RTS Connects the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup
As Australia were crowned the new ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Champions, the events of the historic final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium were broadcast to the world with the help of RTS intercoms.
Due to a challenging COVID-19 situation, the month-long tournament moved from its original host nation of India to Oman and the UAE and broadcast from a variety of stadia across the two countries. To make the production as smooth as possible, three crews and four fly-packs were deployed to deliver the same production values at each venue.
“We have had to deploy 51 RTS keypanels with a mixture of legacy RTS equipment and KP-4016 panels,” explained comms engineer Michael Southgate. Utilizing wide angle TFT displays for quality resolution and longer display life, the KP-Series keypanels have been used over various areas including the main broadcast control room and commentary production area, as well as the edit facilities and match officials’ areas. Providing enhanced digital audio quality, free of noise, delay and other artefacts, the RTS panels ensure all communication is perfectly clear, ideal for a live sporting event.
At the heart of the system is the ADAM matrix frame, providing fully redundant communication with dual-purpose ports for both keypanel and four-wire audio. The modular matrix intercom utilises a patented time-division multiplexing (TDM) technique, meaning it grows linearly as users are added. For the purposes of live broadcasting, the ADAM system supports redundant controllers, allowing for automatic changeover in the event of failure.
The combined RTS system ensured a flawless production across the different venues. The OMNEO IP-based media networking architecture meant the solution could be easily combined with other elements in workflow, such as the audio console and that every member of the crew could benefit from crystal-clear comms.
Claypaky Lights Tipstar Dome Chiba for PIST6 Championship
The recently renamed Tipstar Dome Chiba, formerly Chiba JPF Dome, hosted Japan’s first track cycling tournament in October where an array of Claypaky lighting fixtures played key roles.
The PIST6 Championship was the first cycling competition in Japan to pursue both speed and entertainment in cycling. The new type of sporting event combined art, food and fashion while pitting top athletes from Japan and abroad against each other in a high-level competition to determine the world’s fastest cyclists.
Tipstar Dome Chiba is an indoor velodrome located in Chiba City, Japan. It boasts a total area of more than 14,000 square meters, an international-standard 250-metre wooden racetrack and seating for about 2,000 spectators. The venue hosts not only cycling competitions but also e-Sports, drone events and live music shows.
Lighting Designer Yuji Yokoi deployed 30 Claypaky Xtylos, 26 Midi-B and 12 Shar-Bar fixtures, provided by Claypaky distributor Technical Supply Japan, as the main lighting fixtures for PIST6.
"For this project, the production team at JET tasked us with utilising front-line products and technology we had never seen before,” he noted. “When I suggested Xtylos, which I had seen at exhibitions, the director liked its leading-edge features, and we started planning the rig around Claypaky products.”
Yokoi explains that Xtylos, the first beam effect moving head with a laser light source, “satisfied everything that we were looking for in this project – especially Xtylos’s red beam, which was the image colour in our design. The red beam was bright and solid, unmatched by any other product.”
At the project director’s request, Yokoi used custom-made mirrors, and the project director was pleased to see that the reflected beams did not lose output. Additionally, since PIST6 was a bicycle race, speed was an important element, and Xtylos “provided the speed we were looking for,” he reported
Claypaky’s Midi-B LED-based moving head also suited Yokoi’s design very well. “It was incredibly bright despite its small size and had outstanding projection uniformity,” he says. “Midi-B exceeded our expectations. It can also produce a very tight beam which broadened the scope of our design.”
The lighting designer also used Claypaky Shar-Bars, advanced moving LED bars with features that transform them into multi-beam effects lights, at the director's request. The flexible Shar-Bar is “the only bar on the market that has individual pan capabilities on each LED module,” Yokoi explained.
Yokoi was very pleased with the performance of the Xtylos, Midi-B and Shar-Bar fixtures during the unique cycling competition and entertainment event. “In the future, we would like to discuss with the project director how to make good use of the advanced features Claypaky products provide in order to create enjoyable spaces for customers and performers,” he said. “I look forward to seeing what's new next time!"
The Project Director was Junichiro Takanashi and the Lighting Designer was Yuji Yokoi. Lighting Programming was by Katsutoshi Yokota and System Design by Rena Nishikawara.
Alfonso Zarate Takano is Claypaky’s Regional Sales Manager, APAC.
