What goes on inside the ESPN Polo studio in Argentina

Polo in Argentina is more than just A sport, it’s a national sport, a way of life and it has its own TV channel, ESPN Polo. I discovered polo when I did an exchange program in university and lived in Buenos Aires for a semester. Several of my classmates played polo, just as a hobby when they were with their families in the “campo”. For them, polo was a normal thing, you play it in the countryside, professional polo players are national celebrities on massive billboards around the main cities and people watch polo,

For them, polo was a normal thing you play it in the countryside. Professional polo players are national celebrities displayed on massive billboards around the main cities and people watch polo, live in person and on TV. On ESPN Polo there are polo matches all day long (reruns of the Argentine Open Final keep going for ages, so you don’t miss any details), and when they are not showing polo matches there are talk shows with polo players, interviews, behind the scenes and much more, showing the #PoloLife.

On ESPN Polo there are polo matches all day long, and when they are not showing polo matches there are talk shows with polo players, interviews, behind the scenes and much more, showing the #PoloLife.

Obviously, this quickly became my favourite channel on TV and was on at all times (now that I am not in Argentina anymore, I keep up to date on their website, which you can find here and check out all the fun videos).

As you guys might already know I am a bit of a tech junkie/nerd. I love getting nerdy about technology and seeing how things are made and a TV studio is like Disney to me. So when my friend Gerardo Ferrarini invited me to come and see what goes on behind the scenes at the ESPN Studio, where they record the Polo news, I was super excited.

Gustavo Sgalla giving his commentary on the Palermo Open Final match

Gerardo gave us the grand tour of the place, which was full of computers, motherboards, wires, filming and sound studios, make-up rooms and people, of course, hundreds of people processing thousands of terabytes of information. Filming, cutting, editing, recording and so much more, just so we can enjoy a few minutes of TV. It is mind boggling and was such a great experience.

Where the magic happens, editing, lighting, switching cameras and microphones all happens from here.

Gerry shared a fun fact “ESPN South is the only department of ESPN that is in charge of filming polo in the world, of course as Argentina has the best polo in the world and ESPN has been filming the Argentine Open for 24 years.”

Juan Gris Zavaleta talking about the season and rumours for next season (which we now know for sure, he will play for Alegria La Irenita with Freddie Mannix)

Make sure to follow ESPN Polo on social media, to get the newest updates (the only shortfall is that it’s all in Spanish, Gerry let’s get some English speaking anchors in there, I might know someone 😉  )

Pretending to be an anchor in the ESPN FC studio

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