4K just got yet another big push, this time at the world’s largest football event; the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Sony announced a deal with FIFA to produce the Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Film in 4K Ultra HD, and three full matches including the final. This year the World Cup will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July.

ESPN in the US has just signed Sony to supply studio cameras for their new Digital Center 2 studio production operations in Bristol, Conn. The Center is a 193,000-square-foot facility due to air this May.

Arena da Amazônia, Brazil

Sony signs lucrative deal to showcase 4k to a global audience

The biggest single-event sporting competition in the world will be watched by over 700m people on TV globally this summer – reaching over 1bn viewers if including online and in public spaces, with Sony 4K Ultra HD cameras shooting the official film and three matches including the final. Sony, already an official FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) sponsor will also provide extensive technical support to ensure a smooth operation.

The news comes as a bounty to Sony as it pushes it’s 4K products to supersede 1080p as the new standard in consumer living rooms. In addition to Bravia TVs, Sony’s PlayStation 4 console is 4K supported as well as newer Xperia smartphone models.

 We are excited by the prospect of working with Sony to incorporate 4K technology in our production plans. 4K will propel fans around the globe into a whole new viewing dimension and it marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport. 

Soichi Kawachi, VP in charge of FIFA Partnership at Sony

The FIFA World Cup has been held every four years since 1930 except in ’42 and ’46 during the second world war. This year’s event involves 204 entries competing for 31 World Cup spots and teams will play over 850 matches to determine the winner. Interestingly Brazil, the 2014 host is the only entry to have played in all 19 FIFA World Cup tournaments and has won the Cup more than any other nation win five wins already, followed by Italy with 4.

You can find more FIFA facts and figures here. Football fans might like to check out Sony’s dedicated FIFA site. Sony’s press release is here.

ESPN continues Sony partnership with new deal

ESPN plans to put a new 193,000-square-foot programming center on air next month that will serve as a hub for various ESPN shows including SportsCenter, live events and content made for mobile and web devices. It will use 40 Sony cameras, 29 HDC-2400 and 11 HDC-P1 models.

Sony is already a long-time partner with ESPN:

 Sony HDC series cameras are already in use across several ESPN operations, including Los Angeles Production Center, Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World, The Longhorn Network and various remote operations. 

Kevin Stolworthy, senior vice president, Content and Information Technology at ESPN

Full press release here.

ESPN has a preview of the Digital Center 2:

Discuss:

Will Sony’s various deals help cement 4K as the new consumer standard?