Sports Graphics Forum: As Next-Gen AR Becomes the Norm, Repeatability and Ease of Use Are Essential Broadcaster, vendor execs agree: augmented reality must advance the story By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Friday, March 23, 2018 - 8:00 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Although augmented reality is nothing new to sports production - the 1st & Ten line celebrates its 20th anniversary this year - AR has taken a giant leap in the past three years and is dramatically changing the way stories are told, both on the field and in the studio.
From left: Turner Studios' Zach Bell, Fox Sports' Zac Fields, Vizrt's Isaac Hersly, SMT's John Howell, and ChyronHego's Bradley Wasilition
At SVG's Sports Graphics Forum this month, a panel featuring executives from Fox Sports, Turner Sports, The Future Group, ChyronHego, SMT, and Vizrt discussed best-use cases, platforms, and workflows for AR, as well as how its use within live sports coverage is evolving. The one principle the entire panel agreed on was that AR cannot be used for technology's sake alone: these elements must be used to further the story and provide valuable information to fans.
Our philosophy has always been to use [AR] as a storytelling tool. We try not to use it for technology's sake - whether that is in a live event or in the studio, said Zac Fields, SVP, graphic technology and innovation, Fox Sports. The interesting thing is that people can interact with [AR] on their phones and are familiar with what AR is now. That puts the onus on us to present those elements at an even higher quality now. [AR has] become the norm now, and it's just going to continue to grow. The tools are there for people to come up with new ideas. The one thing that I would hope is that we can make it easier [to use] moving forward.
Fields's desire for more-user-friendly AR creation and integration was echoed throughout the panel by both users and vendors. Although a bleeding-edge AR project may be exciting and create a new experience for the fan, the goal is to create a solution that can be set up and used simply for every game.
We're trying to make sure that customers have ease of usability and repeatability every day, said Isaac Hersly, director, business development, Vizrt. It is an issue, and we are always looking for tools that are going to make it easier to set up and not need a rocket scientist. You [need to be able to] have someone that can operate the system very simply. That is our challenge, and we are always looking to come up with solutions to solve that.
Turner Sports Brings Videogame Characters to Life With AR
Last year, Turner Sports teamed with The Future Group to introduce augmented reality to its ELEAGUE coverage. The two companies worked with Ross Video to create life-like incarnations of videogame characters, allowing fans tuning in to watch games like Street Fighter V or Injustice2 to see these characters brought to life in the studio.
I think creating AR characters from the games and bringing them to the audience adds an enormous amount of value for the fans and the viewing experience, said Zach Bell, senior CG artist, Turner Studios. If you can take characters or aspects of the game and have them as dimensional elements within that environment, it creates a much richer experience and allows fans of the game to visualize these characters in a new way. That in itself adds an enormous amount of connection to the experience for the viewer.
Although esports presents a different case from a live game taking place on a field, Bell said, he believes similar AR elements will soon be making their way into live sports content (for example, NBC's 3D AR elements from player scans during Super Bowl LII).
More Than Just a Game: Bringing AR to the Masses
It was only a couple years ago that high-end AR elements were reserved for the highest-profile sports events, such as NFL A games. However, with the technology's rapid advance in recent years, AR has become ubiquitous for most national-level live sports productions and is making its way into even lower-tier properties. In addition, AR elements are becoming available on multiple cameras rather than just the main play-by-play camera (such as the SkyCam), and these systems can even be remotely controlled from offsite.
The technology is allowing us to drive the next generation of this [content], noted John Howell, creative strategist, SMT. We have done the yellow [1st & Ten] line for 20 years, but, two years ago, SMT helped to create a technology that allowed us to do it on the SkyCam. Having that optical vision tracking to create the pan-tilt information off a $30,000 camera head for an image has enabled us not only to do this off the SkyCam but also to do it remotely.
[That allows us to deploy AR] on more shows [more cheaply], he continued, and that technology will then trickle down to more shows. It won't be just on Fox's 4 p.m. Sunday NFL game or ESPN's MNF or NBC's SNF; now this [technology] gets to go on a lot more shows.
What's Next?: Getting More From Player-Tracking Chips, Customizing AR
The use of AR and the technology driving it has evolved rapidly over the past few years, raising the question, What's next? The panel had plenty of predictions regarding the next great leap forward, but the primary point of excitement revolved around the continued advance of player-tracking RFID chips, especially the NFL's Next-Gen Stats system.
With the emergence of Zebra [Technologies] chips on players and [the NFL] looking at instrumenting the football [with a chip], you could see how that can tie to your first-down-line [graphic], said Bradley Wasilition, director, sports analysis/lead sports analyst, ChyronHego. The first-down line could actually dynamically change color, for example, when
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Sports Graphics Forum: As Next-Gen AR Becomes the Norm, Repeatability and Ease of Use Are Essential Broadcaster, vendor execs agree: augmented reality must advance the story By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
