p to now, live sports TV images have been transmitted from wired cameras to the OB truck at the venue, through
satellite or fibre to the studio, and onwards to the viewer ’s screen. With 5G mobile communications technology, the path taken by the live picture to the screen can be massively shortened. Images from the camera or smartphone can go directly into a virtual studio in the cloud, then to the screen without detour or prohibitive latency. In the living room, fans can watch with very little delay and potentially experience new perspectives on the game. Stable networks and guaranteed bandwidths are essential for these advances. For an in-stadium 5G project to succeed, close collaboration between key stakeholders – mobile network operator, venue owner, rights holder and content provider – is essential. Most importantly, the stadium needs to be fitted out with next- generation 5G infrastructure linking to a mobile edge cloud in 5G, to ensure sufficient bandwidth and stability. Many game organisers and venue owners see in-venue apps as a means of striking a balance between the broadcast and in-person experience. With TV constantly improving, some sports fans wonder if they would actually prefer to watch from their own couch. If more perspectives and apps are available in the stadium, spectators could watch from both sides. While fans are aware they can interact with games on their phones in the stands, current mobile technology will not facilitate this in a stable
manner. Thousands of people simultaneously attempting to access high-quality footage via large mobile networks is just not sustainable. This flurry of activity has the potential to degrade the quality of a feed, leaving streams lagging behind what’s happening on the pitch. FRIENDLY MOBILE NETWORKS The key at present is the telco provider. A fully connected ‘5G stadium’ ensures that: (a) images can be transferred directly from live production facilities to fans’ phones; and (b) new possibilities arise for never-before-seen camera angles and AR-driven smartphone apps. The main advantage of 5G compared to 4G is capacity; the network’s best use cases are in high-data-demand hotspots such as airports, train stations and sports venues. As general data
ON HAND Germany’s Sky Sport worked with Vizrt on a 5G-powered broadcast of handball
WITH TV CONSTANTLY IMPROVING, SPORTS FANS MAY PREFER TOWATCH FROMTHEIR OWN COUCH
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