Rabat – FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson officially opened the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Texas, describing the 45,000-square-meter facility as the most advanced in the tournament’s history.
The center will broadcast the tournament from 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the US between June 11 and July 19. Dallas hosts the IBC for the second time, after the 1994 edition.
From this hub, live matches will reach billions of viewers through 180 broadcasting networks. Dallas will also stage nine matches, the highest number among host cities, and serve as a main location for the FIFA Fan Festival.
New AI tech and fast streaming
The facility will also house the central Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room. FIFA Commercial Director Romy Gai introduced two new AI-based features for the tournament.
“3D Player Images” aim to make semi-automated offside decisions more realistic for viewers, while “Stable Ref-Cams” stabilize footage from cameras worn by referees, providing clearer first-person perspectives during high-speed phases of play.
Supported by 200 engineers from tech partner Lenovo, the center uses advanced servers and 17,000 devices. This setup keeps live stream delays under five seconds.
Infantino concluded by saying that teams are arriving, final friendlies are underway, and everyone is ready for kickoff.
