UEFA Champions League Final 2024: Host broadcaster TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe talk production and pride for this weekend’s big game (2024)

"The biggest single sports event that TNT Sports has done as a host broadcaster"

The UEFA Champions League Final is the zenith of professional club football in Europe and this year Wembley Stadium plays host as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund go head to head on the hallowed turf to be named Champions of Europe.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe’s TNT Sports is the host broadcaster for this weekend’s match (Saturday 1 June). David Moss, head of football at TNT Sports, spoke to SVG Europe about the plan.

“The UEFA Champions League final will be the biggest single sports event that TNT Sports has done as a host broadcaster”

Moss says: “We’re extremely excited and privileged to be the host broadcaster for Saturday’s Champions League final at Wembley. We have plenty of engaging programming in the lead-up to the match that will set the scene for the 90 minutes of football – perhaps more, if it goes to extra time and penalties – that lay ahead for Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

“We’ll be working with EMG as our outside broadcast provider and closely with UEFA as the competition organiser; two partners we are proud to work with. Saturday’s coverage of the UEFA Champions League final will be the biggest single sports event that TNT Sports has done as a host broadcaster.”

Production plans

On the production, Moss states: “We will be fully on-site and we’ll have 300 people involved in the operation, 40-plus cameras including a helicopter camera, Spider Cam, Polecams, Superslo Steadi cams – which is the first for a Champions League final – and mini remote bench cams.

“The camera feeds will be cabled back to the multilateral truck with video signals routed via the technical operator centre (TOC). In total we will have four trucks – as host and TNT Sports TX, plus other additional cabins.”

Read more UEFA Champions League Final 2024: The facts and figures behind this weekend’s knockout between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund

There will be excellent viewing and listening possibilities for viewers at home, Moss adds: “In terms of innovations, delivery will be in 1080p, HDR and Dolby Atmos. Wembley is a well-established venue from where we have broadcast major sporting events on many occasions and very seldom are there unwelcome challenges.”

He continues: “We won’t have a studio, but consistent with how we have presented our football coverage throughout our first season as TNT Sports, Laura Woods and the team will be pitch side at Wembley and right by the fans to really capture the atmosphere and get a feel for the occasion.

“As the graphics partner for TNT Sports since launch, Moov will produce the graphics once again on Saturday,” Moss adds on tech partners. “Deltatre, meanwhile, will produce the graphics and data for UEFA’s world feed. In terms of audio, we’ll be using Dolby Atmos and 5.1. There aren’t any major challenges as such but it’s fair to say the scale of the operation is absolutely huge.”

Build up to the big game

Discussing what viewers can expect to see from TNT Sports this weekend, from build up to the big game, Moss continues: “Our build-up to the blue-riband event on the European club football calendar kicked off on Thursday evening [30 May] with a filmed event in front of a live audience at Boxpark, just outside Wembley, where fans were able to get involved in discussions with a host of our on-screen pundits.

“In addition to the Olympic Games, the Champions League final sits alongside as one of the most significant productions that we will undertake this summer”

“We’ll then have a 90-minute preview show live from Wembley Stadium on Friday night [31 May] where we’ll speak to some of the key protagonists from both sides. A pre-show party from 3pm to 4pm on Saturday will be followed by a countdown to the Top 10 Champions League finals to have been played. Every angle in the build-up will be covered before we go to air at 6pm in the evening.

“Starting at 6pm on Saturday evening, we will start to tell the story of what viewers can expect via our panel of esteemed football experts,” continues Moss. “We’ll have Rio Ferdinand, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves on our panel, each of whom knows what it is like to win a Champions League winners medal, while we are incredibly excited to welcome Jose Mourinho to our broadcast. Jose certainly divides opinion among the public – and that’s a good thing – but ultimately he has coached Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League titles during his illustrious managerial career, he isn’t one to mince his words and is someone always worth listening to.”

Host broadcaster pride

Meanwhile, Scott Young, group SVP content, production and business operations at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, is immensely proud of TNT Sports role in the UEFA Champions League Final. He comments: “To be champions of the European League is something that every football fan dreams of. The Champions League means that as a player, manager and fan, you’ve transcended your national league, to possibly be crowned the greatest football club in Europe this season. The energy and enthusiasm is nothing short of epic.

“It’s a privilege to be the host broadcaster of the Champions League final. Our teams have been working closely throughout the football season with UEFA and Team to bring this unique sporting event to life in many different ways. Warner Bros. Discovery is a storytelling company, and sport is at the heart of many of those stories. Every year the Champions League final delivers action, drama and victory. All pillars of a great story.

“In addition to the Olympic Games, the Champions League final sits alongside as one of the most significant productions that we will undertake this summer,” Young continues. “We have a dedicated team, with the skills and passion to ensure our coverage of the final is one to remember and enjoy. It starts at Wembley Stadium with a massive two hour build up to make sure that every moment of the road to Wembley is told.

“As a fan-first broadcaster we will make sure that fans of these two teams, of Real Madrid and Dortmund, and fans of football get to live the spectacle of the Champions League final across our linear, streaming and digital channels,” Young concludes.

The 2024 UEFA Champions League Final takes place on Saturday 1 June at 20:00 BST/21:00 CET