Quince Imaging Delivers Spectacular Projection at T-Mobile Arena
It's not every day the National Hockey League (NHL), welcomes a new franchise to the league, so when the Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Seattle Kraken at the T-Mobile Arena, The VGK Entertainment, Experience and Production Team wanted to ensure it was a larger-than-life experience. As leaders in sports projection technology, the Quince Imaging team was onsite for this momentous occasion.
Andrew Abrams, Sr. Executive Producer, Production & Venue Technology, led a team of ten people to envision the perfect pre-game opener for the NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken. The Vegas Golden Knights were pumped to team up against their first opponent on the 2021 schedule. As newest and second newest team in the NHL, the anticipation of the live event was a key component in strategy by the VGK EEP group. Not only did this event make history as the newest rivalry in the NHL, but the opening night match was also each team’s first televised ESPN event. The goal was to take the teams to new heights by making an international splash on broadcast television.
“It was a collaborative effort. We knew we wanted to make the squid in the ice the big ‘WOW’ moment. And after that, it was all about execution. We had an ambitious timeline, so we recognised we were going to need some help. We knew of Quince Imaging from their past work in the sports world, so we contacted them and gave them the details. We were thrilled to find out they had no issues with the timeline and were able to turn this animation in just under three weeks. Quince made it really easy to take our ideas and timing and bring them to life. It’s one of the coolest projects our team has ever gotten to be part of. We would definitely partner with Quince Imaging again!” stated Abrams.
The return to live events is the heart and soul of Quince Imaging’s nearly 25-year tenure in the event industry, and the level of innovation exhibited by the Vegas Golden Knights’ hosting of the Seattle Kraken has brought new life to an industry that has been revived over the past year.
“I was really impressed with the level of involvement the team at the Vegas Golden Knights had with giving creative direction. Their insight and inspiration made turnaround significantly easier. I sculpted a 3D model of the Kraken using cinema 4D in collaboration with my team, to produce animation capable of displaying a fast-paced visual that created an entire show. The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t simply choose to play a video, they also integrated live elements, including choreography and sound cues for an exceptional effect,” Zubair Parkar, Art Director, Quince Imaging.
Eric Gazzillo, Director of Innovation at Quince Imaging, was enthusiastic about the prospect of direct partnership with a client that has shared brief history with the firm. “We’ve collaborated with many professional sporting leagues, but in 2021 we’ve been able to step out from the ‘collaborator’ role and move into an ‘innovator’ role. We have the talent on our team to create the full live event experience. Our team boasts a crew of talented artists, producers, animators, and experienced event experts. Our team has what it takes to deliver an extraordinary live event, without having to outsource to side vendors. We are a one-stop shop, and the Vegas Golden Knights opening night speaks to the level of creativity we are able to deliver, in partnership with extraordinary clients.”
Riedel Announced as Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Sponsor & Radio Communications Provider
Riedel Communications have announced that the company is an official sponsor of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In addition to serving as Official Radio Communications Provider, Riedel will use its resources and expertise in global events to provide radio communications for the Queen's Baton Relay as well as the Games themselves, which take place from July 28 to August 8, 2022.
"I enjoyed the immense honor of being a Batonbearer for Glasgow 2014, and I'm proud to be working closely with organisers of Birmingham 2022 to bring their vision for this fantastic event to fruition," said Paul Rivens, Riedel Communications General Manager, U.K. "Riedel and the Commonwealth Games have a strong relationship built on a long history. It's exciting to see how, through sponsorship and direct involvement of our U.K. teams, Riedel is helping to make this next event a huge success."
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in 19 sports across 14 competition venues. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than 1 million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.
Providing technical guidance and support, along with more than 6,000 radio handsets, communication accessories, satellite phones, PoC devices, repeater solutions, and a supporting radio network, Riedel's Managed Technology division will support both the Queen's Baton Relay, which commenced earlier this month, as well as critical radio communications across over 40 sites covering competition, training venues, and villages during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The 16th official Queen's Baton Relay passes through 72 nations and territories across Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Americas leading up to the Opening Ceremony on July 28, 2022.
Riedel will apply relevant experience from previous international sporting events, including provisioning a radio communications network and equipment for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and managing the venue intercom project for the Gold Coast 2018 Games.
