The first glimpse during the 2018 World Cup. A football field projected on a table like a hologram, an idea from the University of Washington. The researchers experimented with a system for converting traditional videos into three-dimensional reconstructions, to be viewed on a flat surface through a 3D viewer. At the time not yet implemented for live content, but it is the explicit manifestation of a desire: to experience favorite sporting events by going beyond the limits of the screen.
If augmented reality involves a solid niche of fans among gamers, similar experiments are making room for themselves in the world of football being watched. The next revolution after the advent of live streaming, a technology considered inapplicable to games until a few years ago.
The first experiments are already around, very often carried out by the most important clubs of the European leagues. Juve has expanded its offer for Juventus fans with Juventus VR. Virtual reality content for TV Pass subscribers, which allows you to immerse yourself in the background of the team from the point of view of the champions. Like the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin or the emotions of the players during the 2020 championship award ceremony.
The common denominator of these technologies is obviously connectivity and thanks to the acceleration underway on fiber and 5G, many new features will arrive in the homes of football fans. “The new generation networks combined with the Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and big data are revolutionizing the way of life”, explains Stefano Siragusa, Chief Revenue, Information & Media Officer of TIM who then adds: “This is why we propose ourselves as an engine of the country’s digital innovation, with the aim of promoting economic growth through access to new services. In particular, 5G will allow devices to connect to the Internet in real time, with enormous advantages in all areas of intervention: from industry to self-driving cars, from telemedicine to smart-cities to smart homes. 5G is therefore one of the fundamental levers to accelerate digitalization in the public and private sectors “.
To give another example, the Juventus-Napoli match last January was resumed with a new dynamic recovery. A camera hooked to a cable parallel to the field offered a new point of view compared to traditional shots, following the action as it unfolds in the field. An angle very similar to that of certain console football games, where the shot follows the player in possession of the ball. Innovation wanted by the Lega Serie A, which has decided to use it for specific replays during the competition.
Bayern Munich has created Fanselfie, an app dedicated to fans that allows you to take self-portraits with your favorite athlete, or with the entire team. The app mounts an image (quite credible) of the fan together with the champions, which is then sent by email.
During the Social Football Summit 2019 in Rome, an augmented reality app was created with which fans could trace the history of the Azzurri. By clicking on one of the four stars of the national team pennant, it was possible to choose the world championship to view and watch the videos of the highlights of the finals won in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006.
The pandemic has closed stadiums and accelerated experimentation on virtual reality. OZ Sports, a company specializing in AR-related technologies, has reimagined the concept of a stadium with its OZ ARena project. A way to bring fans into corners while sitting on your sofa.
A system also hypothesized for live broadcasts, where the empty stands are replaced by spectators, added dynamically thanks to augmented reality. Fans can customize their avatar by choosing their club jersey, face paints and even pick their favorite seat.