Immersive Virtual Studios Transforming Sports Broadcasting at Euro 2024
Title: Virtual Production Takes Center Stage in Euro 2024 Soccer Coverage
As soccer fans around the world tune in to Euro 2024, they’re being treated to a visual spectacle that goes far beyond the action on the pitch. Broadcasters like Fox Sports and BBC Sport have embraced virtual production to create immersive studio environments that push sports coverage’s boundaries.
Fox Sports is broadcasting from what it calls the “Basilica of Soccer” – a sprawling 360-degree virtual set powered by extended reality technology. The two-story virtual set, based at Fox’s Studio A in Los Angeles, uses over 5,000 square feet of ROE Visual LED panels combined with augmented reality elements to create a fully immersive environment.
“This project – more than any other that we’ve done so far with AR, VR, and XR – tightly integrates our animation and our set,” noted Michael Dolan, SVP of Design at Fox Sports. “We’re literally painting the set with country colors and matchups and player graphics.”
The virtual set allows Fox to seamlessly transition between different themed areas for various segments, from tactical analysis to interviews. Virtual cameras using GhostFrame technology enable sweeping movements through the expansive digital space, which spans 56,840 square feet in the virtual world.
Fox’s virtual studio is powered by twenty-three Unreal Engines, with Erizos Studio and Vizrt software controlling the show. The studio is equipped with a 24-foot Technocrane and uses Stype camera-tracking systems to enable virtual reality creation.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport is broadcasting from a purpose-built studio complex overlooking the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin. Their studio combines physical sets with virtual extensions and augmented reality graphics, offering viewers a unique perspective on the tournament.
The BBC’s indoor studio marries physical elements like a large window with floor-to-ceiling LED screens and virtual extensions. An augmented reality ceiling adds height and grandeur to the space. On the roof terrace, an LED floor creates the illusion of looking down into a virtual football museum below.
Both Fox and BBC’s virtual environments are designed to enhance the viewer experience and provide a unique perspective on the tournament. As virtual production technology continues to evolve, it’s clear that virtual and augmented reality will play an increasingly central role in sports broadcasting, including the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
