After announcing the team that will be covering the U.S. Women’s World Cup in Canada this summer, FOX announced that construction on their media headquarters in Vancouver began on May 13th and is set to wrap up on June 3rd. The brand new television studio will be constructed adjacent to the Vancouver Convention Centre in Jack Poole Plaza and will span over 7,500 square feet.
The structure is being constructed as FOX’s complete headquarters in Canada and will hold housing offices, a control room, green room, and a custom built set that will include a main stage with changeable backdrops including both day and night themes. FOX partnered with Convention Centre for the location and BC Event Management for help designing the modern two story building. In order to complete construction by their June 3rd deadline, FOX estimates that 75 construction workers will be needed and will end up working a total of 5,000 hours on-site.
The entire operation will be powered by “alternative forms of energy” however FOX did not specify what type of energy that will be their statement does include plans to donate the construction materials to local Vancouver-based charity organizations after the network is finished breaking-down the set in July following the conclusion of the tournament.
FOX also included the specifics of what will be housed inside their Women’s World Cup headquarters and the list of technology is impressive. There will be two 84-inch touchscreens, 15 cameras attached to cranes that have the ability to go 50 feet in seven seconds, a drone and a 21×11 ft. LED resolution screen for real-time footage. There will also be a retractable rain shield for the entire building as it is a completely open concept that does not include exterior walls as seen in both pictures included in this article. Both of the concept pictures include a soccer field just outside the building but no mention of a field was made in the network’s statement.
Apparently FOX is spending big money on building a fancy studio to show how serious they are about soccer, yet haven’t release a tv schedule of the matches nor released much on specifics of their coverage ie. (national anthems? Pre/Post Game interviews? Any significant off field coverage of teams other than USA?). Also, it’s a major disappointment that FOX isn’t using a free service to stream games online. Have to either pay for their poor-performing online subscription, or already have a particular compatible tv subscription in place.
I am hoping FOX can pull off a fanstastic showing; I really am. However, given their recent track record in coverage of the sport, I’m not holding my breath. I suppose as long as they keep that annoying “bottom/side bar ticker” which takes up 1/3 of the screen out of action, I’ll be happy.
“The entire operation will be powered by gas emissions from Eric Wynalda.”
Should be good when the sea planes crank up for take off just behind it.
You called it, lancransonsknees! Caught a segment in mid-June where the Fox commentators were silenced by noise from a float plane, then gritched about it on air.
call him ICK for short. 🙂