RTL’s new live studio is specially designed for NFL coverage
Germany - After last year’s announcement of an exclusive free-TV partnership with the US National Football League (NFL), Cologne-based private broadcaster RTL Deutschland launched the 2023/24 NFL season with a bang. As part of its preseason, the NFL celebrated its premiere on Nitro, a special-interest channel within the RTL Deutschland network, on 12 August. The event took place in RTL’s new live studio, specially designed for NFL coverage and featuring Leyard Europe LED screens.
Initial work on the new NFL studio started in early February, with the RTL team employing the expertise of internationally renowned multi-disciplinary design firm, Veech x Veech, whose credits also include studios for media companies such as SKY News (London, UK), Red Bull Media House (Salzburg, Austria), and Al Jazeera (Doha, Qatar and London, UK).
Laurin Schmid, Leyard's sales manager for the DACH region, worked closely with RTL project manager Oliver Reich and the Veech x Veech design team, led by Stuart Veech, on the LED screen choice for the 265m2 facility. The primary goal was to ensure the best colour rendering on camera while avoiding unwanted artifacts such as moiré patterns and flickering.
"The preference for Leyard LED solutions by both the Veech x Veech team and the end client is rooted in past positive experiences with our products," notes Schmid. "For instance, RTL has already successfully incorporated Leyard products in four other studios across Germany. This historical context solidified the choice of Leyard as an LED manufacturer for the new NFL studio."
With the design concept accepted, the project was in full swing by April and the installation was completed at the end of July. “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,” Schmid continues.
“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."

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