The Men’s EHF Euro 2026 is taking place in Denmark, Sweden and Norway from 15 January to 1 February with Europe’s top 24 handball teams participating. Ahead of the Final Weekend (Friday 30 January and Sunday 1 February), SVG Europe caught up with the European Handball Federation (EHF) and its host broadcast production partner Infront Productions in Herning to find out how the TV and digital coverage of the tournament is being produced for handball fans and viewers around Europe. 

Here, in the first of two articles, we look at the production of the TV World Feed, including the additional production tools that are helping to bring viewers closer to the action. The second article covers digital content creation for the tournament and beyond.

For EHF Euro 2026, which comprises 65 games across four venues, the camera setup for the coverage of the Preliminary Round features 16 cameras. For the Final Weekend, which includes the semi-finals and final, the number increases to 24 (see camera plan below).

New for 2026 are pre-match sequences captured in the teams’ locker rooms and a different style of in-goal camera. While the Final Weekend matches will also benefit from cine-style cameras, a Cable Cam and another new introduction: RefCams.

Working with the EHF, Infront Productions is the host broadcaster for the project, with key crew appointed internally from Infront Group company HBS for project management and editorial direction. NEP is the technical facilities provider, with Danish company TV Graphics providing graphics operations services.

Uzi Kakuda, head of Infront Productions, explains the setup: “For the Preliminary Rounds, we have 16 cameras, including three super slo-mos and one handheld LiveU for mobility and flexibility. Our camera plan also includes two mini cameras facing each team bench that are fixed at the officials’ table, these are provided to us by the EHF.

“Once we get into the Main Round, we add an additional reverse camera, while repositioning the already existing reverse camera, which provides us with more immediate options when covering team benches and replays.

“For the Final Weekend, we bring in an Ultra Motion camera to be positioned at one of the reverse corners on the level of the field of play, along with a 3D suspension Cable Cam, a cine-style cam, two remote-operated in-goal cams, and two head-mounted RefCams that are attached to the referee comms system.

“Adding the extra special cameras for the Finals Weekend is something that we naturally want to do as the event builds up to its climax, with even more attention becoming concentrated on the remaining four best teams.”

The additional tools each provide fans with different viewpoints of not just the on-court action but also the players and the fans around the arena, explains Jelena Bagarić, EHF TV & Media Operations Manager.

“With the cine-style cameras [which are handheld using a gimbal], we will bring the viewer a first-person POV, moving to the court from the player’s tunnel [following the players as they are introduced to the crowd over the tannoy] and also show the fan colour in a close-up environment. 

“With RefCam, which we’ve tested before coming to this event, we are trying to show new angles. We are trying to show fans what the referee sees in the split-second decisions that they make. We will use it live, but we will also use it in replays and in post-production for some pieces that we are doing around referees.

“The main challenge [with handball] lies in the rhythm of the broadcast and in choosing the right moments to insert relevant replays, coach close-ups, or crowd shots.”

“For the fans at home, it will be really crucial in the replay moments to see what the referee saw. I think, compared to football, where we’ve seen the RefCam already used quite extensively, in handball, there are way more decisions made by the referee. They are much more involved in the game and have a close relationship with the players. So, I think this will bring another dimension.”

“RefCam will allow us to provide a more immersive experience during live coverage on certain occasions,” adds Kakuda. “However, it will mainly be used for replays, offering a different angle from what we are used to. A dedicated EVS package featuring the best RefCam moments will be delivered for post-production. This time, the camera audio will be included after proper QC.”

The RefCam technology being used during the tournament is from Riedel Communications. The company’s Easy5G system is also being deployed. The associated audio from the RefCam will not be broadcast, and the camera microphone will be turned off, says Kakuda.

The Cable Cam will be particularly effective for seven metre throws, which are the equivalent of a penalty kick in football, suggests Bagarić.

“We can come close-up behind players during any seven metre throws,” she says. “We can also have it positioned above the attack for any tactical analysis. We have had super experiences with the directors who use it in the right moments. It brings a new view to handball.

“It is not used widely throughout the season in club competition. Partly because not all venues, of course, have the possibility for the winches, for the installation, and the sheer cost of it is always a topic. But for our flagship events, we always use it. It is a special thing.”

The in-goal cameras will help to capture the speed that the ball travels, she continues.

“With the new in-goal cameras from Antelope Camera Systems, we will get a new angle of the attackers and the goalkeepers, as well as [a view of] the ball hitting the net at immense speeds. We are talking about speeds of 130 kph and more. It gives us a possibility of zooming and changing the perspective of how the game can be perceived, also from the goal area, offering a completely new angle that we haven’t had at the Euro so far.”

