SMT Leverages ROOSTER' Workflow To Run Professional Fighters League Data, Graphics Ops Remotely SMT's team is stationed in Durham, NC, and the PFL fights are in Atlantic City By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor Monday, May 24, 2021 - 2:26 pm
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SMT has been a key cog in the Pro Fighters League machine since it launched in 2019, capturing a tsunami of data from inside the SmartCage and churning out next-gen analytics that are among the most advanced in all of MMA. However, with the pandemic limiting the size of onsite crew for PFL productions this year in Atlantic City, NJ, SMT was suddenly forced to rethink its operation under a remote scenario. Enter SMT's new ROOSTER (Remote Optics Operator Staffing & Technology for Eliminating Risk) production model.
A total of 15 SMT personnel are working remotely from Durham, NC, for Pro Fighters League shows.
With the challenges posed in a COVID environment, we needed to come up with alternative ways to provide the same deliverables for PFL shows, says Robbie Louthan, SVP, business development, SMT. This particular event is unique for us because SMT has such a large amount of resources dedicated to every show. We typically have had 13 SMT support personnel for every PFL show, and trying to have 13 resources onsite in a COVID environment just wasn't feasible. It really was a unique opportunity for us to deliver the same product and service suite with minimal onsite footprint and minimal impact to the final on-air product.
Partnership Built on the Power of Data, Out-of-the-Box Thinking PFL's SmartCage is covered with sensors to generate its Cagenomics fighter-tracking data
SMT provides proprietary technology that combines live scoring with real-time biometric and positional data for PFL, which has made data-centric storytelling a priority in its broadcasts. Dubbed Cagenomics, SMT's fighter-tracking offers live punch-speed data (transmitted by SMT-developed sensors worn inside PFL gloves), power ratings, heart-rate tracking, and energy exerted. New in the data complement is Fighter Performance Rating (FPR), and the launch of a kick-speed metric is expected soon.
This data is displayed on the stats prompter for the commentators and integrated into on-air graphics. SMT's OASIS Platform seamlessly integrates and combines live scoring with this biometric and positional data to enhance the analysis, storytelling, and graphic presentation.
The PFL truly thinks outside the box, says Louthan. They know what has been done in the past, and they are trying to create a unique brand using technology, and their SmartCage is core to that mission. For us, it's a dream partnership in the sense that this is an organization that is open to any crazy out-of-the-box idea we want to pitch their way; nothing is off the table. So it has been a tremendous collaboration that allows us to come up with some very unique and cool things.
Professional Fighters League Executive Producer George Greenberg seconds that notion: SMT has been by our side since day one. Of course, there were growing pains, but, if there's a problem, they're going to solve it. Anytime we've had a crazy idea, they are smart enough and brave enough to go for it.
From Durham to Atlantic City: How SMT and PFL Pulled It Off Professional Fighter League data and graphics operations are handled remotely from SMT's Durham, NC, headquarters.
This season, due to COVID-related onsite restrictions, nearly all SMT personnel are located at its headquarters in Durham, NC, and its equipment is physically housed inside PFL's bubble in Atlantic City. As part of its ROOSTER workflow, SMT is using a combination of proprietary and third-party technology to bring back the UI, video monitoring, and comms to Durham in order to operate those systems remotely.
In Durham, SMT has set up five pods to keep the 15 operators socially distanced at its facility, including the font graphics coordinator, graphics ops, and data inputters. SMT initially deployed four people in Atlantic City for the ultra-complex set up of PFL's SmartCage but is now operating with just two crew members onsite (one in the truck, one cage-side).
We're doing almost everything remotely, including [calculating] strikes, strike speed, take-down attempts, submission attempts, kicks, power strikes, and all the traditional strike data, says Louthan. That is being collected and aggregated here in Durham through a video feed provided from Atlantic City. What may have been done in the past with a couple of people sitting cage-side watching the fight is now being done entirely in a remote environment.
In addition to providing data-capture/processing services and the scorebug graphic, SMT worked closely with Big Block to design and integrate the graphics package for PFL.
SMT made it one-stop shopping - not just from the technology perspective but for the creative side as well, says Greenberg. And I had so much confidence after seeing their work, I felt they could develop the necessary systems. And they came through with flying colors.
SMT's ROOSTER workflows allows the graphics coordinator and operators in Durham to communicate in real time with the production team at the front bench in Atlantic City 450 miles away.
It was a very different workflow for us this year, but, honestly, if you hadn't told that we were in a different state hundreds of miles away, I would have thought they were in the next truck over, says Greenberg. You just press the button, and it's amazing how it feels like they're right there.
ROOSTER: SMT Sees a Future Centered on Remote Operation PFL's scorebug showcases a host of fighter data provided by SMT throughout each fight.
SMT has built 16 ROOSTER production pods in Durham capable o
