The Designs You Don’t See: Our BBC FIFA Women’s World Cup Pitch 2023

In the world of broadcast design, not every pitch makes it to air. Some of the most thoughtful, ambitious ideas remain unseen - living only in decks, renders, and the imaginations of those who created them. This post is about one of those designs: our proposal for the BBC’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, 2023, designed in collaboration with Toby Kalitowski, as part of a  bid with Sunset + Vine.

Building on a Proven Foundation

All studio output for the tournament was to be based out of the BBC’s greenscreen studio at Media City, Salford. Our design was conceived as an upgrade to the multipurpose virtual studio we had previously developed for the BBC in 2021. That earlier project included a space designed as a BBC Sports News disaster recovery option. For the World Cup, we re-imagined that space - transforming it into a vibrant, tournament-ready environment.

Integrating FIFA’s Identity

We drew inspiration directly from the official FIFA branding and graphics, weaving them into the fabric of the studio itself. New lightbox elements were introduced to bring additional colour and energy into the space, ensuring the set felt alive and connected to the global spectacle of the tournament.

A Pitch That Didn’t Win

Despite the strength of the concept, this design wasn’t selected. It’s always a disappointment when a pitch doesn’t succeed, but we believe these designs are worth sharing. They represent not only creative ambition but also the evolution of our thinking about how virtual sets can embody the identity of major sporting events.

What Might Have Been

The sense of “what might have been” is sharpened by the fact that we later provided the designs for the winning pitch for the UEFA Women’s Euros earlier this year. That project, which did make it to air, demonstrates how our approach to integrating event branding and studio architecture can deliver impact at scale.

Case Studies

For those interested in the structural foundation behind the World Cup pitch, you can explore our earlier BBC in-house studio project:
BBC Salford Virtual Studio Case Study

And for a look at the UEFA Women’s Euros project that did go live:
BBC Women’s Euros 2025 Virtual Set Case Study

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