On-the-Scene -- FIFA Talks World Cup Broadcast Technologies

(ATR) FIFA director of TV Niclas Ericson told SPORTEL Monaco that the Brazil World Cup will feature pioneering broadcast technologies.

Ultra HD broadcasting will be used by TV Globo, the exclusive Brazilian rights holder to the 2014 World Cup Brazil, Sky Deutschland in Germany, and BSkyB in the U.K following various tests this year.

"We are proud to be leading the way in sports coverage standards, giving football fans across the world the very best quality by delivering our competitions to broadcasters in extraordinary ways," Ericson told the conference, which opened today.

"The 2014 World Cup Brazil will be no different. It will be a breath-taking showcase of the latest trends in production, bringing to life all the drama, passion and excitement on the pitch for all of our fans," he added.

Sony and FIFA TV have tested the Ultra HD technology at the Confederations Cup and are set to make the 4K technology available to World Cup broadcasters who have the capabilities.

Ericson described it as "a landmark achievement for FIFA and the world of sport".

"4K produces such sharp images and such depth of clarity that you really feel as if you are in the stadium, watching the match in the stands," he said.

"You can see the faces of fans cheering in their seats. You can see sweat dripping from a player's face before he takes that crucial last-minute penalty."

FIFA will offer fans a full digital event with second screen, he said. It means the media rights licensees can offer a dazzling array of multimedia services during the 64-match tournament next summer.

Fans can choose between six live feeds including main match coverage, a tactical feed, two team feeds and two player feeds, in combination with an embedded data feed. Matches can be watched live, in replay mode, or as a ‘near-live’ experience.

"It will also be possible to follow the main match coverage on TV while using a PC, tablet, or smart phone as a second screen for streaming another feed or browsing through rich statistics," Ericson said, adding that an additional 24 different camera angles would be offered.

Reported by Heinz Peter Kreuzer in Monaco

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