Rogers goes big -- really big -- on new NHL studio

When you've paid for the most expensive thing in the store, you might as well go all out on the wrapping. Tissue paper just won't do for that billion-dollar bauble.

That was obviously the thinking at Sportsnet when the channel unveiled the new Hockey Central studio that will be the showcase for its $5.2-billion NHL broadcast package on Monday. And when we say big, we mean Godzilla.

If size matters when it comes to hockey studios, this will be a winner. (Note: There is no indication that size matters when it comes to hockey studios.)

At 11,000 square feet, it's the largest studio in the country. It features a rotating desk that allows cameras a 360-degree view of the action and includes an 11-by-38-foot ultra high-definition monitor for highlights and other features. It is named, not surprisingly, Goliath. Imagine that in your living room.

It features three distinct sets for the 554 games that will air on Sportsnet, CBC and other Rogers-owned channels this season. They will allow Sportsnet to shoot three separate live broadcasts simultaneously.

Some of the other numbers are staggering. The studio is wired by 40,000 feet if electrical cable, features 52 different screens and 14 cameras.

Needless to say, Rogers is pretty proud of the new baby that took eight months to deliver.

“Our hosts and commentators gasped when they saw the studio in action for the first time, and we’re confident fans will as well,” said Gord Cutler, Rogers' senior vice-president of NHL Production “It’s cutting edge and allows us to showcase the game in ways never seen before that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.”

Not everybody was blown away by the gigantic set.

It may be derivative in some ways, but the fact is there are only so many studio designs. The important thing for Rogers  is that a shiny new bauble will tell viewers who tune in to the first broadcast on Oct. 8 that this is something new and, hopefully, exciting. The media giant is trying to sell a new concept here -- a slate of multiple games airing on different channels, often at the same time. Having a central studio to co-ordinate all of that -- along the lines of Sunday NFL broadcasts -- is essential to selling this new show.

Of course, that's all really just window dressing. In the end, it's the quality of the games and the quality of the broadcasts that really matter.

Whether we're getting something new or the same-old-same-old with a new ribbon on it will be unveiled as the season progresses.