Next-generation technology: EMG Italy completes extensive San Siro infrastructure overhaul By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - 08:45
Print This Story
The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, named after the legendary Italian footballer, also known as the San Siro due to the Milan district where it stands, is the largest sports facility in Italy and one of the largest in Europe by capacity.
Inaugurated in 1926, it is owned by the Municipality of Milan and managed by the M-I Stadio. Today it boasts 75,923 seats and is home to two teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
In addition to Serie A football, the venue also regularly hosts concerts and religious events, as well as Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup, Champions League, Europa League, World Cup and European Championship matches.
Infrastructure renewal
Following an intensive design and construction period, EMG Italy has recently renewed the outdated audio, video and data infrastructure of the San Siro.
The work began at the conclusion of the 2022/23 Serie A football season and took more than five months, culminating in the successful testing of the solution in mid-November last year.
The new and advanced technological infrastructure was first utilised on 2 December 2023, for the television production of the Serie A match between AC Milan and Frosinone.
We have redesigned the entire infrastructure, says Francesco Donato, CTO of EMG Italy. This project involved not only updating the cabling to current technological standards, but also considering new shooting formats that necessitate a different and more up-to-date configuration of the camera positions. The focus of modern storytelling is undoubtedly on maximising the spectacle of sporting events. Therefore, we have implemented new solutions and positions previously only achievable through additional temporary systems.
This project involved not only updating the cabling to current technological standards, but also considering new shooting formats that necessitate a different and more up-to-date configuration of the camera positions
Furthermore, to facilitate connection with the shooting equipment located in the TV compound, we designed and installed all necessary terminations and active equipment within a designated container, ensuring optimal connectivity to and from the stadium. We have also implemented control solutions to verify the functionality of both the active and passive components that comprise the system infrastructure.
He continues: The new solution allows for the production of significant events from a narrative and technological complexity standpoint, while also enabling a rapid installation process for the camera positions and all necessary equipment for interviews.
New setup
The setup incorporates 23 brand new internal camera positions within the stadium, along with an additional cabling termination point housed within a container located in the TV compound.
The cabling for the camera positions utilises SMPTE cables and dark fibre for all locations. Additionally, active devices for transporting video and audio signals were installed in specific positions. Finally, for a select few positions, copper connections were also created, to be used exclusively as a backup system.
The TV compound
The system is designed with a high degree of scalability to accommodate potential temporary expansions should the need arise for large-scale shooting configurations.
There's more, adds Donato. The new infrastructure has been designed to enable the future implementation of television production in reverse' mode. This would essentially allow for two simultaneous productions to be carried out if required, significantly increasing the commercial benefits due to doubled sponsor visibility.
Project execution
EMG Italy, acting as the main contractor, oversaw all aspects of the engineering project and monitored the physical implementation by CRV Sistemi. Professional Show also played a crucial role by supplying the system's active components.
Technical specifications
30km of cable (SMPTE and dark fibre)
60 SMPTE camera points
200 dark fibre connections
82 SDI-to-fibre and fibre-to-SDI video trunks
210 audio-to-fibre and fibre-to-audio trunks
30 trunks with media converters
Double security
One of the fundamental objectives of this project, emphasises Simone Sofia, technical resources manager at EMG Italy, who personally oversaw the construction, was to guarantee absolute security for the system, which essentially meant achieving complete redundancy. This involved meticulously planning the cable routes between the shelter and wall boxes, ensuring dedicated pathways and avoiding any intersection with old conduits. Additionally, particular emphasis was placed on the redundancy of the electricity supply to ensure uninterrupted service for any event.
Simone Sofia, technical resources manager at EMG Italy
The power supply is duplicated and feeds the shelter and wall boxes from both the stadium's protected grid and a backup generator unit employed during events. The same principles apply to preventing malfunctions caused by excessively high temperatures.
The shelter housing all connections, located in the TV compound, operates at a constant, controlled temperature and humidity. All wall boxes are also equipped with internal ventilation that manages and maintains a consistent temperature when necessary, safeguarding the contained equipment even under direct sunlight and preventing potential equipment failures due to excessive heat.
EMG handles both the maintenance and daily management of the system, entrusting a technical supervisor with the responsibility of assisting broadcasters in setting up events, coordinating all active components of the system from a dedicated control station.
Reliability and rapid setup
Th
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...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Next-generation technology: EMG Italy completes extensive San Siro infrastructure overhaul By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent 
