Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Inside the Production of the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

30/05/2023

Inside the production of the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship By George Bevir

Friday, May 26, 2023 - 08:30

Print This Story

Latvia v Norway at the 2023 World Championship. Credit: IIHF

The 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship features several cutting-edge innovations, including immersive replay technology, new ice rink level microphones, bench cameras and a red line camera to offer an additional perspective plus a 35-camera setup for the Semi-Finals and Medal Games this weekend. Infront Productions' Peer Seitz explains all about the production of the tournament.

The Ice Hockey World Championship reaches its climax this weekend, with semi-finals between Canada v Latvia and USA v Germany on Saturday, ahead of the Gold Medal game on Sunday.

Co-hosted by Finland and Latvia, some 80 broadcasters across 150 territories have been broadcasting the 2023 IIHF WM, which began on Friday 12 May with 16 teams taking part. Infront, the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) exclusive media and marketing rights partner, has also been tasked with host broadcaster duties for some 45 live TV broadcasters, 30 news and highlights broadcasters, and four radio partners. Fans in territories without a broadcast partner have been able to stream all games live on the IIHF's official YouTube channel.

Infront took over full host broadcast duties in 2018, and since then it has introduced a raft of innovations and new technology to improve coverage of the fast-paced sport.

Hockey is very much a camera 1 sport, says head of Infront Productions Peer Seitz. You cut to the close ups and to the two handheld cameras in the corners when the action is there and when somebody gets checked into the plexiglass, but the percentage of time spent on camera 1 is even higher in hockey than football because of the speed of the game; the time the puck needs to cross the entire ice rink is rather short.

Peer Seitz, Infront Productions

When Infront took over host broadcast duties in 2018 it added two super motion cameras behind the goals, replacing the single speed cameras that were mounted above the plexiglass that surrounds the rink.

We changed them to super motions in order to really be able to see in the replays what happened to the puck, because a lot of time it may have been deflected or there may be a very close save, so the super motions are essential to the live coverage. Infront Productions also switched from 1080i to 1080p to boost the quality of images and future proof the content that was captured.

Camera plans and audio enhancements

With the 16 teams split into two groups, games are being played at the Arena Riga in Latvia and the Nokia Arena in Tampere, which will also host the semi-finals, the bronze medal game and the gold medal game.

In terms of the camera plan, we treat both venues exactly the same, says Seitz. We don't make a distinction between the main and secondary venue, which is only called secondary' because it's active until the quarter-finals. The only changes to the camera plan are some add-ons to the production plan for the semi-finals and the finals.

Each venue has 31 camera signals, ranging from main cameras to super motions, robotics to handhelds and also 4G-enabled cameras for bus arrivals and fan coverage. That coverage will be topped up for the final weekend with five additional cameras, one of which one is an ultra-motion, plus an additional robotic super motion on the centre line just above the plexiglass. In addition, there will be a 2D cable camera system for the final weekend plus two locked off shots of the team benches this year to capture the reactions of players and coaches.

Bartlett TM125 Boundary microphones have also been added to the production setup for this year's Ice Hockey World Championship. The standard is to put lapel mics on the ice rink, but the quality is not great for atmosphere and the sound of the ice, so we have new microphones which we hang on to the plexi around the rink, which really pick up the sound mainly from the ice rink.

They are much better quality and range and our audio guys are super excited about them, says Seitz. At the source, we hope for a much better sound, and I would hope that that translates also to the viewers at home. And we also have the Dolby microphone above camera one, as well as associated mics with the handheld cameras plus more to capture crowd noise.

Signals are exchanged between the two venues (which are some 580km apart) including the dirty and clean version of the world feed plus a couple of isolated feeds, via distribution partner Globecast. They have set up a complete ring infrastructure, so in case of a loss of connectivity from Riga to the distribution hub, all the feeds go via Tampere to another distribution hub. So that's the safety we have two physically independent fibre routes to the distribution hub for Globecast.

Infront is working closely with NEP Sweden, which has recruited most of the production personnel. NEP Sweden knows hockey inside out which is a big help, says Seitz. For most of our other productions, we try to be as local as possible, which provides some obvious benefits in terms of sustainability. We also produce the two tournaments below the top division, and for those we always produce coverage with local providers.

For this tournament, Infront decided not to pursue a remote production model. Seitz explains: Remote production for reoccurring events and venues makes a lot of sense. But we have such a tight schedule that I think in terms of atmosphere and for the sake of our directors and our teams we all benefit from being in the arena rather than working remotely.

That said, there are some elements being produced off site. Each venue has its own ENG team for capturing content for post-produced items, such as lineups where
LINK: https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/inside-the-production-of-the-...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

17/03/2026

NASA+ Prepares To Live Stream Historic Artemis II Mission, Bringing Deep-Space Exploration to Global Audiences

NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...

17/03/2026

BBright's TTML & SMPTE ST 2110-43: One Single Stream For the Whole World

The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...

