Sport in three dimensions
Infront Sports & Media and its subsidiary Host Broadcast Services (HBS) are pioneering 3D development. They are also leaders in 3D content creation and broadcasting for live sport - developing an exciting and totally immersive experience for fans and a new generator of exposure and revenue for sports rights holders. Live 3D sports broadcasts are now a reality and the scope for future growth is exciting.
The rise of 3D
3D has undergone an intense phase of development as a result of new advances in technology. The move to 3D has been facilitated by the previous global investment in high-definition television (HD). TV manufacturers and Hollywood have fully realised the potential of the new medium and as a result there are now a wide range of 3D HDTV screens available on the market. In a very short space of time 3D has become mainstream in both the professional and consumer markets. In 2010 a number of 3D television channels were launched across Europe and North America as television content producers and distributors witnessed the success of 3D in the cinema.
HBS leads the 3D production for major sport events
Infront, HBS and London-based CAN Communicate, the leading European exponent of 3D as a medium for sport, have been at the forefront, starting from May 2008 with 3D live coverage of the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Canada. This was the first time that selected events — the semi-finals, the 3rd place and the Final — of a major ice hockey tournament were produced in 3D. In April 2009, HBS and CAN worked with Orange, the leading mobile operator in France, to broadcast the French Ligue 1 match between Olympique Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain live in 3D. This was the first live 3D broadcast of a football match in European history. Throughout 2009 and 2010 HBS carried out extensive 3D testing on French Ligue 1 matches in preparation for 2010 FIFA World Cup™ 3D deliveries in South Africa.
First-ever 3D coverage of the FIFA World Cup™
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa, HBS made sports broadcasting history, taking on the huge and complex task of producing 3D content for 25 of the matches. HBS produced and delivered the 3D HDTV signal as part of its overall production role as host broadcaster, working closely with FIFA Partner Sony, which manufactures advanced 3D screens and 3D broadcast technology. The 3D HD feed was used by FIFA’s media rights licensees and other licensees in various applications and formatted for both TV and cinema screens. By the end of the competition, over 600 cinemas in more than 30 countries were showing live 3D matches.
Prestigious award recognition
In recognition of the major achievement in terms of 3D coverage, HBS has received two of the most renowned and important industry awards.
Along with FIFA, Sony, and ESPN, HBS jointly won the prestigious Judges’ Award – one of the IBC’s Innovation Awards, at the IBC - RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam. IBC is the leading international forum for the electronic media industry. The four partners received the special prize titled “The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in 3D” in recognition of their collaboration.
Additionally, HBS was again recognised at the 6th edition of the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) Awards, where alongside Sony Professional, it jointly won “The Most Innovative Technology” Award. The acknowledgment praised the “sheer innovation” required to deliver the world’s first 3D World Cup and the entry was considered as “game-changing” - delivering a completely new experience in the world of sports television.
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