UEFA to host the UEFA EURO 2020 international broadcast centre in the Netherlands

UEFA has selected the Expo Haarlemmermeer in Vijfhuizen, near Amsterdam, as the location for the international broadcast centre (IBC) for UEFA EURO 2020. The IBC will be the heart of all broadcast operations for UEFA during the tournament and will be a central pillar for the successful distribution of all 51 matches from the tournament to UEFA’s global broadcast partners.

The IBC will be the central distribution hub for all UEFA EURO 2020 live broadcast signals from the 12 stadiums across Europe, as well as the home of the rights-holding broadcast partners based there during the tournament and of UEFA’s own host broadcast and ICT teams.

After looking at several sites across Europe, the Expo Haarlemmermeer was chosen as it best met UEFA’s strict criteria. Various factors were central to this decision, including the proximity of Schiphol Airport and the cities of Amsterdam and Haarlem, and the option for exclusive use of the Expo facilities in Vijfhuizen.

UEFA’s director of marketing, Guy-Laurent Epstein, said: “The decision to host the IBC in Amsterdam marks the first milestone for UEFA in delivering the host broadcasting of UEFA EURO 2020 to our global broadcast and digital audience. It is from the IBC that UEFA’s broadcast partners will receive the match signals from this unique event in football tournament history, with matches played across the continent, from Dublin to Baku and from Bilbao to St Petersburg – and the IBC will be at the heart of our goal to capture the spirit of this ‘EURO for Europe’.”

Gijs de Jong, general secretary of the KNVB, said: “It is great news that UEFA has chosen the Dutch Expo Haarlemmermeer as the venue for the IBC of UEFA EURO 2020. The arrival of the IBC fits our innovative and hi-tech image, and it will have a significant economic impact. A small city will be created for a few months, which will lead to the installation of kilometres of fibre optics, and will also generate many thousands of hotel stays. This prestigious project is a huge priority for UEFA and its global broadcast partners and we in the Netherlands are very proud of this.”

Libéma Meetings and Events Director, Jeroen Dona, said: “We are incredibly proud that after an intensive search by UEFA, Expo Haarlemmermeer has been chosen as the thirteenth host city, as the IBC is being called. The unique atmosphere of our venue, which is made entirely of glass and therefore provides a pleasant sensation of being both inside and outside, was a decisive factor. Expo Haarlemmermeer looks forward to welcoming UEFA and successfully accommodating the IBC in 2020.”

The recently expanded Expo Haarlemmermeer covers an area of 24,000 square meters and from March 2020 will host over 1,000 guests and staff for the four-month period before, during and after UEFA EURO 2020. The IBC will be fitted out with the very latest broadcast equipment, including technical, production and satellite distribution facilities, in order to best deliver UEFA EURO 2020 to UEFA’s broadcast partners.