Live From FIFA World Cup: Host Broadcast Services Hails Impact of Cine-Style Cameras By George Bevir, SVG Europe Editorial Director
Thursday, December 15, 2022 - 12:14 pm
Print This Story
If viewers were asked to select a star performer at the World Cup, they might point to the likes of France's Kylian Mbappe, Argentina's Lionel Messi or England's Jude Bellingham. For Host Broadcast Services (HBS) Chief Executive Dan Miodownik, some of the best performers of the tournament have been the cine-style cameras with a shallow depth of field that are capturing footage of fans before and during matches, as well as intense shots of players.
Spot the operator: A cine-style camera among fans at the Portugal v Switzerland round of 16 tie.
In 2018, the Polecam was the star of the show, and in 2022 the cine-style cameras are the thing that stands out. They help to create something iconic and cinematic, says Miodownik, who describes the cameras as the biggest differentiator in coverage.
They are mainly used in the stands but also pre-match as well. Coming into [Qatar 2022], maybe people were a little unsure and it polarised opinions, but the feedback we have had has been universally positive because it adds a little bit of a fingerprint to the event.
Since the last World Cup in 2018, there has been a surge in the use of compact, mirrorless cameras that capture a shallow depth of field as part of a live sports broadcast. In December 2020, at the Seattle-Washington NFL game, the onsite crew deployed a Sony A7R IV to capture end-zone shots following scoring plays.
And in early 2021, La Liga and Mediapro used a Sony A7S II camera as part of the coverage of Valencia CF vs. CA Osasuna, while a few months later BT Sport did the same for its coverage of the Champions League.
At each match of Qatar 2022, two camera operators - each equipped with a Sony FX3 camera with RF connectivity - have been tasked with capturing footage of fans before, during and after games and of players as they congregate in the tunnel ahead of kick off.
Director Jamie Oakford is a fan of the new additions to the host broadcaster's camera plan. He says: We used to have a cable camera in the tunnel, but you were limited in what you could do. And Steadicams are quite clunky things to have around. Now, we have much more mobility in the tunnel, and the clarity of the pictures is incredible.
Dutch fans react to their team's late quarter-final equalizer against Argentina.
We've learnt how to use them better, adds Oakford. When we started off, we were too brave and the focus moves very quickly on them, so we have backed off a bit. And it's given us some of the best fan shots I've ever seen at a World Cup.
Host broadcaster HBS opted to not intercut footage from the cine-style cameras with live match coverage. That has been a good decision to majoritively use it as an addition to what's going on outside the game during the game, such a big jump could be irritating, says Miodownik.
Oakford's fellow director, Laurent Lachand, says the cameras have helped to create very intense and very important moments in the tunnel before the players go to the pitch .
For me, it's very important to focus on the players, and share with viewers a last moment before the game. And I think this tool is very efficient for that, because we can concentrate a viewer's eyes on one person..
Lionel Messi in the tunnel ahead of Argentina's clash with the Netherlands.
And then after the tunnel, we use this camera for fans, because it's one of the most particular things about the World Cup.
The beautiful atmosphere with fans is very different to the Premier League, French League 1 or the Champions League. It is more friendly and full of respect, and these cameras are a very efficient way to do this.
The cine-style cameras also contribute footage for the Fan Feed, a new package of content for rights holders that is available two hours prior to kick-off and during each match and has proved popular with the broadcasters SVG spoke with in Doha.
Generally if you look at the whole content package, I think it is doing exactly what broadcasters asked for, because pre-event we spoke to them and asked what they need to work on this event, says Miodownik. A lot of that feedback was around technology and operational services, but also a reasonable proportion was about the content pool, so that was changed from 2018. Not by a massive amount, perhaps by 10-15%, but the fan content was something they were really keen to push on.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Live From FIFA World Cup: Host Broadcast Services Hails Impact of Cine-Style Cameras By George Bevir, SVG Europe Editorial Director 
