Having pioneered Google Glass last season in the Top 16 and at the Final Four, Euroleague is taking another step towards integrating fans more into the on-court action with new jersey cameras.
The trial, which saw FC Barcelona’s Maciej Lampe and Edwin Jackson wear the cameras during practice, showed the physical nature of the sport and really gives fans an insight into how fast the game can move. Watch the test video to see for yourself.
Given this site’s rather well-established penchant for all things tech and sport, we hope to have some deeper information on the trial soon. For now here’s the press release from Euroleague:
In keeping with Euroleague Basketball’s commitment to enhancing the fan experience with new technologies, Turkish Airlines Euroleague referees on Thursday will become the first in sports history to wear micro-cameras in an official game when Real Madrid plays FC Barcelona.
The cameras, to be worn on the referees’ uniform shirts, will transmit live images that put fans in the center of the action, giving them the same visual perspectives as the referees. Euroleague Basketball is proud to debut this exciting, breakthrough technology in its Game of the Week, which features one of the classic sporting rivalries on the planet and will be broadcast to more than 150 countries.
This pioneering initiative, a first in world sports, is a collaboration between Euroleague Basketball, Canal + and First V1sion. The jersey cams have also been tested by players for FC Barcelona with the intention of players wearing them during an official game in the near future. Barcelona players who tested them in practice were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the jersey cams.
“I felt pretty good with the camera, no restrictions, feels like you are wearing a regular protection and it feels good,” Barcelona center Maciej Lampe said after testing the camera. “It´s not heavy, it didn´t complicate anything. It´s like wearing a tight undershirt. It will give the fans the chance to watch the fouls and action from a different angle. I have never seen anyone playing with a camera on his chest: it is definitively interesting.”
“It feels good I didn’t have to change anything I do regularly,” Barcelona guard Edwin Jackson added. “I keep playing my game, it is not heavy. It is pretty convenient. It can provide the fans different images and give a closer look at the game for the fans and even for the players.”
Thursday’s historic jersey cam debut continues Euroleague Basketball’s synergistic use of technology to bring Turkish Airlines Euroleague excitement and drama ever closer to the fans. Last season, the Euroleague was one of the first in pro sports to use Google Glasses in a live game. And last month, Euroleague Basketball launched one of the sporting market’s first fully responsive website platforms, offering identical news, video and live scoring on all devices.
“Euroleague Basketball’s continuing objective in embracing avant-garde technology is to give fans every possible means to enjoy our sport,” Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said. “The debut of the jersey cam this week shows that our clubs, players and partners are equally committed to putting fans first. Everyone who loves basketball is surely as excited as we are to witness this worldwide debut on Thursday that joins this breakthrough innovation with a classic rivalry like that of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.”
“The tests that we have done in collaboration with Turkish Airlines Euroleague and F.C. Barcelona have demonstrated that this innovation is not unreachable and that every day we are closer to making it a reality in professional competition,” Jose A. Ildefonso, First V1sion CEO, said. “Because all fans wants to feel like their idols on the court, First V1ision has a great future ahead.”
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