"It's great to have Riedel on board as our Official Radio Communications Provider for Birmingham 2022. They are well known for their sports and entertainment experience, in particular for previous Commonwealth Games. They bring with them a wealth of expertise in radio communications, and I'm confident they will help us deliver a successful Games," said John Dundas, Radio Communications and Spectrum Planning Manager at Birmingham 2022.
CGF Executive Director Martin Reynolds added: "Following Riedel's work on Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, we are proud to be partnering with Riedel once again as they become the Official Radio Communications Provider of Birmingham 2022. In addition to helping us deliver the Games, we are delighted Riedel are also supporting the Queen's Baton Relay and showcasing the inspirational Commonwealth Sport stories of our 72 nations and territories."
Sports Technology Appointed Official Provider to Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Sports Technology (ST) has been appointed Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Alongside LED and PA systems in the majority of the venues, ST will provide a broad range of audio-visual services including an innovative and highly flexible signal distribution network in every venue, providing a fully integrated IP based solution for all non-broadcast audio, video and data distribution. The avIP network will be an evolution of ST parent company NEP’s acclaimed proprietary TFC system developed to manage global remote production and IP based broadcast solutions.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in 19 sports across 14 competition venues from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.
A key element of ST’s winning proposal was their social engagement plan which includes a partnership with West Midlands based Resonance College and a measurable commitment to engage local businesses and contractors across all aspects of the 2022 delivery.
ST and UK sister company Creative Technology are entering into a long-term relationship with the college which will include support with training, technology and an ambitious work placement and internship programme both for Games time workforce and the longer term, bringing real opportunity to young people in the technical disciplines of the performing arts in the West Midlands.
Damian Rowe, Managing Director of Sports Technology, commented from Tokyo: “This will be our third consecutive full-service AV delivery at a Commonwealth Games and third consecutive Games as an ‘Official Provider’. Over the last 12 years we have expanded our social engagement model around these Games and are excited to be able to provide solid and tangible opportunities to aspiring youngsters from the West Midlands. We already have a full-time project manager embedded in the technology department at Birmingham 2022 and look forward to building a team of around 125 people over the next nine to ten months including experienced project and technical specialists supported by local contractors and workforce wherever possible.”
Sports Technology CEO Dave Crump added: “As a global event technology supplier with our roots firmly in the UK we are excited to be continuing our journey with the Commonwealth Games which started 36 years ago in Edinburgh. As an organisation we value our long-term relationship with the Games and are looking forward to providing further technical innovation whilst bringing real opportunity to young people in Birmingham.”
Laurence Smith, Head of Venue Technology for Birmingham 2022 said: “It’s great to have Sports Technology on board as they join us as our Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services for Birmingham 2022. Sports Technology are globally renowned for their successful delivery of multi-sport event AV, so we are delighted to be working with them to stage the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. They have fully embraced the Birmingham 2022 Social Values Charter, making tangible commitments to involve local AV technicians and students in the delivery of this event, forming relationships and legacies that will last well beyond 2022.”
CGF Executive Director Martin Reynolds said: “We are delighted to welcome Sports Technology back for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games. As the Birmingham 2022 Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services, Sports Technology will play a huge role in helping us deliver the Games while their commitment to the region as part of this partnership will help create a lasting legacy for the local community.”
Hitachi HDTV Cameras Bring Major League Production Quality to Minor League Baseball
Named for its new home city’s association with the aerospace industry and the determined ingenuity of raccoons, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) Double-A Affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels. When the team relocated from Mobile, Alabama to the newly built, 7500-seat Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama, it selected Z‑HD5000 HDTV cameras from Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd. (Hitachi Kokusai) to create superior in-venue, online, and televised fan experiences.
MiLB requires all of its franchises to offer games on its MiLB.tv streaming service, but the Trash Pandas had even loftier goals for their video productions. “We also want to put on what we consider to be a major league atmosphere in a minor league ballpark for fans attending the games,” said Rob Sternberg, Senior Director, Production & Entertainment for the Rocket City Trash Pandas. “As such, we wanted our productions to be on par at least with the tippy-top of minor league stadiums, if not major league ballparks. Plus, I came to the Trash Pandas from the only MiLB team that had all of its home games available on cable television, so I wanted to accomplish that here too.”
