Viral Bret Bielema sideline video was shot by 3rd-party ESPN contractor

ESPN confirmed amateur video footage was shot of Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema by a third-party contractor working a parabolic microphone for Saturday’s Arkansas-Alabama broadcast.

In the viral clip from the Razorbacks’ sideline, Bielema appears to celebrate a penalty thrown after a close dispute with Alabama lineman Cam Robinson.

ESPN:

After a thorough investigation, we determined the conduct of the individual contracted to operate a parab during the Arkansas-Alabama game was unacceptable and in violation of ESPN policy and our rights holder agreements. He has been contacted by our legal department to surrender all footage he improperly obtained and remove any and all posts containing it. We have reviewed and revised existing protocol to protect against this happening in the future.

The original video was posted to Twitter and taken down, but has made its way elsewhere.

It was posted “by Pelham (Alabama) High School defensive backs coach Anthony Jacks,” ESPN reported, “but Jacks told ESPN.com on Monday that he does not own the video. He recorded it on his phone from the owner of the video but declined to identify the owner who originally shot the video.”

SB Nation has confirmed that the individual, Cory Ausderau, was contracted to work the game by Ming Entertainment Group, LLC, a company that outfits clients such as ESPN with staffing for live event production.

Arkansas has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment.

“I visited with Bret over the phone on Monday and we discussed the play that has now become widely reviewed through a brief video clip,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “Football is played in an intense competitive environment and I reminded him of the need for head coaches to resolve with their own players issues that may arise, which was his intent.”

A second video from the game also surfaced online, of a different member of the production team near Bielema, who waved a hand before an Arkansas fourth-down try. An ESPN source said any allegations of playcall signaling are absolutely false, and that the employee was signaling to a camera for a standard communications check with producers.