Bunyodkor Arena in Uzbekistan

Media infrastructure for Uzbekistan’s main stadium

The project for implementing multimedia infrastructure for Uzbekistan’s central stadium, “Bunyodkor” (Bunyodkor Stadioni), built in Tashkent under the patronage of President Islam Karimov.

The stadium holds 34,000 spectators and serves as the home arena for Tashkent’s football team “Bunyodkor.” This modern complex, covering an area of 56 hectares, includes 7 modern football fields, a youth football academy, a swimming pool, facilities for athletes, referees, coaches, football administrators, a press conference hall, a football club museum, three restaurants, and a fitness center. The stadium is equipped with an audio system, lighting equipment, and in the evening, its facade is impressively illuminated by a special system called “Flame of the East.” At the grand opening ceremony, the head of Uzbekistan gave a speech:

“… We are participating in a historic event that will leave a deep mark in the history of our country – the opening of the beautiful and unique sports complex ‘Bunyodkor.’

This event is also significant because Uzbek football is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Those who followed the construction progress could only call it a miracle. Looking at this magnificent structure, which can host competitions of any level, one can easily answer the question: who we were and who we have become, what we have achieved. Such structures primarily serve to educate our youth to be physically and spiritually developed.”

Multimedia infrastructure

In the summer of 2012, the task was set to create a multimedia infrastructure for the sports complex to provide professional media coverage of sporting events held within the “Bunyodkor” complex. By that time, our company had earned the status of a special UEFA expert during Ukraine’s preparation for the European Football Championship “EURO 2012,” as we developed and implemented TV infrastructure projects for the state-of-the-art sports complexes “Donbass Arena” and “Arena Lviv.” Therefore, our partner Broadcast Solutions invited us to this project as a contractor.

The project was implemented in a very short timeframe

The project was completed in a very short timeframe – approximately 8 months. The quickly developed specifications included: a passive cable infrastructure for 35 hybrid camera positions, video, audio, and communication systems; a patch panel for connecting OB vans; commentator stations; a control room for managing the media system, where operators responsible for graphics and video output and distribution work.

Professional local lighting systems from Arri and Lowel were installed at several locations: in the press rooms, in the blitz interview area, in the panoramic studio, in the conference hall, and in team entrance filming locations, among others.

In addition, an internal television system with 300 screens (Digital Signage) based on IPTV technologies from Haivision and D-Link was built at the stadium, as well as a fiber-optic connection with the National Television Company of Uzbekistan. The infrastructure includes approximately 100,000 meters of various types of Draka cables from Prysmian Group.

The control room is equipped with a Ross Video CrossOver mixing console, two Ross XPression 3D HD broadcast graphics systems, Matrox multiviewers, JVC Professional multi-format monitors. The project also involved a matrix switcher from Imagine Communications, solutions from Nevion, Blackmagic Design, LEMO switching solutions, and the miniHUB distribution platform from Norwia – this universal solution for video signal transmission and distribution solves many different tasks with high efficiency in challenging temperature conditions. In hot weather (and in Tashkent, +40°C is not uncommon), this is important.

The stadium hosts sports competitions, concerts, shows, performances, and other events.

• Cable infrastructure for 35 hybrid camera, video, sound, and communication positions.
• Patch panels for connecting OB vans.
• Equipment for commentator stations.
• Control room for managing the media system.
• Professional local lighting in press rooms, blitz interview areas, panoramic studio, conference hall, and filming locations.
• Internal television system with 300 screens (Digital Signage) based on IPTV technology.
• Fiber-optic connection with the National Television Company of Uzbekistan.
• Around 100,000 meters of cable.