Capturing matches volumetrically could enhance TV viewing experience

MANCHESTER, England : How people watch soccer is changing each year with multiple camera angles giving fans immersive viewing but capturing games volumetrically could lead to a whole new TV experience.

British broadcaster Sky Sports caused a buzz in 2019 when they used over 100 cameras so their presenters could analyse the techniques of top golfers using holographic replicas of each player in 360 degrees.

Sky and other companies are now trying to bring such technology into soccer, giving supporters the option of being at eye level next to a striker as a goal goes in or a controversial tackle is made to experience soccer as never before.

"Like any fan, you want to see certain goals 50 times over," Peter Moore, former Liverpool CEO and now senior vice president at Unity Technologies, told Reuters in an interview from his home in California.

"There are so many Divock Origi Liverpool goals that I could watch over and over again. I still watch the same clip of David Fairclough, super sub, scoring against St Etienne in 1977," he added referring to a European Cup tie Liverpool won 3-1.

Using ultra-high-definition cameras to capture vast quantities of "volumetric data" companies like Unity convert the images through their servers and use them to provide real-life footage of the same incident from every conceivable perspective.

"I want to go down on the pitch. I want to be there when Divock scored the header against (Everton goalkeeper) Jordan Pickford in 2018, I want to see his face when he realises it is going in. Any technology that powers that experience is always very welcome."

The new technology does not allow fans to watch in real time, however, as it is impossible to put them on the other side of the world next to a keeper as a