Univision Deportes will infuse its coverage of this year’s World Cup in Russia with technology ranging from augmented reality to teleportation. With tech, the sports network is promising to “own the Spanish-language conversation.”
One somewhat new activation will be teleportation technology. (No, they’re not beaming you to the event.) Univision will be bringing prominent players and coaches into the studio, virtually, for in-depth interviews. This was something Univision began doing for last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The Spanish-language sports network will also be making use of augmented reality, an increasingly a popular tool for many broadcasters and leagues these days. Univision will use AR to enhance game breakdowns and analyst predictions.
“Univision is the ‘Home of Soccer’ in the U.S., bringing the beautiful game to fans with passion and expertise that no one in America can match,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, President of Univision Deportes, in a statement. “We’re excited to deliver award-wining commentary and super-serve fans with around-the-clock insight and entertainment—making Univision Deportes the home of ‘the game around the game’ throughout the tournament.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Augmented reality is truly shifting the live sports viewing landscape. Just four months ago, NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast used large-scale AR images of the two competing quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Nick Foles. As the announcers talked about the players, the display showed off key stats pertaining to their performance.
We’ve seen plenty of other examples where organizations have deployed AR as a compliment to the TV-viewing experience. For example, the NBA AR app, Thyng’s March Madness activation and Al Jazeera’s breakdown of Olympic events.