Showtime Sound Powers Production for the Washington Wizards' Historic 2026 NBA Draft Party

	"We wanted the fans to feel like they were in the room with the live NBA Draft television programming, and the massive screens did just that," says Durantini. Photo: Dimitris Ieromonahos

Frederick, Maryland-based Showtime Sound provided production services for the Washington Wizards' 2026 NBA Draft Party, delivering audio control, supplemental lighting and video systems, and on-site technical support for the event held at The Anthem, located in DC's Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. The Wizards made history by selecting consensus top prospect AJ Dybantsa from Brigham Young University with the number-one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Tayler Durantini, director, show production, at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, and lighting director at Capital One Arena, says, "Every draft day is always exciting, but having the number-one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft made this year incredibly important to celebrate. We wanted to provide not only a fun and interactive experience for fans, but a visually stunning one to convey the excitement behind the night."

"When designing this year's event, I knew that we would need exceptional service, problem solvers, and great gear to produce a successful show," he continues. "Working with Showtime Sound allowed us to accomplish all three of those elements. As the production and lighting designer for the event, I was excited to get my hands on the ACME Lighting Tornado fixture to integrate into the rig. It was the standout fixture for the night, providing us with some cool visual effects on the stage and explosive programming options when the draft pick dropped."

Showtime CFO and senior lighting designer Aaron Kovelman comments, "What makes the Tornado so compelling is the sheer number of tools packed into a single fixture. Five independently moving heads, LED rings that add another layer of visual effects, along with the more traditional suite of zoom, color, and strobe capabilities, give a designer an enormous palette without filling the rig with several different fixture types. It can be subtle and architectural one moment and completely explosive the next. Being one of the first companies in our market to invest in ACME Tornadoes gives Showtime another way to deliver looks that feel fresh, distinctive, and visually memorable, while giving our designers a powerful tool that can take on multiple roles within the same production."

Durantini notes, "When it comes to video, I knew that a larger-than-life LED package would be the biggest aspect of this event. We wanted the fans to feel like they were in the room with the live NBA Draft television programming, and the massive screens did just that." Kovelman adds, "The Absen PL3.9 Pro gives us a highly flexible LED platform that can scale from smaller video installations to large-format environments like this one. Its 3.9mm pixel pitch delivers excellent image quality at the viewing distances we typically encounter, while its rental-focused design supports efficient deployment and a variety of configurations. From a business standpoint, that adaptability is extremely valuable. The more applications we can cover with the same inventory, the greater our utilization and return on investment. Most importantly, it allows us to provide clients with a dependable, high-impact video solution without compromising image quality or design capability."

Showtime adds in a statement, "We are honored to have partnered with the Washington Wizards for this incredible celebration and to have contributed to an evening that fans will remember for years to come."