Rob’s team had discerning criteria for the cameras and other equipment that would power their production operations, and even switched systems integrators during the project to ensure their goals would be met. “We wanted a professional-grade product that was going to look great on television, and also provide high quality for archival purposes. The equipment list from our initial integrator didn’t seem to align with our objectives, so Conference Technologies Inc. (CTI) in Atlanta took over the project. CTI recommended Hitachi cameras, and after doing our own research, we agreed they were our best bet.”
The Trash Pandas ordered five Z-HD5000 cameras in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the entire 2020 minor league baseball season. As a result, the team played its first home game in front of the new cameras in May 2021. Four of the cameras are stationed in fixed positions: behind home plate, center field, and near first base and third base at the ends of each dugout. The fifth is equipped with an ABonAir AB512 wireless transmitter and operated handheld for promotions, capturing footage of fans in the stands, and scenic shots for the broadcast.
The Trash Pandas video team produces two shows simultaneously with the same crew and equipment. The first is for in-venue fan engagement through Toyota Field’s 65-foot by 25-foot Daktronics 15 HD main display in right field and recently added 30-foot by 4-foot ribbon display on the third base side, while the second is for broadcast. In addition to the live streams on MiLB.tv, the Trash Pandas achieved Sternberg’s goal by becoming only the second minor league baseball team – and only Double-A team – to have all of its home games on TV. Games are broadcast over the air on WAAY 31.6 “This TV” and carried by local cable providers including area leaders Xfinity and WOW! (WideOpenWest).
Sternberg notes that the Hitachi cameras’ ease of use has been beneficial in allowing the team to rapidly achieve its production goals. “This is not our camera operators’ full-time job, but they quickly got up to speed with using the Hitachi cameras quite well, even while juggling two shows at once,” he said. “I’m not sure other solutions would have had such an easy learning curve.”
Just as importantly, the cameras’ outstanding visual quality enables the team to impress even the most critical viewers among its fanbase. “Quality is definitely very important, as we live in an area where many people are technology-savvy and in tune with the technical aspects of putting on a production,” Sternberg explained. “We need to live up to their expectations, and to this point, our General Manager Garrett Fahrman, Vice President Lindsey Knupp and I believe we have done so.”
While Sternberg has plans to continue enhancing the team’s in-stadium experiences, the Z-HD5000s have already been key contributors to the Trash Pandas’ successful inaugural season. “Our experience with the Hitachi cameras has been very good, from the value they offer to the ease of use and the quality of the content we’re achieving with them,” Sternberg summarised. “We couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Daktronics LED Displays Selected for Climate Pledge Arena
As professional hockey returns to Seattle, Daktronics, in conjunction with the Oak View Group, has been selected to manufacture and install 224 LED displays at Climate Pledge Arena, the new home of the Seattle Kraken. The installation features 28,175 square feet of digital signage totaling more than 145 million pixels and dual hanging display configurations featuring 2,720 square feet each. No sporting venue in the world will have more LED displays, including 173 displays outside the main seating bowl of the arena.
“Daktronics is elevating our fan experience with the most LED displays ever installed at a sports venue,” said Seattle Kraken SVP, Entertainment Experience & Presentation Jonny Greco. “With all those pixels it is imperative we think of the guest journey from the minute they set foot on the Seattle Center Campus all the way to sitting in their seats at Climate Pledge Arena. Having a world-class sports entertainment facility under a historic roof allows us to find a happy fusion of tradition and technology.”
In-Bowl Seating Area Displays
The first of their kind, dual hanging displays are installed at Climate Pledge Arena. These configurations each form a triangular shape with three displays each – two sideline-facing displays and one end-facing, curved display. Both end displays measure roughly 25 feet high by 46 feet wide and the four sideline displays measure roughly 23 feet high by 43 feet wide. Each hanging display configuration forms 2,720 square feet of digital space to show live video, instant replays, statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.
Four ribbon displays totaling 2,160 linear feet, 32 vomitory displays above the entrances and exits of the seating bowl, four basket stanchion displays, three digital scorers tables and two dasher boards provide supplemental digital content and information throughout events. All displays in this area of the arena are HDR capable.
“With 224 displays, audiences will be immersed in the experience from the moment that they arrive and entertained throughout every event held at Climate Pledge Arena,” said Daktronics President and CEO Reece Kurtenbach. “This installation will be an icon for the Pacific Northwest. We’re excited to install the LED technology to engage their audiences and to help usher men’s professional hockey back to the city of Seattle.”
