GET AN EIFFEL
Inside Eurosport’s incredible rooftop studio where Laura Woods will present Paris Olympics 2024 in front of Eiffel Tower
Iconic piece of Harry Potter film history available for guests to use
LAURA WOODS will present Eurosport’s live TV coverage of the Olympics - with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower in shot.
Woods, 37, is the face of the channel for Paris 2024, hosting the prime-time evening show throughout the summer festival of sport.
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Northern Irish former triple jumper Orla Chennaoui kicks things off each morning before Reshmin Chowdhury takes the reigns during the day.
Eurosport are now the sister company of TNT Sports under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella - which also includes streaming platforms Discovery+ and Max.
And the company have splashed out for the Olympics on an incredible set on the roof of the magnificent five-star Hotel Raphael, a stone’s throw away from the Champs-Elysees in the heart of the French capital.
In fact, the seventh-floor location is so ideal that looking out on one side is the Arc de Triomphe - and the other side is the Eiffel Tower.
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The iconic landmark stands proudly behind ‘Studio One’ - the main hub for Eurosport UK’s coverage.
SunSport visited the Eurosport HQ - dubbed 'WBD House' - to get a behind-the-scenes look at the set for the biggest sporting event on the planet.
Warner Bros. Discovery took over the hotel guest’s perfect sunset viewing platform and 11 of the rooms to set up their camp on July 15 - a 78-tonne, 23-camera, 340-crane lift operation complete with 25km of power and broadcast cables.
The rooftop set-up features four purpose-built studios - with waterproof screens ready just in case - which will also used by the likes of Eurosport in France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Poland and Norway as well as CNN.
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Then there are a further three stand-up positions for reporters to deliver pieces to camera, chat with pundits and interview athletes.
A camera on a robotic arm will even be able to swoop out over the edge of the luxury hotel, high above the busy Parisian streets.
SunSport's Joshua Jones learns breaking ahead of its Olympics debut at Paris 2024
Eurosport's Olympic line-up in full
Presenters:
- Laura Woods
- Reshmin Chowdhury
- Orla Chennaoui
- Craig Doyle
Reporters:
- Radzi Chinyanganya
- Jaydee Dyer
- Caroline de Moraes
- Becky Ives
- Rachel Stringer
- Laura Winter
- Matt Smith
- Kate Mason
Pundits:
- Adam Blythe
- Tom Daley
- Laura Robson
- Shauna Coxsey
- Carl Frampton
- Stef Reid
- Joanna Roswell
- Ellie Simmonds
- Lizzie Simmonds
- Iwan Thomas
- Nile Wilson
Though there is a camera control room downstairs, production is done back in each country - with Eurosport producing coverage for 47 markets across 19 languages.
As well as the high-end technical set-up, Woods, Chowdhury and Chennaoui, other presenters, staff and guests can make the most of the suntrap and gorgeous sunsets by enjoying the free bar - as well as trying on the famous sorting hat from Harry Potter.
And should the presenters need any more warming up in the 30-degree-plus heat, there is even a reaction lights training wall to get the reflexes going before going on air.
Woods - who announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Adam Collard on Sunday evening - arrives in Paris less than two weeks after a month in Germany presenting for ITV at the Euros.
Eurosport's Olympics studio in numbers
STAFF
- 190 essential crew daily for studio operations
- 168 on-air presenters
PRODUCTION
- 312 live hours produced from WBD House
- 13 markets, four studios, 3 stand-up positions
- 23 cameras - 15 peds cameras, 2 jibs, 1 techno jib, beauty cam, drone cam, 2 RF cameras 1 steadi-cam
CATERING
- 1460 breakfasts, 2060 lunches, 1850 dinners
- Sustainable catering, delivered on bikes, washable containers.
EQUIPMENT
- 78 tonnes lifted off the roof – equivalent weight of the Space Shuttle!
- 340 crane lifts - crane lift every 6 mins over 4 days
- 130 rigging crew during the 4-day rig
- 24 trucks of equipment
- 10km of power cables
- 15km of broadcast cables
- 72 outgoing lines
GUESTS
- Warner Bros. Discovery expected to welcome over 200 VIPs, including athletes and celebrities during Games-time
The Arsenal fan is swapping footballs and strikers for fencing and skateboarding and Bellingham, Kane, Saka and Foden for Daley, Caudery, Peaty and Brown - as well fronting the opening ceremony coverage for Eurosport, TNT and Discovery+.
But Warner Bros Discovery chief Scott Young is confident she will take it all in her stride as one of the best broadcasters in the business, as demonstrated by her rise to the face of TNT’s Champions League football and Box Office boxing.
He said: “It's immensely important to have Laura Woods in the primetime slot because she's a fantastic broadcaster, she absolutely loves sport and all sport.
“That's one of the reasons that we wanted to work with her, because when you talk to Laura about sport, it's not just about football or boxing, she's versed in every form of sport, because that's what she's grown up in and she absolutely loves it.
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“She's going to be presenting the opening ceremony with Craig Doyle, who brings a level of energy to all sport and comes out in sixth gear.
“So pairing Craig with Laura for the opening ceremony is a really important start for us.”
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What's happening today at The Games?
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony
Only one show in town today.. just about!
The historic Opening Ceremony which is taking place on the River Seine rather than a stadium ends proceedings on Friday evening.
While there has been football and rugby sevens among events which started before the ceremony this week, they will not be taking place on the day of the big bash.
Only shooting pre-event training will take place on the day of the Opening Ceremony.
Click here for all the events taking place at Paris 2024 today.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
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