Delbarton grad helping NBA build new audience
Jonathan Yardley is doing a lot more than just keeping his eye on the ball. As the play-by-play announcer for the NBA's virtual-reality broadcasts, Yardley is directing viewers all over the court – and, sometimes, the entire arena.
A Delbarton alumnus, Yardley has been involved with broadcasting since childhood "but I didn't know how passionate I would become about it, and how feasible it would be." The Green Wave's statistician for soccer, hockey and football, Yardley, who had grown up wanting to play for legendary Morristown baseball coach Harry Shatel, hoped to continue to be involved with the sport when he attended Rice University.
On a trip to Rice during his senior year at Delbarton, Yardley discovered the baseball team already had a manager, but the student-radio guys were graduating. He was on the air from Minute Maid Park for an early-season tournament in February of his freshman year, and realized, "I knew this was for me. There was no question."
Though Yardley was confident in his career choice, the path from Rice baseball to the NBA hasn't exactly been straight or smooth. But all that practice, particularly with Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, led him to an International Champions Cup game at MetLife Stadium – and a chance to work with NextVR.
The Real Madrid-Bayern Munich summer broadcast was the first NextVR had done live with announcers.
"He did such an amazing job under pretty extraordinary circumstances," said Danny Keens, NextVR's vice-president of content.
Yardley became NextVR's NBA play-by-play broadcaster in the fall, going live every Tuesday with Julianne Viani as the color analyst and Mark Rogondino courtside.
The next virtual-reality broadcast features Philadelphia in Los Angeles today, with five more on Tuesdays until the end of the regular season. Though tonight's game will be free, access is normally part of the $200 season-long subscription to NBA League Pass. Highlights and condensed versions of each game are available free, which Yardley said are "great entry points to see what it's like. You get some of the coolest moments."
Viewers need to download the NextVR app to a compatible Samsung phone and purchase a $99 GearVR headset, or Google Daydream.
The key for Yardley is keeping an eye on more than just the ball and the players, but directing the audience where in their 180-degree frame to pay attention. NextVR uses three main cameras, one under each basket and one on the scorers' table.
Each camera allows a viewer to turn his or her head from left to right, smoothly following a player dribbling up the court as if he was there.
Yardley watches the action on a 180-degree monitor, providing the usual score and statistics, as well as anything beyond the court that might be interesting.
"You're commentating on what you're looking at, but viewers can be looking in a completely opposite direction, even behind them," Keens said. "You really have to tell people what you're looking at and where to look. That's probably the hardest thing for him. It's a completely different way to add flavor to the game. You're not just calling it. You're talking about the scene and what's happening in the arena."
The NBA declined to comment on the numbers of NextVR subscriptions, app downloads, or headset sales. However, the league has a multiyear partnership with NextVR, which has also produced the Masters, boxing, Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and NASCAR races.
Based in Manhattan with his wife and 1-year-old daughter, Yardley is Red Bull New York's No. 2 play-by-play announcer. He is scheduled to do some MLS broadcasts, and hopes to go back to college basketball, football and hockey. Yardley also continued to maintain his New Jersey high school hockey website during the Cup and NJSIAA Tournaments, and celebrated when his alma mater defended its Non-Public title.
"I don't feel out of my depth. I haven't at any point in this, which is great," Yardley said of his first NBA experience. "If you told me in June I would be doing this, I'd be pretty surprised, and it's been amazing."
Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@gannettnj.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/