HBS uses JPEG XS and ST 2110 for record-breaking World Cup production

The 2026 World Cup serves as the definitive proof-of-concept for continental-scale remote production. By utilizing JPEG XS within a ST 2110 environment, HBS demonstrated that high-bandwidth, ultra-low latency workflows can replace on-site production without quality loss. This shift effectively decouples hardware location from specialized talent, allowing a single team to manage multiple matches across three countries. For the ecosystem, it validates an IP-centric blueprint that reduces the need for large on-site footprints (OB trucks) in favor of centralized hubs. Broadcasters should watch the performance of these shared resources during high-concurrency event windows to evaluate the limits of software-defined production scalability.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas served as the nerve center for these operations, housing roughly 2,000 broadcast media representatives across a 45,000-square-meter facility, according to FIFA reporting from June 2026. This centralized approach was critical for managing a tournament that expanded to 48 teams and distributed 104 matches across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Per TVBEurope in June 2026, HBS validated these JPEG XS and ST 2110 workflows during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which served as a smaller-scale pilot for the 4K HDR and remote shading systems used this summer.

Technologically, the tournament cemented JPEG XS as the essential bridge for high-fidelity transport where uncompressed ST 2110 bandwidth is unavailable. Per Imagine Communications in June 2026, the transition to IP-based standards like ST 2110 has empowered broadcasters to scale production beyond traditional SDI matrices, supporting the approximately 9,000 hours of content produced during this cycle. The industry-wide push for this standard was further evidenced by FOX Sports, which refreshed its Jewel Events systems using a similar ST 2110 and JPEG XS foundation, as noted by TVBEurope in June 2026.

Commercially, the scale of this production met an unprecedented audience demand. FIFA reported in late June 2026 that over 54 million viewers tuned in to opening matches featuring the three host nations across North America alone. The success of these remote workflows in delivering UHD HDR content to billions of viewers suggests a permanent shift toward software-defined production. Following the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 World Cup, JPEG XS is increasingly recognized for facilitating zero-latency synchronization between remote feeds and on-site commentary, according to analysis by Media Links in November 2024.