Why Brazil-France TV coverage fell flat | OneFootball

Brazil-France’s 1-2 friendly was marred for TF1 viewers by a pale, low-intensity world feed on Thursday night.

According to L'Équipe, TF1 only took the international signal, produced by a US company appointed by Pitch, promoter of Les Bleus’ tour. MLS director Wayne Wilson led the broadcast.

Director Laurent Lachand said the image looked clear but underdefined, which he suggested could reflect mismatched formats and transcodes between US capture and European distribution. A lower-than-usual main wide also divided opinion.

Lachand called that angle part of a current immersive trend mixing tactical view with player recognition. Jean-Jacques Amsellem pointed to different American production codes, adding that World Cup coverage should return to European norms with HBS choosing directors.

HBS, FIFA’s host broadcaster, will apply a demanding brief in 2026 with around 40 cameras per game.

Filming football in US stadiums built for American football is awkward. Lachand recalled Gold Cup 2023 issues in Houston, San Diego and Los Angeles, where corner-takers were hard to see and the crowd intruded on camera-side shots. Similar flaws emerged and could also surface at Colombia-France on Sunday at 21:00 in Landover’s Northwest Stadium.

François-Charles Bideaux also cited weak camera grading and debatable replay choices. For the World Cup in Boston, French facilities will be used and François Lanaud will direct his eighth straight finals. M6 will show 54 matches free-to-air, with beIN Sports carrying the entire tournament on pay TV.

Source: L'Équipe