
Fighting clever: Professional Fighters League on giving fans the story with data and graphical innovations Speaking to the Godfather of live sports broadcasting George Greenberg By Heather McLean, Editor
Friday, February 19, 2021 - 09:36
Print This Story
George Greenberg, executive producer at the PFL, says: We know that through graphic information, a fan is educated and the PFLs constant flow of pertinent information to the fan for us is everything.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) launched just two and a half years ago yet it is already breaking innovation barriers in its use of data and graphics, which is, in turn, earning it healthy upswings in terms of fans and viewers.
In August last year, PFL launched its over the top (OTT) app, PFL MMA, which was part of its push into Europe.
This app includes the PFL's graphical data, based on Cagenomics', the PFL's in-house-developed proprietary SmartCage technology which allows it to deliver real-time fighter data and analytics to fans.
This Cagenomics data, which uses everything from cameras, algorithms and GPS positioning within the SmartCage where fighters face each other down, provides a new level of interactivity and engagement for fans over the web, as well as on live TV in the US, and is a resource and aid in storytelling for its commentators.
Beginning this season fans will be able to view Cagenomics and metrics via linear and streaming platforms around the world as well as on the PFL's website in real-time during events and after, and the PFL app. Cagenomics will be available overseas on linear TV and streaming platforms as well this season. The full slate of international linear and streaming channels for the PFL season will be announced at a later date.
Educating fans with pertinent stats
Speaking to SVG Europe, George Greenberg, executive producer at the PFL, says: We know that through graphic information, a fan is educated and the PFLs constant flow of pertinent information to the fan for us is everything.
For us at PFL, information and communication of fighter information is critical. This is how we tell stories. The PFL puts on more pertinent graphic information with a constant flow to the fan than anyone else. We feel with this information flow, the fan is better to better able to understand and grasp the sport; it's not an easy sport to look at and evaluate, you know; somebody can get knocked out, somebody can get submitted, someone can get out-pointed in a decision. The key thing for us at the PFL is how they got there and telling that story informationally, states Greenberg.
PFL offers fans its own exclusive interface graphics that include Ref Cam, Strike Speed, Fight Tracker, 3 Peat video and data, and Telestration. Coming in 2021 are two new innovations: Kick Speed and Fighter Performance Rating (FPR).
Adds Greenberg: [PFL commentator] Randy Couture calls MMA kinetic chess. Now you can imagine what happens when fighters look at each other and they're sizing each other up. They don't know if they're going to go to the ground, if they're going to stand up, or if this going to be a swing fest. And this is all being registered in fighter's mind. Well we provided the backdrop and a great storytelling point in how many strikes, the speed of the strike, how often they went to the ground, their positioning through GPS, through interesting camera angles that we have from Ref Cam to live Telestration; we're taking all of this information in real time and constantly presenting it to the fans.
PFL offers fans its own exclusive interface graphics that include Ref Cam, Strike Speed, Fight Tracker, 3 Peat video and data, and Telestration [shown]. Coming in 2021 are two new innovations: Kick Speed and Fighter Performance Rating (FPR)
Unleashing new innovations
FPR is based on the PFL's vast data resource. It will work in a similar way to the NFL's quarterback rating (QBR), explains Greenberg: The biggest graphic difference we're going to unleash in 2021 is a brand new graphical fighter performance rating. And this measures every single fighter in every single weight class. So you can compare how a female 155 pounder performs versus a 265-pound male heavyweight.
We're the only [MMA series] that has developed this formula; it's proprietary for us developed by us to measure fighter against fighter. It's going to be groundbreaking. It's going to be very, very informational and it's going to become very friendly and familiar to all MMA fans very quickly.
We are not afraid of technology. We are not afraid to make mistakes on air
He adds on the QBR: [American football players are] measured by a bunch of stats that are cumulative, that give a performance. We've applied that methodology to fighter performance. This information on the [fighters] is going to revitalise and re-energise how fans look at fighters.
In 2021 PFL is also set to add Kick Speed data to its event coverage for fans. It will do this using a number of overhead cameras to interpolate data. Says Greenberg: When a kick is thrown, how long does it take from when it's thrown to when it's actually touching a body part? Through three cameras, and a bunch of mathematical equations, we're measuring time and distance and that will equal speed. We're going to slowly walk that into how we present it in the live events.
Embracing risk culture
He goes on to note that the PFL is all about risk taking in terms of technological innovation: We are not afraid of technology. We are not afraid to make mistakes on air. We are very measured when we roll equipment out to present to the audience; we feel that in order to do things, we can start them on the back burner. But when it's ready to go, it has to be ready to go.
Technology is not always 100%. I thi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
17/03/2026
As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...
17/03/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...
17/03/2026
Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...
17/03/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...
17/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
The Multi-platform Remote Gues...
17/03/2026
Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...
17/03/2026
New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...
17/03/2026
Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...
17/03/2026
17 Mar 2026
VEON Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Digital Ambition Senior executive appointments are to enhance country operations and VEON Group'...
17/03/2026
UKTV today announces the appointment of Sam Tewungwa as Chief Executive Officer, who will lead the company's next phase of growth.
Tewungwa, currently Mana...
17/03/2026
Tuesday 17 March 2026
Disney included in the Sky TV subscription from today, b...
17/03/2026
The five-part thriller, formerly known as Inheritance, also stars Jonny Lee Mill...
17/03/2026
Tuesday 17 March 2026
Sky Arts welcomes Fearne Cotton as co-host of Landscape Artist of the Year
Sky Arts' much-loved Landscape Artist of the Year is set ...
17/03/2026
Season 2 of the darkly comic thriller will launch on Sky in 2026Tuesday 17 March 2026
Ella Purnell returns as wallflower-turned-killer in Sky Original Sweetpea...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Fantasy Action Series Agent from Above' Puts Contemporary...
17/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Trailer for the Final Season of Turn of the Tide
Entertainment
17 March 2026
GlobalSpainPortugal
Link copied to clipb...
17/03/2026
The features on social media apps like Snapchat evolve nearly as fast as what...