Infront Productions host broadcast project manager Cécile Domergue adds that the positioning of the in-goal cameras will differ from previous tournaments. “They will now be placed on the floor instead of in the top corners of the goals,” she says. “Another change is that these cameras will be remotely operated, allowing us to zoom in and out, which should provide very interesting angles for the broadcast.”

The pre-match locker room sequences are a “great way to give both the Rights-Holding Broadcasters and the viewers a true behind-the-scenes feeling,” suggests Domergue. “This sequence is not mandatory for the teams, so not all of them agreed to allow the [host-broadcast] camera into the locker room just before the players leave and go to the court.”

With all the new introductions, the EHF team are keen to ensure they are not just applied for this tournament. “Everything we do, we want it to be here to stay, and then we can build on that,” says Bagarić.

When it comes to host broadcast audio, Infront is producing a multi-channel international soundtrack (MCIS 5.1) with a stereo television international soundtrack (TVIS) embedded on audio channels 1 and 2 across all main feeds. The microphone plan is the same across all venues.

One of the key considerations for the production team, as well as the match directors, is the speed of the sport. It’s quick. Really quick.  

“The main challenge lies in the rhythm of the broadcast and in choosing the right moments to insert relevant replays, coach close-ups, or crowd shots,” explains Kakuda. “It is therefore very important to feel the flow of the game and to anticipate when the pace will slow down, in order to enrich the coverage with these explanatory shots for the viewers.

“From a technical perspective, this requires a director working with highly responsive camera operators and EVS operators, capable of delivering the best possible shots within a very short timeframe.”

This is the beauty of handball. Even when you are at home, you can be part of the game

Bagarić from the EHF also acknowledges the challenges that the pace of the sport brings.

“I have worked hard on TV graphics, for example, across the years, together with Infront Productions, and we are always trying to introduce new things. We have a lot of data as well, including player tracking and ball tracking, but unfortunately, the speed of the game does not allow us to showcase that as much as we want to. 

“We’ve introduced some bits and pieces, for example, like after the shot in a replay, we have a smaller lower third graphic where we show the speed of the shot. But we are unable to show more, because of the swiftness of the game.

“We were thinking about using AR during timeouts, but we really want to hear the coaches during this time [so we have a boom mic capturing the audio from the team talk]. And I think this is the beauty of handball. Even when you are at home, you can be part of the game, especially if your team is playing and you understand what the coaches are talking about. We’re not willing to compromise this.” 

Although AR isn’t being used, data and graphics are still a very important part of the coverage. “We use data in several ways,” reveals Infront Productions executive producer Bertrand Dumont. “First, in the clock and score graphic after each goal, we display the name of the scorer along with key information such as the shooting efficiency of the player or the speed of the shot. The clock and score graphic may also include basic statistics such as time without a goal, team shooting efficiency, or saving efficiency. Lower-third graphics are used for all sanctioned players, including two-minute penalties, yellow cards, red cards or blue cards.

“Pop-up graphics are also used when the pace of the game slows down or after a timeout, in order to display the most significant statistics and give viewers a better understanding of the match.

“Finally, for shots faster than 95 km/h, a dedicated lower-third graphic is displayed on the associated replay, indicating the speed of the shot.”

“We have an incredibly talented team behind the scenes. We have enough confidence in ourselves that, if preparation goes well, we can bring [innovation] straight away on the big stage.

With so many innovations being added to the coverage, you might wonder why the EHF and Infront Productions would choose one of handball’s most high-profile and prestigious events to try these new things. For Thomas Schöneich, EHF director media & communications, it is pretty simple.

“Because it’s the flagship tournament and it gets the biggest exposure,” he says. “We have an incredibly talented team behind the scenes. We have enough confidence in ourselves that, if preparation goes well, we can bring [innovation] straight away on the big stage. With anything like RefCam, which is new for this year, or cine-style cameras, which we introduced four years ago, we advance and prepare to a level where it can be introduced on the big stage, because that’s where the most people will see it.”

As for what constitutes a successful tournament, well, that is fairly straightforward too, concludes Schöneich.

“When we look back at this tournament, we want to look across all our platforms and say we’ve provided benchmark quality. That this was not just another benchmark for handball. But another benchmark for sports coverage. That would be success.”

The Men’s EHF Euro 2026 concludes on Sunday 1 February in Herning, Denmark.