With the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ between hosts South Africa and Mexico just 135 days away, the final preparations for the event are in overdrive. Whilst the ten competition stadiums are nearing final completion, early January witnessed the handover of the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) premises by the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) to the LOC and HBS, marking a significant juncture in the lifespan of the IBC. With the clearance of the venue now complete, work on the set-up and installation of temporary facilities has begun.

The IBC is currently progressing through three distinct aspects with the architectural structure of the individual spaces being developed in parallel with the installation of electrical fittings and set-up of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) distribution. The set-up of multilateral areas is scheduled for mid-March whilst Media Rights Licensees (MRLs) will be able to access their premises from 10 May.

MRLs should refer to the FIFA TV Extranet for further details. Information on the set-up IBC is provided in the first edition of the MRL Newsletter for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, also available for download from the FIFA TV Extranet.