COLOGNE, Germany—RTL Deutschland, a private broadcaster here, kicked off free-TV coverage of the National Football League (NFL) Aug. 12 with preseason coverage on its special-interest NITRO channel from a new live studio designed specifically for league coverage that features LED screens from Leyard Europe.

The broadcaster previously inked a deal with the league to begin offering action during the 2023-24 season on free television.

The 870-square-foot (265-square-meter) studio, which was designed by a team from Veech x Veech under the direction of RTL project manager Oliver Reich, is an open, 360-degree accessible area with four central LED walls. 

On-air talent includes commentators, experts, community hosts and presenters. The centerpiece of the studio is a 38-by-9-foot (11.5-by-2.7-meter) curved video wall. It consists of 38 x 5 Leyard AT 1.5mm LED panels and is used while commentators update game information and analyze action with experts.

The broadcaster, working with Leyard, has installed similar LED configurations at its RTL Aktuell and Punkt 12 studios.  

The new studio also has a desk with an accompanying vertical LED wall dedicated to social media content presented by the community host. The format mimics what viewers are accustomed to seeing on their smartphones. The moderator for each broadcast works from another desk with two additional LED walls. 

Besides the curved wall, the studio incorporates a 6 x 4 panel Leyard AT 1.5mm, a 5 x 5 TVF 1.2mm and a 5 x 5 TVF 1.2mm LED screen, alongside a 12 x 4 CLI-Flex 1.3mm used as a LED table surface, the company said. 

Work on the studio began in April, and installation was completed in July, a quick setup that required coordination between the designer and the other workers involved, said Laurin Schmid, Leyard sales manager for the DACH region, which includes the German-speaking areas of Europe.

“A key challenge was ensuring seamless collaboration within the broader team, which included set builders, electricians, and various other crew members, all of whom were working to a tight timeframe,” said Schmid, 

“Typically, planning and constructing a high-end studio like this would take around one and a half to two years. But with full collaboration across the various teams and by taking advantage of Leyard’s Slovakian manufacturing facility, we successfully completed the project on time.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

NEW YORK—Leyard will unveil a 1.2 millimeter fine pixel pitch model to the company’s Leyard TVF Series LED video wall line at NAB Show New York, Oct. 16–17. The Leyard TVF 1.2 millimeter model delivers clear, crisp images at nearly every angle and viewing distance. It also allows commentators to distinguish and describe content standing very close to the video wall.

The Leyard TVF Series is a family of fine pitch LED video wall displays that the company says delivers superior on-camera performance with a range of refresh rates to ensure that it can be used with a variety of on-camera recording needs. It offers a 27-inch, slim-profile display cabinet, front serviceability and a creative, stackable design. The Leyard TVF 1.2 joins other models available in 1.5, 1.8 and 2.5 millimeter pixel pitches.

Leyard will also demonstrate the high contrast ratio and color accuracy of high dynamic range (HDR) content, taking advantage of the unique performance characteristics of Leyard LED video wall displays. An important emerging technology, HDR promises more lifelike images with a broader range of color and contrast to create a next-generation visual experience.

Attendees can see the Leyard TVF Series LED video wall line in the company’s booth N765.

PREŠOV, SLOVAKIA—Kathy Skinski is joining the Leyard and Planar team as the new general manager of broadcast and media, per a company announcement. Skinski will be responsible for creating new opportunities and building on existing relationships with broadcast companies.

With more than 20 years of experience, Skinski has held television and digital positions with companies like ABC Network, Time Warner Cable and CNN.

She will be based in Washington, D.C.

STAMFORD, CONN.—NBC Olympics’ roster of products for the 2018 Winter Olympics now includes Leyard LED video walls. The Leyard TWS series will be present on broadcast sets in Pyeongchang, South Korea throughout the XXIII Olympic Winter Gamers, NBC Olympics’ Coordinating Director Michael Sheehan announced.

The Leyard TWS series is a line of LED video wall displays with a 27-inch diagonal, all-in-one design that can fit into convex curved or traditional video wall environments, either large or small.

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games will run through Feb. 9-25.

PREŠOV, SLOVAKIA—Leonie Rotermundt is the latest addition to the executive staff at Leyard, as the company has announced her as the new vice president of business development for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Rotermundt will assist with key global accounts and with the company’s initiatives to grow relationships with content developers, consultants, architects and others.

Prior to joining Leyard, Rotermundt served as the managing director of Sight, a system integrator for corporate and broadcast customers. She also previously held a position as managing director of a 3D graphics and screen control firm that is now part of the NEP Group.

Rotermundt will be based in the Netherlands and will report to recently appointed Leyard Europe CEO Marco Bruines.

PREŠOV, SLOVAKIA—Leyard has tapped Marco Bruines to serve as the new CEO for Leyard Europe. Bruines has previous experience working with Leyard, having served as the president of BarcoLeyard, a joint-venture between Leyard and Barco in China.

Bruines additional experience includes executive roles at Barco, Inter Visual Systems, and most recently as managing director of SIGHT.

Bruines appointment comes after Leyard announced plans to open a new factory in Prešov, Slovakia and other installations across Europe, including an installation at European headquarters of the United Nations, television studios for RTL Group, and projects for Gucci and BMW.

BUFFALO GROVE, ILL.—Digital display, video wall and visualization product provider Leyard has been tapped by NBC Olympics to provide LED video walls for its production during the 2016 Summer Olympics. The company will supply three of its TVH series LED video walls for the NBC Olympics set in the International Broadcast Center in Rio, and one for the network’s outdoor set.

The video walls will include a 13x13-foot wall comprised of 169 displays, as well as an 8x7-foot wall made up of 56 displays; both feature 1.9mm pixel pitch for ultra-high resolution graphics and video playback. The NBC sets will also feature a 9x12-foot 2.5mm pixel pitch in-floor display made up of 108 displays.

The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 5-21. NBC Olympics is a division of NBC Sports Group.