BACKGROUND WORK ITV’s virtual set incorporates Unreal Engine
To retrieve content from Uefa, he adds, ITV was ‘able to bring a number of ISO and main match feeds back via the Eurovision cloud’ – a Swiss- based network (not to be confused with Eurovision Song Contest). “We took in satellite feeds as well so that we always had somewhere to go. “We had a self-shooting set- up as well, which gave us lots of B-roll imagery” for alternate feeds, Cahalane reveals. “In the past, that wasn’t available to us.” On the ground For the semi-final and the final, “we rocked on down to Switzerland,” Cahalane recalls, with ITV presenting its match coverage from pitch-side platforms. “We did this traditionally, with an OB truck, which was then connected up to the Uefa offering on-site. We were able to access lots more ISO feeds because they weren’t all available to us when we were back in London. “Equally, we were able to employ things like a super slomo camera to capture some part of the story that might be more relevant to the ITV audience. We could grab bits of
colour and exciting moments – and moments of euphoria and tiredness. There was a lot of that.” For the semi-final and final, ITV opted for a LucidLink workflow, “which allowed us to pump more angles rather than edit off the transmission feed,” says Cahalane. “That gave us more material.” Collaborating with suppliers such as Timeline and EVS, ITV started planning its Euros coverage many months before kick-off. “We try to do that as early as possible. We give everybody a link to a live document, which means that, as we grow and
change the plans, they can see how things are developing,” Cahalane explains. Regular communication ensures that ITV’s suppliers have “everything they need. We mitigate challenges by being very, very thorough. By the time we get to the tournament, we should be in a good place – apart from a natural disaster, we should be good.” Here to stay According to the Women’s Sport Trust, one in four global sports fans regularly watches women’s matches. And, after the Women’s Euro 2025, this comes as no surprise. Marking their shared commitment to the expanding market for women’s football, the BBC and ITV will again join forces to broadcast the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
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