Interior Displays
Throughout the concourses and atriums of the arena, 100 LED displays are installed in varying locations and configurations to enhance the fan experience. These displays total 13,175 square feet and feature 2.5- and 3.9-millimeter pixel spacings. This includes a large column wrap, atrium bridge displays, The Climate Pledge Living Wall feature and east concourse picture frame features.
Exterior Displays
Outside of the arena, 51 LED displays totaling 3,830 square feet are installed to communicate with people as they pass by and audiences as they arrive for events. These outdoor plaza displays brand the facility immediately upon arrival and parking displays give direction to help with the flow of traffic. These displays feature 3.9- and 5.9-millimeter pixel spacings.
Daktronics has also integrated a custom control solution including Show Control and Camino products. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user-friendly production solution.
Transmoto Enduro Enhances Racing Experience with JBL Professional
To provide high-quality sound across a wide field of coverage for the Transmoto Enduro dirt bike races, CMI Music & Audio and Be Productions deployed JBL Professional EON ONE Compact speakers for maximum impact in a portable package.
Transmoto organises team-based endurance events in a relaxed and fun atmosphere for everyday dirt biking enthusiasts, staged on remote locations with challenging but safe off-road loops that combine grass tracks and bush trails. The Transmoto Enduros consists of eight- and twelve-hour endurance races for amateur riders taking place on dedicated tracks in rural areas across Australia. With racers often spread out in outdoor campsites, Transmoto officials needed an audio system for announcements and communication with wide enough coverage to reach every racer and compete with the sounds of motorcycles and weather conditions. To meet these requirements, Be Productions consulted the audio team at CMI Music & Audio and selected the JBL EON ONE Compact portable PA with an onboard mixer.
“With every event on the calendar a sell-out, covering the huge sites with audio systems for communication, announcements and the race call is a challenge,” said Marc McAvoy, Director, Be Productions. “The trickier issue we had was to get audio to the camping area 300 meters away, where they did not want the constant hum of generators.”
The JBL EON ONE Compact is a self-powered two-way speaker with up to 112 dB output, an onboard four-channel mixer and processing, Bluetooth capabilities, remote app control and a rechargeable and swappable battery with up to 12 hours of run time. Designed for maximum coverage and intelligible output with minimal setup, the EON ONE automatically lowers background music levels during speeches and announcements to ensure that audiences hear every word loudly and clearly. Lightweight and portable, the EON ONE is the ideal mobile option for speech amplification, sound reinforcement and stage monitoring for outdoor events like the Transmoto Enduros.
“The charge on the battery was very reliable,” added Marc. “The first day, we were running full whack and didn’t have to swap batteries until that evening. We had a tech looking at the onboard battery indicator every hour, and they were fine. The swapping was really the key to success for us, as we could do it quickly and easily without having to de-rig the units. In terms of sound, the speech intelligibility is very good, and they absolutely cut through. The output is very impressive for a battery-powered unit. I’m very happy with their coverage, and I’d say the EON ONE Compact is the way forward for us in these applications.”
A spokesperson for Transmoto reported that event organisers were thrilled with the intelligibility and flexibility provided by the EON ONE speakers. Even though the Transmoto Enduros are uniquely big, loud and remote, the EON ONE was the perfect solution to keep the event running smoothly. Transmoto organisers also thanked Be Productions and CMI for their assistance.
"The Transmoto Enduros is a unique event where the challenge was to achieve both speech clarity in an open setting as well as weatherproofing the system," said Amar Subash, Director, Channel Management and Audio Solutions, HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. "We would like to thank Be Productions and CMI Music & Audio for their expertise and commitment to make the project a success."
FIFA Grants EVS’ Xeebra Multi-Camera Review System with VOL & VAR Certifications
EVS’ Xeebra® multi-camera review system has been granted the FIFA Virtual Offside Lines (VOL) and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) certifications following a series of tests carried out by independent, FIFA-accredited test institutes at the Grimsta IP stadium in Sweden in August.
During this event, the accuracy and consistency of the Xeebra and other review systems were assessed to ensure they meet the specific technical requirements set out by the FIFA Quality Programme for VOL and for VAR. Both internationally recognised certifications, valid for two years, are part of FIFA’s ongoing effort to improve the decision-making process of the game.
