International Broadcast Centre in Beijing

The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) is a temporary hub for broadcasters during major sport events.

FIFA World Cup

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Germany, the IBC in Munich was host to journalists from around 190 countries. The centre was based at the Munich Fair, in what was formally Munich Airport. The building is now known as the Munich Exhibition Centre.

120 television and radio channels had broadcast images and reports of the World Cup, from the centre to the 190 countries that they serve. Each channel had a space on the 30,000 square meter floor, separated by wooden panels.

Facts & figures for 2006 FIFA World Cup IBC

  • Anticipated cumulative TV audience of 32bn viewers – the biggest TV audience for any single event in history
  • 30,000 m2 (322,917 sq ft) of space
  • 966 tonnes of fir wood and 22,500 m2 (242,188 sq ft) of wooden panels/walls
  • Nearly 700 doors
  • 15 TV studios
  • Operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Cities which hosted the IBC/MPC during the FIFA World Cup

  • 1958   Sweden – Stockholm
  • 1962   Chile – Santiago
  • 1966   England – London
  • 1970   Mexico – Mexico City
  • 1974   West Germany – Munich
  • 1978   Argentina – Buenos Aires
  • 1982   Spain – Madrid
  • 1986   Mexico – Mexico City
  • 1990   Italy – Rome
  • 1994   United States – Dallas and Los Angeles
  • 1998   France – Paris
  • 2002  South Korea – Seoul 
    and   Japan – Yokohama
  • 2006   Germany – Munich
  • 2010   South Africa – Johannesburg
  • 2014   Brazil – Rio de Janeiro [1]
  • 2018   Russia – Moscow
  • 2022   Qatar – Doha
  • 2026  Canada – Toronto, 
     United States – Los Angeles, 
    and   Mexico – Mexico City

UEFA European Football Championship

During the UEFA Euro 2016, in France, the IBC in Paris was host to journalists from around 190 countries. 120 television and radio channels had broadcast images and reports of the European Football Championship, from the centre to the 190 countries that they serve. Each channel had a space on the 30,000 square meter floor, separated by wooden panels.

Cities which hosted the IBC/MPC during the UEFA European Football Championship[edit]

  • 1996   England – London
  • 2000  Belgium – Brussels 
    and   Netherlands – Amsterdam
  • 2004   Portugal – Lisbon
  • 2008   Switzerland – Basel 
    and   Austria – Vienna
  • 2012  Poland – Warsaw 
    and   Ukraine – Kiev
  • 2016   France – Paris
  • 2020   Netherlands – Vijfhuizen 
  • 2024   Germany – Munich

Olympic Games

An International Broadcast Centre is created at every Olympic Games. Broadcasters from around the world build studios in what is generally a large conference centre, such as the Georgia World Congress Center, which was used for the Atlanta Games. Olympic Broadcasting Services provides each of these rights-holders a video and audio feed from each venue, beauty shots from around the Olympic venues, transmission facilities, etc. The International Broadcast Centre for the 2008 Beijing Gameswas located in the Olympic Green Convention Center. The International Broadcast Centre for the 2012 London Games was located in the London Olympics Media Centre. The International Broadcast Centre for the 2016 Summer Olympics was located in Barra Olympic Park.

The first IBC was created for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan during the first Olympics broadcast around the world.

IBC Venues
Edition City Country Place
1964 Winter Innsbruck  Austria  
1964 Summer Tokyo  Japan NHK Broadcasting Center
1968 Winter Grenoble  France  
1968 Summer Mexico City  Mexico Universidad de Mexico
1972 Winter Sapporo  Japan  
1972 Summer Munich  West Germany Olympiapark
1976 Winter Innsbruck  Austria  
1976 Summer Montreal  Canada Palais des congrès de Montréal
1980 Winter Lake Placid  United States Temporary air-supported structure[3]
1980 Summer Moscow  Soviet Union Moscow International Broadcasting Centre
1984 Winter Sarajevo  Yugoslavia  
1984 Summer Los Angeles  United States University of Southern California1
1988 Winter Calgary  Canada Big Four Building (Stampede Park)[4]
1988 Summer Seoul  South Korea KBS IBC Building
1992 Winter Albertville  France  
1992 Summer Barcelona  Spain INEFC
1994 Winter Lillehammer  Norway Lillehammer University College
1996 Summer Atlanta  United States Georgia World Congress Center
1998 Winter Nagano  Japan  
2000 Summer Sydney  Australia Sydney Olympic Park
2002 Winter Salt Lake City  United States Salt Palace Convention Center2
2004 Summer Athens  Greece International Museum of Classical Athletics
2006 Winter Torino  Italy Lingotto Fiere
2008 Summer Beijing  China Olympic Green Convention Centre
2010 Winter Vancouver  Canada Vancouver Convention Centre
2010 Summer (Youth) Singapore  Singapore Marina Bay Sands
2012 Winter (Youth) Innsbruck  Austria  
2012 Summer London  United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
2014 Winter Sochi  Russia Sochi Olympic Park
2014 Summer (Youth) Nanjing  China  
2016 Winter (Youth) Lillehammer  Norway Lillehammer University College
2016 Summer Rio de Janeiro  Brazil Parque Olímpico do Rio
2018 Winter Pyeongchang  South Korea Alpensia Resort
2018 Summer (Youth) Buenos Aires  Argentina La Rural
2020 Winter (Youth) Lausanne   Switzerland  
2020 Summer Tokyo  Japan Tokyo Big Sight
2022 Winter Beijing  China China National Convention Center, Genting Hotel, Yanqing MMC
2024 Summer Paris  France  
2028 Summer Los Angeles  United States Universal Studios Hollywood[5]

Notes[edit]

  1. Host broadcaster ABC used its Los Angeles studios for coverage of the 1984 Games.
  2. Host broadcaster NBC used a separate studio in Park City for coverage of the 2002 Games.