Looking to present new types of electronically generated sports information and sponsored content, STATS, a provider of technology to support this, has acquired SportVU Technology, an Israeli company that has pioneered automated ID and motion-capture technology. The goal is to enhance the way sports telecasts are viewed and enjoyed.
The two companies have worked together in the past, including in the development of 3-D holographic images for CNN on Election Night.
The company said that SportVU’s technologies bring new dimensions that enhance the sports experience for fans while creating compelling new revenue platforms for producers and content distributors. With the integration of SportVU technology, STATS is now well-positioned to offer dynamic in-game presentations, comprehensive stats, game analysis and tactical coaching tools for its worldwide client network of media companies and professional sports leagues and teams. All of SportVU’s principals will continue in their current positions.
SportVU uses a specialized technology to collect positioning data of the ball and participants (players and referees) within the playing field in real time. Specialized software algorithms are then employed to analyze the accumulated data streams and compile highly accurate information and insights.
Sports producers can leverage this performance data in a variety of ways, highlighting speed profiles, accumulated distances, fatigue, fitness graphs and coverage maps — all in real time. The company said its next-generation of sports statistics will provide deeper insights that shed new light on the game. Data highlighting players’ “game speed” versus their “40 time” and athletes’ explosiveness in confined areas will make for invaluable analysis points across sports media and scouting.
Player and ball-tracking information is integrated into SportVU’s real-time tools and enhancements. Play diagramming, graphical representations, 3-D simulations, player point-of-view visuals, 360-degree game views and side-by-side comparisons are ready-made for broadcast graphics and next-generation match trackers for Web and mobile viewing. These dramatic viewing enhancements create new interactive advertising opportunities and platforms for sponsors, as well as other revenue-generating media options for leagues, broadcasters and other multimedia platforms.
For CNN on Election Night, SportVU technology was used to generate life-size images of interviewees in New York, when they were actually in Chicago.
STATS recently announced the formation of STATS Italy and STATS Middle East. The company also operates in Europe, India, China and Japan.
