‘Get Up’ settles into Lower Manhattan studio designed around conversation

ESPN’s morning show “Get Up” moved to 7 Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan in early June, trading its previous Seaport location for a space crafted around the show’s conversational format and New York identity.

The show broadcasts from Studio X on the lower level of the Robert A. Iger Building. Internally at ESPN, to avoid confusion with studios in Bristol, the New York spaces retain their former Seaport monikers, with this studio referred to as Studio 1.

The space spans approximately 2,100 square feet and eliminates the structural columns that interrupted sightlines at ESPN’s former Seaport Studios. Designer Michael Kramer of MPK Scenic crafted the space around host Mike Greenberg’s casual approach to sports discussion.

Set Design

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“It’s all about Greeny and his friends hanging out, talking sports,” said Joe Ferretti, director of studio design and development at ESPN. “We wanted to carry that iconic New York feel to the space.”

The design team drew inspiration from classic television gathering places. Ferretti referenced the Central Perk cafe from “Friends” or the diner from “Seinfeld” as the aesthetic target for “Get Up’s” new home.

“We wanted that kind of feel for ‘Get Up,’ for Greeny and his show,” Ferretti explained.

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The studio incorporates distinctly New York elements, including subway tile work and a prominent ESPN mosaic on the wall. Kramer designed what Ferretti described as an “atrium” that connects the hosts with their new locale in the main anchor area, featuring a desk with a unique curving form and an inlay LED screen.

Another unique feature of the set is a custom table featuring Lower Manhattan rendered in poured epoxy – the type of river table design that has become popular in high-end furniture. 

“Kramer made a great design for this table,” Ferretti said, noting the custom fabrication required to capture New York and to give a fun segment a unique look. 

The table will serve the regular “Big Man, Tiny Helmets” segment, with other dedicated areas around the studio for other recurring segments such as “Sneaky Hembo.” 

Multiple LED floor areas provide flexibility for graphics and virtual elements, while large LED wall displays offer space for the show’s comedic bits and visual storytelling.

The studio includes one mobile screen mounted on a wagon that can be repositioned around the set, along with an integrated touchscreen area where hosts can interact with graphics either through direct touch or iPad control.

Augmented reality capabilities with depth effects that mirror ESPN’s “SportsCenter” studio in Bristol are also included in the space. The technical setup includes Disguise servers, Unreal Engine and ESPN’s Grace control system, with camera tracking from Stype and Telemetrics camera robotics.

The 7 Hudson Square operation maintains ESPN’s remote production approach, with a technical coordination room on-site while primary production control remains in Bristol. This model differs slightly from the Seaport setup through the utilization of ABC resources for functions like video shading.

The remote integration studio setup enables ESPN to leverage its existing infrastructure while maintaining operational consistency. 

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Graphically, the show moved away from Seaport-themed visuals that featured “boats and bridges” toward elements that better represent the Lower Manhattan location.

“They changed some of the monitor graphics to better represent the location,” Ferretti said, noting the new studio graphics “leaned into a little bit more of a Lower Manhattan feel.”

The studio was completed by a coordinated team of vendors, including Mystic Custom Fabrication for fabrication, Fuse Technical Group for display technology and Eastern Lighting Design for lighting systems and lighting design.

While designed specifically for “Get Up,” the studio’s LED display technology allows flexibility for other ESPN productions, particularly during major New York events.

After six years at ESPN’s Seaport Studios, “Get Up” has joined other Walt Disney Company productions at 7 Hudson Square, including “Live with Kelly and Mark,” “The View,” “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” The move consolidates ESPN’s New York-based operations at the facility, which began operations in fall 2024.