ITV Sport has turned heads during the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a broadcasting base that most television networks could only dream of — a custom-built rooftop studio perched above Brooklyn, New York, with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge.

FourFourTwo received an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the facility, which sits above an upscale New York hotel and its rooftop pool. The site houses three separate sets in total, with two of them built outdoors on a specially constructed rooftop platform.

Seven weeks to build a landmark

ITV began scouting for a location the moment Euro 2024 concluded. Despite visiting several sites across the city, the Brooklyn spot — the very first location they viewed — immediately captured the production team's imagination and ultimately won out over all other contenders.

To maximise the visual impact, ITV engineers raised the studio structure three metres above the building's existing rooftop. Visitors access the outdoor sets by taking a lift to the top floor, then navigating a corridor past commentary suites, the production gallery, and a second staircase leading to the open-air broadcast area.

On a cloudy morning, the panorama is still breathtaking. Lower Manhattan's skyscrapers fill one horizon, while Brooklyn Bridge arches dramatically across the other, linking Manhattan to its neighbouring borough. The whole structure is reportedly visible from the far bank of the East River — a testament to its scale.

Remarkably, the entire studio took just seven weeks to build and become fully operational.

Cooling vents, green screens, and storm protocols

The flagship A and B sets are ITV's centrepieces for the tournament, hosting the broadcaster's star-studded punditry panels. A large green screen allows production to overlay vivid, World Cup-themed imagery behind presenters — concealing what is in reality a plain black wall, a director, camera operators, and a team of producers.

One detail stands out above the rest: cooling vents fitted beneath each pundit's seat, designed to circulate cool air upward and keep on-air talent comfortable during New York's notoriously humid summer heat.

Only when storm warnings are issued does production retreat indoors to a third, interior studio — functional, if considerably less cinematic than its rooftop counterparts.

A cut above the competition

By contrast, rival broadcaster the BBC is operating from a Salford studio setup, with in-stadium production planned for the tournament's later rounds. On the strength of what FourFourTwo witnessed in Brooklyn, ITV have well and truly raised the bar for major tournament broadcasting.