NBA All Star Weekend, February 12th– 14th in Toronto, is often more of a spectacle and a party for the biggest names in basketball and music than a competitive showcase. However this year Intel has partnered with the NBA and Tuner Sports to bring their 360-degree freeD technology to the All Star festivities throughout the weekend: the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, and finally Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.
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Intel partnered with Replay Technologies to bring a better, faster, higher resolution 360-degree replay product than was first used at NBA All Star Weekend in 2014. The freeD replay provides a 360-degree view of game action in three dimensions. 28 ultra high definition cameras will be placed around the Air Canada Centre, providing one seamless shot. The technology gives fans amazing views from almost every conceivable angle, in slow motion replay. And this year fans will be able to enjoy this experience on multiple platforms outside of the jumbotron in the arena: TNT, the NBA App, NBA.com, as well as NBA social media channels.
The technology which was used two years ago in New Orleans for All Star Weekend provided fans a 360 degree view of high flying dunks in stop and go action. However, two years ago the technology was a little less impressive; the picture was not as clear and comprehensive as it is today.
FreeD technology has been used all over the sports world in the last couple of years, as we have covered here multiple times. The partnership between Israel’s Replay Technologies and Intel has helped to improve this freeD technology. Working together they have created an even better viewing experience for the fan. “Expanding the coverage takes double the power and hardware compared with New Orleans, but Replay Technologies has reduced the processing time to under four minutes, a 30% improvement over two years ago,” said company VP/Operations & Technology Preston Phillips. The faster technology will give fans an even better experience this year, with a more crisp picture using Intel’s 6G core processors and server technology.
Sports fan’s first got to experience this technology in action during the 2012 Olympics in London, and it has spread its wings ever since. FreeD has been featured at some of the biggest sporting events in the world, from this past summer’s Champions League Final, to the NCAA March Madness Tournament. This technology has been used in almost every major sports league in the United States: NFL, MLB, PGA Tour, NCAA, and of course the NBA.
The NBA and Turner think that their latest venture with freeD replay is a winning combination. “NBA All-Star 2016 is the perfect event to showcase the amazing talents of the league’s biggest stars…By teaming up with Intel and freeD…a 360-degree view of All-Star, capturing the most exciting plays and memorable moments” said Steve Hellmuth, NBA Executive Vice President of Operations & Technology. Jon Diament, executive vice president of Turner Sports Ad Sales raves “New enhancements like freeD replays during our coverage of marquee events like NBA All-Star continue to build on our efforts to both deliver strong results for our business partners and create great experiences for our viewers.”
The 360-degree slow motion replays enable NBA fans to feel like they are in the arena, sitting in all the best seats in the house simultaneously; catching the action above and below the rim. Currently however, FreeD only has two permanent homes in the NBA, American Airlines Center in Dallas and Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
The NBA and Tuner Sports renewed partnership with freeD at All Star Weekend 2016 could be a sign of a larger more comprehensive partnership down the line and NBA fans should be very excited.