The two BBC studios in Berlin, built for the 2024 European Football Championship, rely on virtual broadcast methods and LED panels from ROE Visual.
A European Football Championship is always a special event for broadcasters, especially when their own country is involved. The British broadcaster BBC secured one of the best spots for its live coverage of the Euro 2024 and set up a studio directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The modern studio includes LED walls for virtual broadcasts.
Design Director John Murphy and his team were responsible for the design of the studio, using LED panels supplied by the Chinese manufacturer ROE Visual in cooperation with the rental company Faber.
BBC’s presence in Berlin includes two studios: one on an outdoor terrace and one indoors. The architectural design of the LED elements aims to create a uniform appearance that reflects the style of the Brandenburg Gate.
Extensive tests in advance
For this purpose, Ruby RB1.9 LED panels were used. According to ROE, these panels are ideal for XR applications in confined studio environments. The interaction between the LEDs, processing units, media playout system, and camera tracking allowed the BBC to meet its requirements for fast graphics changes, AR implementation, and multi-frame use. Faber developed a special sliding mechanism for the indoor studio’s LED walls.
The BBC first learned about ROE products at IBC 2023, and extensive tests were carried out before making the final decision. Detailed descriptions of these tests are available on the ROE website.
The BBC will broadcast from the studio until the UEFA Euros 2024 finals on 14 July.