While this was the first year the Quality Programme for VAR was introduced, Xeebra had already obtained the coveted quality label for VOL in 2019. This successful renewal demonstrates Xeebra’s ability to generate a virtual offside line under the stringent requirements of FIFA’s new testing protocol.
EVS’ Xeebra multi-camera review system helps match officials make more confident decisions by allowing them to swiftly review a given action from multiple angles that are displayed in complete synchronisation. With offside situations representing many VAR calls in soccer, the system uses machine learning technology to automatically calibrate the field of play and overlay a virtual offside line on the broadcasted image in seconds.
Xeebra’s integrated VOL technology can generate a 2D as well as a 3D vertical component, which is positioned using a triangulation mode, enabling match officials to determine whether a player’s body part that is off the ground is positioned over the offside line or not.
The Xeebra also offers operators the ability to position a second line – one for the attacking player and the other for the defender for greater accuracy. While not yet part of the current certification process, this feature has also been tested for research purposes by FIFA and has proven to be invaluable when decisions around offside positions are uncertain.
“Having our Xeebra review systems approved and certified by FIFA for both VOL and VAR is of course a major achievement for EVS. Our customers can take advantage of our industry-leading technology across a broad range of competitions and rest assured their deployed solution is built to the highest standards thanks to FIFA’s rigorous assessment,” said François Gillet, Solutions Specialist at EVS.
Pixellot & NTT Sportict Unite to Transform Japanese Amateur Sports Broadcasting
Pixellot, the world’s leading provider of AI-Automated sports video and analytics solutions, and NTT Sportict, a leading Japanese provider of video content production and distribution to sports facilities and organizations, today announced the launch of STADIUM TUBE, a new service for live and on-demand sports broadcasts.
STADIUM TUBE enables coaches, athletes, parents, and general audiences to access an automatically created video that delivers a new standard of graphical visualisations in sport broadcasting, including statistics, video advertising, promotional graphics, and other monetisation tools, alongside analysis and analytics capabilities to drive improved player coaching.
STADIUM TUBE will deliver two levels of automatic sports video. STADIUM TUBE Pro will employ Pixellot’s live streaming solutions Pixellot Show and Pixellot Prime, which are permanently installed at venues. STADIUM TUBE LITE will use Pixellot’s new portable Pixellot Air system. The solution is scheduled to provide on-demand video from early 2022. The confirmed launch of STADIUM TUBE LITE has already seen a deal for the purchase of 200 Pixellot Air cameras agreed as part of the deployment.
The Osaka Football Association (OFA) was one of the first organisations to realize the potential of STADIUM TUBE LITE. The OFA has already designated the Bampaku Football Center to serve as the demonstration field for the solution, since it is capable of holding international and national games. While Real Madrid's Tokyo-based talent academy, Real Madrid Foundation Football School (Tokyo Harumi School), has also signed up to STADIUM TUBE to leverage AI-driven video technology to coach the next generation of Japanese footballing talent.
“Our vision is to change how sports are delivered in Japan and make regional and amateur competitions accessible to everyone,” said Masatoshi Nakamura, President, and CEO of NTT Sportict. “We want to offer a solution that would enable professional, automated game capture even at venues that do not have our Pixellot AI cameras installed. With the new, portable Pixellot Air camera this has now become possible, serving fans and parents, anytime, anywhere.”
“We are excited that Osaka Prefecture Soccer Association and the OFA STADIUM have joined the STADIUM TUBE initiative to revitalize regional sports facilities,” said Nobuo Fujinawa, Managing Director at Osaka Football Association. “We believe in creating new value for sports facilities by providing video that promotes diversification and choices and also generates new sources of income for facilities.”
“Today, especially after the onset of Covid-19, the most important sporting events for many people are not covered, commented Alon Werber, CEO of Pixellot. “Pixellot’s range of solutions cover the wide-ranging needs of various market segments, from professional to amateur and everything in between. The foreword thinking of our partner NTTSportict attests to the readiness of the Japanese market for this type of content.”
Pixellot’s vast experience in providing cost-efficient live coverage for professional, and amateur sports has made it the solution of choice for thousands of teams and federations. Its end-to-end award-winning, AI-automated technology is installed in thousands of venues around the world that stream over 100,000 games per month, engaging fans and enriching their viewing experience with relevant and interesting statistics and beautiful graphics.