certainly will be an adjustment as we won’t be able to talk and interact with players and coaches on the road trips, which ordinarily is where we are able to garner a lot of information that we can relay to our fans,” said Michael “But again, I can’t tell you how elated I am simply to be able to bring Cavaliers basketball to our fans – no matter from where we have to broadcast. So, for that reason, Austin Carr and I are going to embrace the opportunity to call road games from the studio, and we can’t wait to join everyone in their living rooms once more.

When it comes to interacting with coaches and players, the media will not be able to engage face to face with them to start this season. This of course makes total sense due to the pandemic and is forcing all parties involved to adapt – Fox Sports Ohio included. This season, Fox Sports Ohio will stream the Zoom press conferences with coaches and players, and make it feel like a seamless transition from what used to be. Gray, meanwhile, will still be able to interview players during the action – just at a socially distant six feet away. Fox Sports Ohio is still trying to find a method to allow Gray to also speak with Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, but, for now that won’t be a feature of their coverage.

The maiden voyage of this new production style starts tonight when the Cavaliers take on the Indiana Pacers in preseason play. Sure, there will probably be a few bumps in the road at first, but that’s the nature of life under the ongoing pandemic. But, after winning multiple regional Emmy awards in the past, Fox Sports Ohio will adapt in no time at all. Besides, it’s all more than worth it for the fans who are unable to attend games this season.