Phoenix Suns’ graphics blur the line between reality with sweeping views of local landscape

Gray Television has debuted a new graphics package for its coverage of the Phoenix Suns NBA games that showcases the sweeping landscapes surrounding the city.

Designed by Viztek, many of the graphics feature a variety of views of flat and rocky deserts.

The dusty oranges and sand shades are complemented with hints of blue and violet. Many of the animated sequences are imagined as giant oversized banners seemingly installed in the desert. 

Another take can showcase players on a giant banner that appears to be draped over the side of a cliff, complete with detailed flowing effects. 

All of these effects are computer-generated, of course, but appear to purposefully toe the line between real and extended reality thanks to the use of fabric-like texture effects and details such as cacti growing in front of the virtual banners.

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Some graphics also contain visual references to basketball courts and a detailed rendering of one of the game’s iconic orange balls, including a sequence where a separate iteration of a basketball appears to squeeze through the middle of the Suns logo, breaking the surface of the logo as if it’s a gelatinous fruit snack. 

The Suns logo, which is an orange basketball backed with a shooting star-like outline of the sun, makes appearances throughout the package, including a flat version that, along with microtext accents and angled slices zipping across the screen, brings a contrasting flat, modern look the package.

Accompanying the new visuals is a musical track revived from when UPN carried the Suns games.

Gray has the regional broadcast rights to select Suns basketball games, which are aired on its KTVK and KPHO channels locally using Chyron graphics systems.

Gray snagged the rights after RSN Bally Sports Arizona, which is owned by Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group, ended up essentially forfeiting its rights deal.