Live From FIFA World Cup: Telemundo SVP, Content Operations, Chris Suarez-Meyers Discusses Global Effort A team in Doha and one in Miami collaborate to provide U.S. viewers all the action from Qatar By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Thursday, December 8, 2022 - 9:57 am
Print This Story
The Telemundo Deportes 2022 World Cup efforts literally span the globe. The broadcaster's Miami-based Telemundo Center produces content 24/7, and its Doha-based team ensures that it gets everything it needs to deliver for Spanish-language viewers in the U.S.
Telemundo's Jorge Duarte (left) and Chris Suarez-Meyers at the World Cup IBC in Doha
We are not doing anything other than pushing signals home, to Miami, where we have three production-control rooms managing over-the-air, cable, and our Peacock productions, says Chris Suarez-Meyers, SVP, content operations, Telemundo Deportes, who is onsite. We're pretty much quality control, pass-through, and routing.
At full strength, the team at the IBC comprises about 80 members and works in a space very similar in size to the one the team had in Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Production-control rooms and other content-creation and -playout areas in Miami receive signals from the IBC that originate from a variety of sources: the HBS multi-lateral feeds, studio operations throughout Doha, ENG crews. The team in Doha is almost as culturally diverse as the World Cup teams themselves, with Telemundo staffers hailing from 29 countries.
In Miami, says Suarez-Meyers, things run around the clock between over-the-air, digital, and streaming, and the post work never stops. Coming out of the elections right into World Cup mode is a big swing for the technical teams in [Miami], but so far so good. They're professionals and are handling it like champs.
From day one, he adds, the decision was to push all the audio and video signals to Miami. That includes all HBS feeds, as well as unilateral cameras, signals from bookable positions at the venues, from the studios, Fan Fest, and even the unilateral hotel position inside the Souq Waqif marketplace.
The biggest change from previous World Cups is the smaller overall footprint of the World Cup, with stadiums only a quick drive apart.
Having everyone in one city has proven to be a huge force multiplier, Suarez-Meyers notes. We can scale up, scale down, and move people around with a quick WhatsApp message. We can change plans without having to wait for people to land in outer cities or figure out a logistics plan. It's, Hey, I need three extra ENG crews to go to LuSail Stadium or I need two crews to go to the match- minus-one training. The fact that [the crews are] wearing LiveU backpacks and everything is sent back to Miami in an instant has made things a lot easier and more flexible for us.
The benefits extend well beyond giving the production team more flexibility: it helps keep the team fresher. It's less wear and tear on the team, he says, because they don't have to pack, get on a plane, unpack, get in a small car, drive to the stadium, wait in line. It makes things a lot easier, and they can always come back to their bed, and that goes a long way.
According to Jorge Duarte, senior director, product engineering, Telemundo Deportes, Ooredoo provides connectivity within Qatar, and ATT provides redundant long-haul fiber services via London and Frankfurt. Everything we planned for worked out the way we intended it to, and latency wasn't an issue, so we're doing everything from Miami. We expected some hurdles but we haven't had any.
Although HDR coverage isn't making it to viewers, it is being sent to Miami for testing. Everything in-bound to us from HBS is in 1080p HDR, Duarte explains. We convert it down to SDR and HDR. We also decided not to go 2110 this time around. We go back to baseband for transmission as it didn't make a whole lot of sense given what we're doing here.
Telemundo's IBC facility has a dedicated VAR room, where referees can see all the feeds the officials see, and a flash position with a robotic camera controlled from Miami and able to be fired up at a moment's notice.
We just put [the referee] in front of the [flash-position] camera and call Miami, which takes control of it, says Suarez-Meyers. If there is a controversial play, [the referee] can come out of their booth for halftime or postmatch, stand in front of the camera, and get their analysis on-air.
Telemundo's broadcast-operations area in Doha is much larger than its facility in Russia as there is no production control room this time around. At the front bench, three BOC techs rotate morning, day, and night and also check the commentary cameras at each stadium.
We have commentary positions at all 64 matches all eight venues, says Suarez-Meyers. As the games get more important, we'll have more activations inside the stadiums. We also have a permanent studio position at Lusail Stadium.
The team at the IBC coordinates with Miami to ensure that the team there knows everything they are supposed to receive and are receiving it properly.
We also have returns from Miami so we can see what they're seeing, adds Duarte. Everything is also being recorded back home; we do have very limited recording here for troubleshooting purposes.
The IBC is connected to the studio at the HBS Outside Presentation Facility, which has a main studio and a presentation platform overlooking the Corniche. Telemundo also has a stage at the Fan Festival, with a roaming camera, and another stage in a hotel.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
12/07/2025
As the death toll continues to mount, with at least 120 killed and more than 170 people still missing on July 10 from devastating Texas floods, a number of broa...
12/07/2025
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI -DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium wi...
11/07/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...
11/07/2025
ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...
11/07/2025
Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...
11/07/2025
LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...
11/07/2025
Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....
11/07/2025
CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...
11/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...
11/07/2025
Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...
11/07/2025
Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...
11/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...
11/07/2025
2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...
11/07/2025
A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff
Friday, July 1...
11/07/2025
CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...
11/07/2025
Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalItaly
Link copied to clipboard
July 11, 20...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Season 1
Season 2
Se...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
11/07/2025
Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia.
From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...
10/07/2025
Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...
10/07/2025
Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...
10/07/2025
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...
10/07/2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....
10/07/2025
BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...
10/07/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...
10/07/2025
The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...
10/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video
Play Video
Entertainment
10 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard...
10/07/2025
In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...
10/07/2025
As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...
10/07/2025
Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...
10/07/2025
Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...
10/07/2025
Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...
10/07/2025
FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...
10/07/2025
SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...
Live From FIFA World Cup: Telemundo SVP, Content Operations, Chris Suarez-Meyers Discusses Global Effort A team in Doha and one in Miami collaborate to provide U.S. viewers all the action from Qatar By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
