NBC's Hyland Reflects as Network Prepares Final Belmont

NBC Sports' Rob Hyland has seen just about everything: Super Bowls, World Series, Olympics—you name it. But in the quarter-century he has been with the network, the date—the moment—that stands out most to him is June 6, 2015. That's when American Pharoah crossed the finish line to win not only the Belmont Stakes, but the first Triple Crown in 37 years. "Just the roar from the crowd, the scene inside the control room, you know, just the excitement but still sort of looking for the deliberate plan that we had put into place and how it was executed," said Hyland, who last month was named coordinating producer for "Sunday Night Football," in addition to serving as NBC's Olympics prime-time producer. "It all really came together. "When the horse crossed the finish line, there wasn't a word said after Larry Collmus finished his call saying 'He's finally the one' for about 45 seconds. And it was really up to our production team led by our director Drew Esocoff to just capture the scene, our audio technician Wendel Stevens to capture the sounds, and really, I felt like we gave the viewer at home a chance to feel like they were there that day." However, the June 11 broadcast of the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) will be the last time the network will give viewers the chance to be at the New York track for the foreseeable future. NBC, which initially broadcast the race in 2001 before losing the rights in 2005 and then ultimately returning it to its airwaves in 2011, will pass the baton to Fox Sports next year. NBC still has broadcast rights to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), and Breeders' Cup through 2025. The network's coverage Saturday will include on-air talent on site and in studio in line with past Belmont Stakes. Hyland, who oversaw the production of NBC's horse racing presentations for many years, concluding with last year's Kentucky Derby, helmed 10 editions of the Belmont Stakes. So many names come roaring back to Hyland. Smarty Jones, War Emblem, Funny Cide, California Chrome, to name a few. While some of the stories were of heartbreak, it was the chance to tell those tales to millions of viewers that holds significance. "I couldn't be more proud of how we have documented all Belmont Stakes," Hyland said. "And I will walk away with fond and amazing memories of this part." From a production standpoint, technology changes regularly. During his tenure leading Belmont production, Hyland pointed out several elements that stand out for him that pushed the quality forward. The first is a rail cam system on the backstretch. It is a two-point cable cam system that was fixed 30 feet in the air and used for the Triple Crown sweeps in 2015 and 2018 (Justify). "It's such a long race, you know, having a beautifully composed, unobstructed shot for that entire backstretch was a great add," Hyland said. The other was a GPS tracking pointer that showed the audience where specific horses were. That is in addition to the helmet camera on the outrider, which provided an intimate shot of the jockey and horse immediately after the race. Fox takes over next year with the start of an eight-year deal. "I love horse racing. I want the sport to flourish," Hyland said. "So from a professional muscle memory sense, yeah, being at home on Saturday might be unique or a new sensation, but I'm just hoping that all goes well for Fox in their new endeavor."