Driving viewer engagement with virtual sets and AR graphics

It’s no exaggeration to state that the look and feel of live sports broadcasting has changed profoundly over the past few years. Successive generations of graphics solutions and the evolution of virtual sets have led programme makers ever further away from the old ‘presenter behind a desk’ formula into a new era where sport, presentation and patterns of consumption are closely aligned.

All the signs are that the considerable effort involved has been well worth it in terms of viewer attraction and retention. “When employing virtual sets and augmented reality (AR) in live sports production, it has been proven in multiple studies that it drives higher viewer engagement,” says Ray Thompson, director broadcast and media solutions marketing, Avid.

“So live sports coverage can now present data in new and interesting ways. For example, it is possible to optimise incoming stats feeds for on-field, on-court or even in-pool augmentation to produce compelling graphics that draw viewers in and keep them entertained and tuned-in for longer.”

But it’s not all about the virtual domain – innovations in the physical realm are also changing the presentation of sports content.

“Sports productions are now taking advantage of…