Project description
Live sports broadcasting gets augmented
Next time you watch a live sports event on TV, take a moment to consider what is going on behind the scenes. Not many realize that live sports production is complicated and expensive. In fact, It's one of the most technically challenging assignments for any production crew. The EU-funded OZeye project will provide the technology to make sports production less infrastructure demanding and less costly. The project aims to develop an automated system that includes software technologies to remotely control robotic cameras and allow unmanned production of football games. This new broadcasting platform is powered by augmented reality technology to recreate the atmosphere of a live football game realistically. What is more, contrary to the current situation, OZeye will give thousands of local football clubs in Europe the opportunity to have their matches produced and broadcasted; easily and affordably.
Objective
OZ Sports has pioneered a production and broadcasting platform called OZeye, by using cutting-edge software technologies to remotely control camera robotics, and to enable unmanned production of football games to convert them into multi-formatted video streams for various platforms. Our automated solution results in 90% cost savings while providing 4K/UHD video quality that exceeds state-of-the-art. Our broadcasting ecosystem incorporates an experience-rich environment, where football fans connect using their mobile devices. This experience-rich ecosystem will generate fan engagement and adherence to the platform, powered by Augmented Reality technology to recreate a realistic atmosphere of attending a live football game. Today’s production and broadcasting solutions are a perfect fit for the best sponsored and monied football leagues and clubs of Europe - less than 1% off all the football played on the continent. This leaves at least 11,900 European clubs without an opportunity to grow their fan base and earn revenues to auto fund their development. OZeye gives these local clubs the means to produce and broadcast their football matches to a worldwide audience. Our broadcasting platform opens the doors for any fan anywhere to watch their team at their leisure and convenience for the first time ever.
Recently, we have seen the rise of digital broadcasters, though they still target the same segment of footballing leagues as the traditional linear TV networks had done before them for the past decades. If some of them incorporate automation in their production, they still do not provide a better-quality result for the viewing public, which we do, by addressing the whole value chain is what makes OZeye different.
By the fourth commercialization year, we expect to install OZeye at 907 venues, which translate into 60+ leagues, generate a revenue of 84,436,000€ and create 138 jobs position to thrive in sports media and continue disrupting the sector.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer vision
- social sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomation
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
101 REYKJAVIK
Iceland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.