
Safety the priority for UEFA's COVID-secure Champions League Final host broadcast By Will Strauss, Editor
Thursday, August 20, 2020 - 09:49
Print This Story
TV compound at Est dio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
The host broadcast coverage of the UEFA Champions League final on 23 August will be as resplendent as ever, complete with 4K HDR pictures and Dolby surround sound and match action captured by a drone and super high-speed, Polecam and in-goal cameras, among other things.
To provide atmosphere in the empty stadium, augmented crowd audio will be added to the output too, as has been the case with the big domestic leagues around Europe, and an aerial camera system will deliver dynamic shots from behind and above the players.
But for UEFA, and its production supplier for the Champions League finals tournament Mediapro, the priority for 2020 is undoubtedly safety: the safety of the crew, technicians and everyone involved in the game; but also safety in terms of the broadcast output.
The priority during a global pandemic is not to be taking risks with anyone's health, or with the match coverage, as Francisco de la Fuente, the general manager of the Mediapro Group's Portuguese operation Medialuso explained to SVG Europe ahead of the final.
The most important thing for UEFA is to have good coverage of all the matches with similarly high quality in both the 4K HDR and HD SDR feeds plus the virtual crowd audio, he says. We want good coverage and good security and safety [from COVID-19] with no problems. Keeping everyone and the match coverage safe is mandatory.
Neutral venues
The final was originally slated to be played in Istanbul at the Atat rk Olympic Stadium but, because of coronavirus, the Champions League finals tournament consisting of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final is being played as straight knock out matches, in neutral venues in Portugal, between 12 and 23 August. All the matches are being played behind closed doors.
Several factors drove UEFA to decide to bring the 2019-20 competition to its conclusion in a single city and in neutral venues including the need to choose countries with a positive evolution in their epidemiological situation .
It also took into account the support from the relevant football association and local authorities, stadium infrastructure and the association's operational expertise.
The final matches of 2020, therefore, are being split between Est dio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, the home of Benfica and more commonly known as the Stadium of Light, where the final will be played, and Sporting Lisbon's Est dio Jos Alvalade.
To ensure safety, the stadiums are divided into four zones. Zone One: pitch and benches, Zone Two: pitch surroundings, Zone Three: tribunes and stadium interior and Zone Four: stadium exterior. No more than 120 people are allowed at a time in Zone One, and no more than 100 people (including the teams) can enter Zone Two.
Inside the OB at Sporting Lisbon's Est dio Jos Alvalade for Champions League coverage
The host broadcast operation
Whilst UEFA has acted as host broadcaster before at the Champions League final, usually the local rights holder in the city that the game is being played is tasked with that responsibility. This year, production has come in-house with UEFA taking control of host broadcast operations and the Mediapro Group producing and distributing the world feed of all the matches on its behalf.
For the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the broadcast format options for rights holders are HD (1080i 50) or UHD, both with standard dynamic range. Also, 25 cameras are being used for coverage of the quarter-finals while the semi-finals are benefitting from 28, with the addition of two Polecam Pico systems and a drone.
For the final, things go up another notch. The broadcast formats will be simultaneously synchronised and timed UHD with high dynamic range (HDR) and HD (1080i 50) feeds with both produced from a single production set-up.
The camera count will go up for the final too; 31 will be used with two additional high-speed cameras and a tactical high camera positioned behind one of the goal being added to a set up that already includes the aerial camera system and a drone plus four super-slo-mo and other hi-motion cameras, two in-goal cameras, the two Polecam cameras, and all the standard camera positions around the pitch and stadium.
Sony cameras with Canon lenses are being used for the main coverage. Pictures are being switched using Grass Valley Kahuna vision mixers and replays are being done using the EVS XT-Via. Additional EVS systems will be added for the final.
Although the number of people allowed inside the ground is limited due to the health and safety protocol, rights holders have been given the opportunity to enhance their unilateral coverage.
They cannot bring their trucks into the compound but 303 TV and radio commentary position desks are available across the final tournament, along with 60 pitch presentation and tribune presentation positions, 31 flash interview positions and 44 unilateral camera positions behind the goal.
Mediapro is providing OB trucks for the unilateral output.
In these finals, the broadcasters don't have the opportunity to put facilities in the stadium, says de la Fuente. All the rights holders use the UEFA facilities for unilateral. This includes the option to book a package camera for unilateral use.
Augmented sound and virtual fans
For the audio, a full 5.1+2 Dolby E production is available, consisting of a 5.1 channel programme and a two-channel secondary audio programme. A Dolby E multichannel audio mix will be required for distribution and transmission for all the feeds.
To compensate for the lack of supporters in the ground, all the matches, including the final, will have enhanced crowd audio available on bot
Most recent headlines
14/03/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...
14/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....