17/03/2026

Op-Ed: How Generative AI Is Transforming Live Sports Streaming Optimization

Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...

17/03/2026

Dell Case Study: Powering the Future of Sports Media One Experience at a Time at UT Austin

Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...

17/03/2026

NAB 2026: Ikegami to Showcase Latest Generation TV Production Cameras, Controllers and Monitors

Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...

17/03/2026

TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia Announce Major Multi-Platform Collaboration

TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...

17/03/2026

The Miami Dolphins and Dell Boost Fan Experience, Safety, and Efficiency at Hard Rock Stadium

The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...

17/03/2026

Spectrum Launches Multiview for NCAA Basketball Tournaments

Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...

17/03/2026

Pac-12 Inks Integrity/Data Deals With Genius Sports, IC360

Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....

17/03/2026

Rede Massa Chooses Net Insight to Enable State-Wide Centralized Operations

Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...

17/03/2026

F1 The Movie' Wins the Academy Award for Best Sound

Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions At Sunday night's Ac...

17/03/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Oracle's Mark Ramberg on the Future of Live Broadcast in the Cloud with OCI

Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...

17/03/2026

DIRECTV Adds Multiview and Sports Central Features Ahead of NCAA Tournament

DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...

17/03/2026

Deltatre and ATP Media Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Graphics/Data Partnership

Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...

17/03/2026

Detroit Pistons, Scripps Sports To Air Five Games Free Over the Air on TV-20 Detroit

The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...

17/03/2026

How Fresh Finds Africa Propelled Rapper Zaylevelten to a Breakout Year

Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...

17/03/2026

Spotify Sparked Viral Moments at G27: genie fest, Driving the Discovery of Thai Rock

Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...

17/03/2026

Black Rooster Audio release VWB-1X

Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...

17/03/2026

Accentize unveil dxSplit

Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...

17/03/2026

RF Spectrum Threat: OFCOM Survey

UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...

17/03/2026

SGL Carbon hosts Bavaria's first pilot training course for prospective plant fire department squad leaders

Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...

17/03/2026

New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve to be understood'

New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...

17/03/2026

NAB Appoints Two New Members to Television Board of Directors

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

PMVG's TechConnect Goes Virtual for 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

Miris unlocks high-fidelity 3D asset streaming at scale

3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...

17/03/2026

Tedial Powers the Future of Media Operations at NAB Show...

As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...

17/03/2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability wit...

Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...

17/03/2026

Limecraft Introduces New Platform Update Adding Greater C...

Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...

17/03/2026

Pioneering the Next Era of Sports Broadcasting - Broadcas...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...

17/03/2026

SES Launches Cash Tender Offer

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...

17/03/2026

FCC Announces TV Translator Call Sign Changes

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Offering Free Show Floor Passes to Creators

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202

QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202 Brie Clayton March 16, 2026 0 Comments The Multi-platform Remote Gues...

17/03/2026

Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 16, 2026 0 Comments Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...

17/03/2026

New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be Featured in NAB Booth #W2910

New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...

17/03/2026

Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educators

Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...

17/03/2026

VEON Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Digital Ambition

17 Mar 2026 VEON Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Digital Ambition Senior executive appointments are to enhance country operations and VEON Group'...

17/03/2026

Sam Tewungwa Appointed CEO of UKTV

UKTV today announces the appointment of Sam Tewungwa as Chief Executive Officer, who will lead the company's next phase of growth. Tewungwa, currently Mana...

17/03/2026

Disney+ included in the Sky TV subscription from today, bringing customers more of the best entertainment in one place

Tuesday 17 March 2026 Disney included in the Sky TV subscription from today, b...

17/03/2026

First look: Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in Sky Original supernatural thriller Possession

The five-part thriller, formerly known as Inheritance, also stars Jonny Lee Mill...

17/03/2026

Sky Arts welcomes Fearne Cotton as co-host of Landscape Artist of the Year

Tuesday 17 March 2026 Sky Arts welcomes Fearne Cotton as co-host of Landscape Artist of the Year Sky Arts' much-loved Landscape Artist of the Year is set ...

17/03/2026

Ella Purnell returns as wallflower-turned-killer in Sky Original Sweetpea

Season 2 of the darkly comic thriller will launch on Sky in 2026Tuesday 17 March 2026 Ella Purnell returns as wallflower-turned-killer in Sky Original Sweetpea...

17/03/2026

Fantasy Action Series Agent from Above' Puts Contemporary Spin on Temple Culture and Traditional Folklore in New Trailer

Back to All News Fantasy Action Series Agent from Above' Puts Contemporary...

17/03/2026

Netflix Presents the Trailer for the Final Season of 'Turn of the Tide'

Back to All News Netflix Presents the Trailer for the Final Season of Turn of the Tide Entertainment 17 March 2026 GlobalSpainPortugal Link copied to clipb...

17/03/2026

Snap Decisions: How Open Libraries for Accelerated Data Processing Boost A/B Testing for Snapchat

The features on social media apps like Snapchat evolve nearly as fast as what...