HBS captures record-breaking EHF Euro 2024 in Germany

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Georgia, Men’s EHF EURO 2024 Germany, Mannheim, Germany © Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff

The 2024 EHF European Men’s Handball Championship took place 10 – 28 January. With Germany, the heartland of European handball, hosting the tournament, anticipation soared to record levels. To ensure a truly global audience could share in the excitement of this year’s championship, host broadcast partner Infront Productions crafted a memorable production plan for an unforgettable live production experience, writes Patrick McCumiskey.

Unlike previous editions, which were spread across 2 to 3 countries, this year’s tournament was centralised in six key German cities: Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Mannheim, Düsseldorf, and Munich with over 7 million people around the world tuning in live to watch each match.

The pressure was on for broadcast partner HBS to deliver exceptional coverage, particularly with the record-breaking attendance during the opening games in the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, which drew an astounding crowd of 53,586 spectators – a new world record for Handball.

“This year, we really succeeded in bottling the energy and spirit of the game…handball fans throughout the world could feel like they were part of the action”

“Since the EHF EUROs are our premier national team event, delivering a top-notch live production was paramount,” commented Thomas Schöneich, director of media and communications of the European handball Federation. “We wanted to capture the electrifying atmosphere in the arenas and bring it directly to fans watching at home, making them feel like they were part of the action.”

Spidercam at Germany vs Switzerland, Men’s EHF EURO 2024 © Anze Malovrh / kolektiff

Although the main camera plan was consistent across all venues, each location had its own tailored additions, adjusted according to the tournament’s progression. The principle was to incrementally increase the number of cameras for each round, starting with 14 to 15 cameras in the main round and expanding to 21 for the semi-finals, placement matches, and final, for which a drone was added to the camera plan to capture shots outside the arena.

To provide live broadcasting and control of video and audio feeds, OB vans were supplied by Studio Berlin for the matches in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin, with Antenna Hungaria and TV Skyline looking after Munich, Hamburg and Mannheim respectively.

For the opening events in Düsseldorf and the finals in Cologne, Studio Berlin supplied its Ü9 OB trucks, which were equipped with a Grass Valley Kayenne switcher with nine channels for processing 1080p signals. A 6-channel RAM recorder ensured every moment was captured, while 64GB of storage provided ample space for replays and highlights.

A comprehensive set of monitors included 10 x 46-inch Sony displays for the control room, with 12 x 24-inch Neveo monitors for slow-motion replay, and additional Sony and Postium displays for technical areas. For capturing the opening games from various angles, 20 LDX 86N cameras were deployed, along with three wireless camera systems for dynamic shots.

For audio, a LAWO mc2 56 mixing console, equipped with Waves Soundgrid processing, handled the 48 available audio channels. Riedel Artist digital matrix and stageboxes provided flexible routing and connectivity, while GP 640 interfaces ensured compatibility with various audio sources. This robust setup ensured a premium broadcast experience, faithfully recreating the atmosphere of the EHF final for viewers at home.

To effectively capture the magnitude of the record-breaking opening matches and finals, HBS project director Birgit Schiller and her team at Infront Productions deployed additional cameras to accentuate the action on court.

This included the utilisation of a Spidercam which came in handy at the grand opening ceremony, as well as a Sony FX 3 (ILME-FX3) provided by TV Skyline, specially requested by the EHF to provide shallow depth of field player shots before and after the match and crowd shots during the match.

A shallow depth of field view of Germany vs Switzerland, Men’s EHF EURO 2024 © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff

Furthermore, a Vislink Gigawave INCAM system operated at court level during walk-in, anthems and the ceremonies, while an outside drone captured beauty shots from the arena and city during the final in Cologne.

Despite limitations on camera placement within sold-out stadiums, Infront positioned a mix of cameras at court-level and upper-tier positions. This diverse range of angles proved successful in capturing the flow of the games, harnessing the excitement within the stadiums for the millions of remote viewers.

Despite Infront’s experience in live production for handball, the game’s dynamic nature presented unique challenges for Birgit and her crew.

“The fast-paced action often limits the use of certain shots during live broadcasts,” commented Schiller, HBS Project Director. “While this makes for exciting sports viewing, we have to accept that we aren’t going to capture every ball movement through the live feed.”

To overcome this, Schiller’s team created packages of various unseen camera angles, such as ISO angles, super slow-motion shots, and emotional shots during the match which were played out halftime and post-match and also utilised by the EHF for highlights and social media content.

Despite logistical challenges and venue limitations, the production successfully met the demands of the record-breaking live audience, which exceeded 17 million for the day of the finals alone.

However, this year’s EHF tournament wasn’t just about breaking viewing records. Thanks to Infront Production’s live production, the fast-paced action, teamwork, and the raw passion of players and fans could be experienced and celebrated by viewers everywhere.

“This year, we really succeeded in bottling the energy and spirit of the game,” concludes Schiller. “As a result, handball fans throughout the world could feel like they were part of the action.”Number, position and description
1 Main Camera – Upper level, aligned with center line, main camera
2 Main Close-up – Next to main camera, main close-up
3/4 9m SSM left/right – Approx. aligned with 9m, lowerlevel (below MCP)
5/6 Handheld1/2 left/right – Court level, close to near corner (moving cameras) / Super Flash / Uni Services
7/8 HighPan left/right – High behind goal (on stand) with lens through catch net
9 Reverse left – Opposite of team benches in the lower stands
10 SSM far left – Court level close-up
11 Handheld 3 (LiveU) – Dressing Room + Corridor / Operating from the stands
12 Handheld 4 – Moving Camera – Arrival Interview / Uni Services
13 Handheld 5 – Team’s Arrival (bus drop-off) / final PressConference
14 Beauty Cam – Remote camera, high level, diagonal viewof playing field and stands
15 Reverse right – Opposite of team benches in the lower stands
16 6x SSM far right – Court level close-up
17/18 In-goal left/right – Attached to the goal/net structure
19 Cable Cam – 3D system
20 Handheld 5 (Steadicam) – Operating court level, walk-in, anthems, ceremonies
21 Cinestyle Camera – Operating courtlevel and in the stands (walk-in, anthems, ceremonies, fans) + Arrival
22 Drone – Outside beauty shots from arena and city (final day only)

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