By Peter Hall
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – How people watch soccer is changing each year with multiple camera angles giving fans immersive viewing but capturing games volumetrically could lead to a whole new TV experience.
British broadcaster Sky Sports caused a buzz in 2019 when they used over 100 cameras so their presenters could analyse the techniques of top golfers using holographic replicas of each player in 360 degrees.
Sky and other companies are now trying to bring such technology into soccer, giving supporters the option of being at eye level next to a striker as a goal goes in or a controversial tackle is made to experience soccer as never before.
“Like any fan, you want to see certain goals 50 times over,” Peter Moore, former Liverpool CEO and now senior vice president at Unity Technologies, told Reuters in an interview from his home in California.
“There are so many Divock Origi Liverpool goals that I could watch over and over again. I still watch the same clip of David Fairclough, super sub, scoring against St Etienne in 1977,” he added referring to a European Cup tie Liverpool won 3-1.
Using ultra-high-definition cameras to capture vast quantities of “volumetric data” companies like Unity convert the images through their servers and use them to provide real-life footage of the same incident from every conceivable perspective.
“I want to go down on the pitch. I want to be there when Divock scored the header against (Everton goalkeeper) Jordan Pickford in 2018, I want to see his face when he realises it is going in. Any technology that powers that experience is always very welcome.”
The new technology does not allow fans to watch in real time, however, as it is impossible to put them on the other side of the world next to a keeper as a goal goes in.
Instead, volumetric capture technology is being developed to enable fans to go back, view a replay and see key moments again and again, from a whole new range of viewpoints.
SECONDARY DEVICE
“As sports fans we love to analyse every detail,” Moore said. “A goal is scored, a try is scored, a touchdown is scored. I want to see it again 10 seconds later … with this tech it comes to your phone and you’re spinning the action around.
“We see this tech as a secondary device on top of how you normally view sport,” he added.
“If you are a Manchester United fan, if Marcus Rashford scores you want to know how did he get past the full back in ways you might not get in the action replay BT Sport or Sky Sports give you. With this, you are now the producer.”
Such analytical tools have been available to sports presenters and pundits for several years but technology companies now want to bring them to fans at home.
How people view sport is constantly evolving, with streaming services now the norm in the United States when it comes to watching the Premier League.
With cameras placed around stadiums, the interactive, user-friendly nature of streaming services is the perfect platform to utilise volumetric capture technology.
“Amazon Prime has a full Premier League weekend in the UK now,” Moore added. “Apple TV has done a $2.5 billion deal with Major League Soccer for 10 years to stream games.
“Streaming opens up interactivity that you don’t have with television, which is more of a lean-back experience.
“We truly believe sports watching is going to be in real-time 3D. There’s no doubt in my mind that volumetrically capturing games will power how we watch the next World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico (in 2026).
“When a goal is scored, there is a controversial offside or VAR incident, the new tool will enable fans around the world the chance to view it again and again, from right on top of the tackle, and make up their own minds.”
(Reporting by Peter Hall; Editing by Ken Ferris)
