NBC Sports Uses AI to Track Players in Real Time

NBC Sports is introducing viztrick AiDi, an AI system that tracks players in real time. Viewers will be able to pick the athletes they want to follow during broadcasts. The technology was developed by Nippon Television Network. The system is meant to give audiences a more personalized way to watch live sport, while keeping the workload on broadcast operators low.

AI-processed from The Verge; edited by Hamidun News
NBC Sports Uses AI to Track Players in Real Time
Source: The Verge. Collage: Hamidun News.
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NBC Sports is betting on artificial intelligence to improve the viewing experience of its sports broadcasts. The company has unveiled a new real-time player-tracking system built on viztrick AiDi, a technology developed by Japan's Nippon Television Network. The system will let viewers on mobile devices select and follow their favorite athletes on the field in real time.

Bringing AI into sports broadcasts is not just a technical novelty but a logical step in the evolution of media. Viewers increasingly expect personalized experiences, and the ability to focus on specific players meets that demand. viztrick AiDi uses advanced face-recognition and machine-learning algorithms to track players' movements accurately. Broadcast operators only need to indicate the athlete to follow once on screen, and the system then highlights that player automatically.

The key advantage of viztrick AiDi is its ease of use. The interface is designed to minimize the burden on broadcast operators, freeing them to concentrate on other aspects of showing the match. The technology has already proved effective in Japan, and NBC Sports hopes it will perform equally well in the American market. The new feature is planned to be added to broadcasts as early as this year.

AI player-tracking systems open up new possibilities for analyzing sporting events. Beyond simply following movement, AI can collect statistics, analyze tactical formations and give viewers additional information about the game. That, in turn, may increase audience engagement and make watching sports broadcasts more interesting and informative.

However, there are potential risks in using AI in sport. Players' data privacy must be protected, and misuse of the technology must be prevented. It is also important that AI systems do not affect the course of play and do not create unfair advantages for individual teams or athletes.

Overall, NBC Sports' AI player-tracking system is an important step toward personalizing sports broadcasts. The technology can significantly improve the viewing experience and open new possibilities for analyzing sporting events. Going forward, we can expect further development of AI in sport, leading to even more engaging and interactive broadcasts. The key is that technological progress does not run counter to ethical principles or the interests of everyone in the sports industry.

In conclusion, NBC Sports is not just adding a gimmick to its broadcasts but investing in the future of sports broadcasting. Viewers get control over the picture, and therefore over their own viewing experience. This is an important trend that is likely to gain momentum in the coming years.

ZK
Zhemal Khamidun — CPO at Alpina Digital, product manager of AlpinaGPT. Building AI products since 2019. Hamidun News is a pet project that grew into a production aggregator with 6,000+ readers.
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