» Ross’s spidercam delivered breathtaking aerial shots, showcasing the safety and engineering that world-class productions rely on «
viewers worldwide. With deployments built around remote production, it reduced the need for massive on-site crews, for example, cutting travelling headcount by around 40%. LiveU began its planning around one year in advance. However, with all the tariffs imposed by the US government, it couldn’t rely on free movement of units from one country to another. “We ultimately had to develop different hubs in all 16 host cities, which was a massive operation,” says Zardok. “We relied a lot on the cellular network and launched the LiveU IQ protocol, which is an AI-based solution.” FIFA recently proposed expanding the tournament from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition. “I don’t yet know the logistics of that, but there’s 211 total national member associations, so that number would equate to around 30% of the total national teams that exist,” says Zardok. “It’s very interesting from the perspective
of seeing more countries involved, but from a logistical perspective of bringing that all together, it’s more complicated.” Despite the potential setbacks for future tournaments, Zardok argues that no matter the conditions, LiveU must come up with solutions. “Our approach has always been to support any kind of challenge,” he says. “The key thing is to prepare for a lot of different scenarios and to be flexible and still stay within budget.” Production studios ITV Sport showed seven out of the top ten biggest matches in the group stages, including England’s two winning games, with peak audiences of 16.4 million and 13.8 million respectively, as well as the opening match of the tournament, Mexico vs South Africa. The set-up included a physical and virtual rooftop studio in Brooklyn, New York, overlooking the Manhattan
skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Gravity Media powered the remote production set-up for ITV’s coverage, connecting Gravity Media’s London Production Centre with ITV Sport’s live studio operations in New York through a fully integrated workflow. For the three-hub production model, match feeds were received via the International Broadcast Center in Dallas, then transmitted to Gravity Media’s London Production Centre, where production galleries are operated and enhanced with live editorial and presentation content. “This is a perfect example of how Gravity Media is redefining what’s possible in remote production,” recalls Kate Rendle, global sales director at Gravity Media. “Our investment in infrastructure ensures we can support clients with true operational flexibility and continuity, no matter what challenges arise. It’s about delivering innovation and reliability at scale and we’re proud to be doing that for ITV.”
BIG STAGE Broadcasters, production and technology companies came together to air the tournament
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