Inside the SmartCage': Data Sits at the Center of the Professional Fighters League Universe PFL productions feature SmartCage', GhostCam, dual-head Steadicam By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor Monday, May 24, 2021 - 2:27 pm
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Although sports leagues across the globe have widely embraced the use of data feeds and next-gen stats in recent years, nowhere is data more core to a sports organization's mission than at Pro Fighters League. With fights taking place inside a SmartCage and broadcasts overflowing with fighter metrics like punch speed, power ratings, heart-rate tracking, and energy exerted, PFL has made data the axis on which it spins.
Professional Fighters League is the lone MMA league with a regular season and playoffs structure.
This year, PFL is diving even deeper into the data pool with its partner SMT, launching a Fighter Performance Rating metric similar to the NFL's QB rating and introducing a kick-speed metric later this season.
I think data is essential for any sport and needs to be there so fans can appreciate and evaluate how participants are performing, says Professional Fighters League Executive Producer George Greenberg. So we provide as much data as possible to the viewer. We believe that next-gen MMA is very much dependent on data and information because, let's face it, 18- and 34-year-olds love information.
This is a true brand differentiator for us, he continues. What our production team has done in presenting this information in a really educational and entertaining fashion is very specific to us and unlike any other MMA brand.
Hybrid Model: Production Split Between Atlantic City and Durham PFL analyst Randy Couture (pictured) and fellow commentators Kenny Florian and Sean O'Connell are calling the action from socially distanced cage-side positions.
The third PFL season (the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic) kicked off in April in a strict bubble environment at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, with no fans in attendance. After three consecutive weeks of Thursday-night events, PFL - the only MMA league with a regular season and playoff structure - will resume action on June 10 with broadcasts airing on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, and other media partners around the world.
PFL has partnered with Tupelo Honey to provide onsite facilities and below-the-line crew and has enlisted industry veteran Larry Rogers of First In TV to serve as tech producer for the technology-laced shows.
PFL's scorebug showcases a host of fighter data provided by SMT throughout each fight
While PFL's production team (led by Greenberg, producer John Faratzis, and director Rich Dewey) is onsite in Atlantic City for the events, housed in F&F Productions' GTX-16 A and B units, 10+ operators support the show remotely from SMT headquarters in Durham, NC. The Atlantic City and Durham operations are connected via BitFire Networks' video-transport and remote-distribution platform.
We looked at a lot of different scenarios and different venues, says Faratzis. Initially, we were thinking of going full REMI with fewer people onsite, but our thinking evolved as the situation changed and more people became inoculated. So we are onsite with a couple of mobile units, and we are working closely with our friends at SMT to handle all the data and graphics [aspects of the show from Durham].
Crazy for Data: PFL's Punch Speed, Kick Speed, FPR, and a Tsunami of Data PFL's SmartCage is covered with sensors to generate its Cagenomics fighter-tracking data.
PFL's fighter-tracking data, dubbed Cagenomics, plays a vital role in its broadcasts and is driven by SMT's OASIS Platform, which seamlessly integrates and combines live scoring with biometric and positional data.
The constant flow of data that we have is unlike any other mixed-martial-arts group or even boxing, says Greenberg. We have a tremendous flow of information, and we like to give that information to the viewer as soon as we have it, because we believe it helps tell the story for the viewer.
In addition to optical and chip-based tracking devices throughout the SmartCage, SMT has developed sensors worn inside PFL gloves to transmit live punch speed data. Each fighter is outfitted with a tag for each glove, each with a unique ID, that transmits data to 16 SMT-developed readers positioned around and under the decagon. In addition to strike speed, SMT is able to offer other advanced biometrics, such as power ratings, heart rate, and energy exerted.
Going back to the '80s , says Faratzis, we wanted chips in the gloves, but we couldn't get the commissions to allow it. But the league worked hard to show the commission that having chips in the gloves was not dangerous and it was important information for everybody to have. That's unique to us, and it has been a huge addition.
A total of 15 SMT personnel are working remotely from Durham, NC, for Pro Fighters League shows.
Data provided by SMT is displayed on the stats prompter for the commentators and is integrated into on-air graphics, including PFL's scorebug, which features stats like strike speed, arm/leg/total strikes, ground strikes, and takedowns during fights.
New to the 2021 PFL season is Fighter Performance Rating (FPR), a metric that shows fans how rounds are won or lost based on weighted stats collected by ringside spotters. These stats are relayed to SMT inputters in Durham and integrated into on-air graphics at the end of each round.
Everybody loves a QB Rating or a batting average, says Greenberg. Collectively, as a group, we felt that it was important to have that kind of all-encompassing metric [for PFL]. We use it to compare fighters within divisions, so it's a pretty cool tool that is exclusive to us,
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