Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Phone Cameras Bring New Excitement to Street League Skateboarding

Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera features enabled smooth, detailed capture of the action from impossibe-to-reach angles

Street League Skateboarding (SLS) is the latest sports entity to deploy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra cameras for a live sports production: in this case, the SLS DTLA Takeover event in Downtown Los Angeles last month. The Galaxy S26 Ultra camera phones were integrated into key course features - rails, ledges, gaps - and have been part of the entire SLS 2026 season.

It has worked really well, says Brett Clarke, chief revenue officer, Thrill Sports, the league's parent company. I think, honestly, it started as a [way to] bring the brand to life on the course, but it has been a lift to the actual broadcast. We use the cameras to get into places that we can't otherwise get a camera in. We're putting them on rails, in ledges and flowerbeds, and on other features on the course.

The production was overseen by Echo Entertainment and involved a crew of 30 for the Takeover event (SLS also has arena events, which are a bit larger with upwards of 45 people). Three global feeds were created for the event: a clean, dirty, and a separate language feed. The three S26 Ultra phones were hardwired for power and transmission (via HDMI) to the truck, where footage was pumped into EVS replay servers. Built-in microphones added to the atmosphere by capturing the impact sounds of the skateboards hitting the various elements on the course.

SLS used Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phones to capture exciting action from a Takeover event in Los Angeles last month. We use different clamps and different attachments for the cameras and capture different angles versus always looking directly at the board, adds Clarke. We might have some that are looking up from the rail to capture underneath the board while others might look away. And there are entry and exit shots off the rails. It has been really cool because we can get shots from places we otherwise wouldn't get them.

The Samsung S26 Ultra phones are indicative of the growing capabilities of mobile devices, with video used for both the core production and the branded Samsung S26 POV segments. The device's Super Steady feature with horizontal lock stabilization helps maintain smooth, level footage even during high-speed motion, and Instant Slow-Mo enables detailed replay of tricks as they happen. Together, these capabilities allow production teams to capture skateboarding with greater clarity, stability, and proximity - showcasing the precision, style, and technical skill behind every movement.

Skateboarding is reaching more people than ever before, especially as the sport continues to grow on the global stage, notes Clarke. Collaborations like the one we have with Samsung help us evolve how the sport is shared with fans while staying true to the creativity and culture that define skateboarding.

At the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, Samsung demonstrated how Galaxy technology can complement traditional broadcast systems. With Street League Skateboarding, says Joshua Cho, EVP/head of the Visual Solution Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, Samsung Electronics, we're bringing that same approach directly into the course with our newest, most advanced device camera, and using mobile POV to capture skateboarding from entirely new perspectives.

Samsung believes that the debut of Galaxy S26 Ultra POV integration at the SLS DTLA Takeover signals where sports broadcasting is heading next. As the SLS Championship Tour continues, the company will continue exploring how mobile technology can evolve into versatile broadcast tools. Looking ahead to major global sports events and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it sees a future in which the boundary between smartphone camera and broadcast camera continues to disappear, bringing fans closer to the action.

What we're seeing with the Galaxy S26 Ultra is that the gap between consumer and professional tools is narrowing, says a Samsung representative. The device delivers the kind of camera performance and reliability that allows it to be used in live professional environments. Our focus is on continuing to advance the core camera capabilities within Galaxy devices, improving stabilization, image processing, and overall performance for all users.

Small camera mounts allowed the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra cameraphones to be placed in tight places.Samsung works closely with partners and production specialists to support those use cases - from capture through to integration within existing systems. For Samsung, it's not a closed ecosystem; it's about providing flexible tools that can adapt to different levels of production, whether the user is an individual creator or part of a larger broadcast operation.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/05/05/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-camera...
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