For the first time, a dedicated camera followed Son Heung-min, whose performances with LAFC have been credited with elevating the overall quality and visibility of Major League Soccer (MLS).
During LAFC’s match against Atlanta United on Oct. 5 at BMO Stadium, Apple TV — the exclusive global broadcaster of MLS — focused its production resources on the Korean forward. The platform released a real-time TikTok broadcast capturing only Son’s movements, a first for the league.
The production was tied to Apple TV’s flagship show Sunday Night Soccer, which airs in more than 100 countries. A team of 60 people was mobilized solely for this feature. In MLS, only two players—Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Son Heung-min—have earned such exclusive camera coverage.
The Korea Daily became the first Korean media ever to step inside Apple TV’s live-broadcast operations to witness how the “showtime stage” unfolds—at BMO Stadium, with Son Heung-min as its main character.
At 3 p.m., three hours before kickoff, the BMO Stadium’s fourth-floor suite became the nerve center of operations. Around a dozen people, including a producer, directors, announcers, and commentators, convened for a detailed production meeting led by producer Brad Mertel, a 15-year veteran of sports production.
Son has completely transformed LAFC coverage. Martel said that “his arrival has added more diversity and energy to our broadcasts, and we are also making sure to feature the Korean fans’ enthusiasm in the stands.”
The meeting reviewed camera placement, interview routes, and timing sequences down to the minute. “Our goal is to make viewers feel the stadium atmosphere as vividly as possible,” Mertel explained. “From player interviews to crowd reactions, we aim to deliver the full experience.”
The English commentary team includes announcer Jake Zivin and commentator Taylor Twellman. Announcer Sammy Sadovnik and commentator Diego Valeri lead the Spanish broadcast. Both Twellman and Valeri are former MLS players, New England Revolution and Portland Timbers, respectively, lending the broadcast a richer layer of insight.
“Son’s chemistry with teammates makes calling his matches pure fun,” says Zivin, a 12-year broadcasting veteran. “Condensing such a remarkable career into a few sentences is the hardest part.” Twellman adds, “My job is to help fans understand why a play happens. Son is one of the few players who smiles even mid-game—his positivity makes every broadcast more enjoyable.”
By 4:30 p.m., Sunday Night Soccer’s preview shoot is underway. LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo appears live from the stadium with Twellman, while Son Heung-min and his teammate Sergi Palencia join via remote interview from Apple TV’s Connecticut studio.
Sunday Night Soccer aims to capture not only the atmosphere of the game itself, but also the mood of the fans who come to the stadium.
Sideline reporter Andrew Wiebe, a 14-year field veteran, is tasked with capturing pre-game fan reactions without pre-arranged interviews. Discovering it’s Chuseok in Korea, he quickly finds a Korean-American family and visiting fans from South Korea to record a heartfelt segment. “Punctuality is a reporter’s creed,” Wiebe says. “Meeting Korean fans on Chuseok made this assignment extra special.”
Thirty minutes before kickoff, the broadcast production truck hums with tension. Staff move in seconds, rehearsing the opening sequence again and again.
The truck is divided into a main control room, an audio suite, and a tape room. In the control room, producer Mertel and director Jim Dadona monitor up to 20 camera feeds, cutting and mixing in real time. “It’s not just about the game—it’s about weaving its story,” Dadona explains. “Son Heung-min is one of the biggest stories in MLS right now, and we aim to capture every moment.”
For the first time since Messi’s debut, Apple TV deployed a dedicated TikTok camera exclusively for Son, streaming his every move live. “Today’s a trial run,” Mertel notes, “but we’re considering expanding this format.”
In the audio room, sound director Omer Barzilay manages 12 surround microphones that record crowd roars and on-field soundscapes in 3D. “We adjust levels in real time based on player movement,” he says.
Meanwhile, the tape room logs every frame, instantly supplying replays upon the producer’s cue. “If we spot a great moment, we don’t wait for approval—we pitch it,” a technician explains. “That’s how you create the best show.”
5:59 p.m. — the countdown begins.
“Five, four, three, two, one… we’re live!”
The Sunday Night Soccer graphics flash across the screen as director Dadona calls, “Graphic in, graphic out,” syncing with the Connecticut studio.
At the commentary booth, the casters stand with lineup sheets in hand, voices rising and falling with the crowd’s emotion. When LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga scores, Zivin and Twellman erupt—but keep composure, narrating the goal with sharp precision to bring viewers right into the stadium.
Spanish commentators Sadovnik and Valeri match the intensity. Sadovnik’s electric goal call—a signature that sends fans into a frenzy—echoes through living rooms worldwide.
Even after the final whistle blows, the broadcast continues. Wiebe rushes onto the pitch to interview Bouanga and Eddie Segura, capturing their reactions before tossing back to the Connecticut studio, where the panel breaks down LAFC’s performance and the week’s top MLS moments on Sunday Night Soccer.
Apple TV’s production that night didn’t just spotlight Son Heung-min—it captured the birth of a new MLS era, one defined by a Korean star whose passion and play now command the world’s attention.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
