Tech Focus: Advancing Immersion in Sports Broadcasting with AR and Virtual Production By Michael Burns, SVG Europe
Thursday, May 8, 2025 - 11:10 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Immersive technologies are reshaping sports broadcasting with solutions that enable more dynamic and engaging productions. From AR graphics to live virtual production studios, advancements in these technologies are driving efficiency and enhancing storytelling.
Broadcasters are increasingly leaning into immersive sports experiences to capture the attention of digital-first audiences, says Yavuz Bahadiroglu, head of sales (EMEA) for Zero Density. This demand is growing across top-tier and regional broadcasters who see the potential of virtual and AR production.
The reason for the growth is because viewers want to be informed and entertained , says David Jorba, VP of business development, broadcast at Disguise. Younger audiences want to watch a gamified virtual experience because that is how they like to interact with the information they consume. However, older audiences might still want to see more traditional brick and mortar' spaces. What works best is to have hybrid spaces where you can mix traditional production with virtual storytelling. Fans are looking for deep information with enlightening data visualisation and analytics. This is only possible through virtual technology and immersion.
Disguise has seen a lot of deployment of its technology in sports, says Jorba, including XR productions using an LED volume, as seen in ESPN Studio C and DAZN in Italy. These are full virtual environments where the presenters and guests are immersed in the content and can interact with it to deepen the storytelling, he adds.
Fans are looking for deep information with enlightening data visualisation and analytics. This is only possible through virtual technology and immersion
Broadcasters constantly need to produce more and more content; they need to do more with less but with the best quality possible. LED XR environments bring the quality virtual production you see in film into highly dynamic multipurpose production spaces. A second factor is powerful data visualisation. You need the capability to build strong storytelling graphics that feel realistic and bring a new perspective to the presentation. And lastly, you need realism. The virtual environments that fly you over to the events or allow you to analyse the game from the inside with a unique virtual perspective need to be highly realistic to eliminate the barrier between reality and virtual immersion.
Sports broadcasters worldwide are integrating virtual production to transform their coverage by enhancing storytelling, increasing fan engagement, offering eye-catching sponsored content and optimising production workflows, agrees Bahadiroglu. Viaplay Group has used Zero Density's Reality to build sophisticated virtual studios that seamlessly blend real and virtual elements. This approach allows broadcasters to present pre-game analysis, halftime discussions, and post-match breakdowns with unparalleled visual depth, making complex game strategies easier for audiences to understand.
Then there's the virtual window' studio, a hybrid space that combines physical sets with immersive LED walls and floors. Jorba says ESPN Sports Center and ESPN NFL Studio exemplify this approach, where the camera can shift between a virtual set and a traditional video wall effect.
In my opinion, it's an adoption process that will not stop, he adds. Eventually, all green screen environments will end up being LED XR volumes. All traditional video walls will transform into virtual window spaces with high-resolution video playback and Unreal Engine graphics. If anything, the holdback has been waiting for the right occasion. Most broadcasters started looking at LED XR two years ago. They spent time understanding the technology, the efficiency it provided, and the costs associated with it. Today, as they build a new studio or replace an old one, they are moving into this technology.
A third application is augmented reality graphics, which are increasingly being integrated into live sports broadcasts. For example, the Portland Trailblazers have used AR graphics to enhance fan engagement, providing real-time data visualisation directly on the broadcast feed, says Jorba.
Alex Roriz, vice president, global partner business strategy & growth, wTVision, agrees that AR graphics make sports broadcasts more immersive, informative, accessible, and exciting.
wTVision is integrating applications such as real-time player tracking and other statistics into AR. We have two kinds of augmented reality, one is tied to the field, so might be, for example, the distance to the goal in a free kick, or the team logos on the pitch, or a virtual advertisement, says Roriz. We are using that in the Portuguese league, in the Belgian league, in the Spanish league and other major events. It's trackless and so can be used in any arena; we use video recognition and the lines of the field to generate the tracking.
The company's R Space Engine can power everything from simple statistical displays to complex, three-dimensional representations of sporting data, and Unreal Engine is also used for photorealistic productions.
Sports broadcasters worldwide are integrating virtual production to transform their coverage by enhancing storytelling, increasing fan engagement, offering eye-catching sponsored content and optimising production workflows
For data-driven AR applications in sports, our render engine provides real-time connectivity, says Roriz. We have integrations with data sets and scoreboards from at least 32 different sports, and integration with many data sources from different countries.
The technology is certified for FIBA'
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
21/07/2026
When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR
coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...
21/07/2026
High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall
Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...
21/07/2026
Relies on same DSP as plug-in range
Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...
21/07/2026
Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals
Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...
21/07/2026
SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...
21/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...
21/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...
21/07/2026
Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...
21/07/2026
COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...
21/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...
21/07/2026
Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47
Beyond bigger
For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...
21/07/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...
21/07/2026
nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...
21/07/2026
C2PA content signing helps broadcasters, public institutions, and publishers give audiences a verifiable record of where their video content came from and how i...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
New capability centralizes collaboration, feedback, security and status tracking within VIDA, providing a structured, auditable approach to master quality contr...
21/07/2026
Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SI...
21/07/2026
Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Brie Clayton July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist blends vintage film looks to shape...
21/07/2026
Which USS Defiant Pulse Phaser effect is better?
Graham Quince July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Aargh, ever since @DarkRavenProductions posted a comment ask...
21/07/2026
The AI era runs on AI infrastructure. Many of these advanced systems are built a...
21/07/2026
X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's...
Tech Focus: Advancing Immersion in Sports Broadcasting with AR and Virtual Production By Michael Burns, SVG Europe 
