LED walls, virtual floors and AR politicians to engage audiences like never before as part of broadcaster’s comprehensive election night coverage.
The hub of Sky’s Election Night is Sky Studios’ Studio 4 commonly used for Monday Night Football (MNF), Formula 1, NFL and boxing. Described by Ben Fisher, Head of Sky News Studio Output as “a 360-degree immersive space making a brilliant canvas for storytelling and data,” he explains that “as soon as we saw it on air we thought, hang on a minute, this is built for an election.”
Zonal marking
Sky News has split the studio into four zones. The large curved LED which acts as the backdrop for MNF will be the main presentation space for anchors Kay Burley, Beth Rigby, and Trevor Phillips, with Andy Burnham and Ruth Davidson as pundits. This will feature a screen dubbed the ‘window to the world’, featuring a mosaic of live feeds from 102 constituency counts.
The central zone is referred to as the ‘disco floor’, filled with a giant virtual map of the UK populated by results through the night. Ed Conway, Sky News’ Economics and Data Editor, will head this analysis zone and be able to call up AR characters such as MPs Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt.
“One of our big reveals on the night is we’ve made a life-size AR model of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer,” Fisher says. “You know when you see AR footballers appear to walk out and make a gesture? Well, we got [the party leaders] to do that while they were in Grimsby for our leader’s debate on June 12.
“We’ve made a full-size 360 model of them. Their eyes will follow you around the room, the camera can get up close and personal. They’ll pop up variously through the night...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
.jpg)
IBC2026: What to look out for on Day 1
From 11 to 14 September 2026, IBC2026 will open its doors to the international media and entertainment industry.
IBC2026: Creating meaningful opportunities for start-ups, students, educators, and innovators
IBC2026 is set to tackle the media and entertainment industry’s talent shortage this week, with several initiatives designed to give students the chance to attend the show, meet industry professionals and start building connections for their careers.
IBC Accelerator: Agentic AI for live sports
With an eye on the future, this IBC Accelerator plans to move beyond isolated use cases and demonstrate how agentic AI can be applied across the full live media value chain, from automated production tasks to highlight generation, personalisation, and monetisation.
.jpg)
Innovation Awards: Stories behind Content Everywhere finalists
The Content Everywhere finalists in this year’s IBC Innovation Awards run the gamut across: a giant DTV+ implementation project in Brazil; the Premier League’s connected fan experience; and the AI-generated phenomenon Tilly Norwood. Fergal Ringrose, Chair of Judges for the IBC Innovation Awards, reveals why.
Edinburgh TV Festival 2026 review: So long, and thanks for all the views
As this year's edition of the TV Festival is the last to be held in Edinburgh before the move to Manchester, change in many forms featured high on the agenda. The message was that change is not just coming, it's already here – so deal with it.
.jpg)
