Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Fighting Clever: Professional Fighters League on Giving Fans the Story With Data, Graphical Innovations

23/02/2021

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
LINK: https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/fighting-clever-professional-...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

11/06/2026

HBSs Johannes Franken on Digital Innovations, the Role of the Influencer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The immense size of the tourney and its Atlantic-spanning operation also disting...

11/06/2026

Nielsen: Soccer Fandom in North America Tops 136 Million, Up 10.9% in Five Years

Nielsen has released a new soccer fandom consumer research report, The Fans Behind The Game: FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, examining the soccer audience in the...

11/06/2026

Telemundo Announces All-Day Opening Day Coverage for FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 11

Telemundo will launch its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on Thursday, June 11 with...

11/06/2026

Fubo Announces Distribution Agreement With NBCUniversal

FuboTV Inc. has announced a distribution agreement with NBCUniversal. Fubo customers can now stream Telemundo and Universo, with NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), NBC...

11/06/2026

DAZN Announces In-App Features for FIFA World Cup 2026 Coverage in Spain, Italy, and Japan

DAZN has announced its in-app features for FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage in Spain...

11/06/2026

Roblox Report: Sports Engagement on Platform Drives Real-World Fandom and Purchases

Roblox has released the 2026 Roblox Digital Expression Report: Wave 4 - Sports D...

11/06/2026

Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion, and EJAE Release Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Anthem DNA'

FIFA has unveiled DNA, the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Anthem, performed by A...

11/06/2026

ESPN Announces Extensive English- and Spanish-Language World Cup 2026 Coverage

ESPN will provide English- and Spanish-language news and information coverage of FIFA World Cup 2026 across its U.S. media platforms from June 11 through July 1...

11/06/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Teddy Batkin, Rochester Institute of Technology

The latest product of the outstanding RIT Sports Network program, this recent grad from Long Island is carving out a promising path in broadcast engineering In...

11/06/2026

DAZN and DSPORTS Announce Distribution Agreement Across Five Latin American Countries

DAZN has announced a multi-year agreement to make DSPORTS channels available to ...

11/06/2026

Resource Actors Throughout the Years at Sundance Institute's Directors Lab

Laura Dern at the 1986 Sundance Institute Directors Lab (Photo by Eric Edwards) By Lucy Spicer It takes a village to bring together the Sundance Institute lab...

11/06/2026

Introducing a New Standard for Podcast Plays and Upgraded Creator Analytics Experience

As podcast formats evolve in the streaming era, podcasting needs updated, transp...

11/06/2026

RADAR Italia Unveils 6 New Artists and a New Approach for 2026

As Spotify's global RADAR program enters its sixth year in Italy, a new class of artists is stepping into the spotlight. Today, we're announcing the six...

11/06/2026

5 Audiobooks that Amplify and Celebrate Queer Voices

Pride Month is a time for celebration, reflection, and amplifying the diverse stories and perspectives from the LGBTQIA+ community that enrich our world. To hel...

11/06/2026

VSL introduce Synchron Solo Violin 1 & Cello (sordino)

First in new line of muted string libraries VSL have just announced the launch of two new string libraries that represent the first two instalments in a new...

11/06/2026

Novation reveal the Launchkey 61 MK4 White

New colour option for 61-key Launchkey MK4 At Superbooth 2025, Novation introduced the Launchkey Mini 37 White and Launchkey 49 White, bringing an additiona...

11/06/2026

Arturia announce the MiniLab 37

Larger, but still compact! Arturia's popular compact MIDI controller keyboard is now available in a, well, slightly less compact version! The new MiniLa...

11/06/2026

Eurosatory 2026: Rohde & Schwarz shapes the new-generation battlefield

Eurosatory 2026: Rohde & Schwarz shapes the new-generation battlefield Rohde & Schwarz unveils next generation SIGINT/EW and CUAS solutions on uncrewed system...

11/06/2026

Rohde & Schwarz unveils NEMACS - Directional, ultra secure connectivity for the future battlefield

Rohde & Schwarz unveils NEMACS - Directional, ultra secure connectivity for the ...

11/06/2026

MTI FILM acquires Mango/New Edit

MTI FILM acquires Mango/New Edit Posted by MTI Film on June 10, 2026 LOS ANGELES, CA - June 2026 - MTI FILM, the multiple Emmy Award winning Hollywood post-p...

11/06/2026

Ungrounded LLM Fabricates Every Detail for Nearly 1 in 5 Movie and TV Titles Tested, New Gracenote Report Finds

Study underscores the need for authoritative content intelligence to build trust...

11/06/2026

PTZOptics, LayerJot Partner on AI-Powered PTZ at InfoComm 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/06/2026

Chyron Unveils PAINT 10.4

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/06/2026

Maxon Brings Real-Time Architectural Visualization to AIA26 With New Redshift for Revit and Archicad Integration Beta

Maxon Brings Real-Time Architectural Visualization to AIA26 With New Redshift fo...

11/06/2026

ABC Kid's Caper Crew Shoots Australian Adventure with Blackmagic Design

ABC Kid's Caper Crew Shoots Australian Adventure with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton June 11, 2026 0 Comments DP Judd Overton and team bring Wes A...

11/06/2026

PTZOptics and LayerJot demo Visual Reasoning at InfoComm...

PTZOptics, and LayerJot today announced live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how prompt-based AI, robotic camera control, and high-performance computing...

11/06/2026

Lightware launches GPIO Button to deliver simplified hard...

Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, announces the release of GPIO-Button-10S, a dedicated control interface enabling straightforward press-to-a...

11/06/2026

NABs LeGeyt Urges Congress to Limit NFL's Antitrust Exemption

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/06/2026

Fubo Inks New Distribution Agreement with NBCUniversal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/06/2026

Kiloview to Showcase Broadcast-Grade AV-over-IP Solutions...

Kiloview, a leading innovator in AV-over-IP video solutions, will return to InfoComm 2026 (Booth# N8327) with broadcast-grade AV-over-IP solutions designed for ...

11/06/2026

Australian Games Industry Glossary of Terms

Australian Games Industry Glossary of Terms 10 June 2026 From DAU and EULA to COT and QADE, here's a list of game industry terms, industry jargon and their...

11/06/2026

Berklee's Tonya Butler Named Music Business Educator of the Year

Berklee's Tonya Butler Named Music Business Educator of the Year The Music Business Association honored Butler at its annual Bizzy Awards. June 10, 2026 ...

11/06/2026

Ann Mincieli to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement

Ann Mincieli to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement The five-time Grammy-winning engineer and producer, known for her longstanding...

11/06/2026

Daisy May Cooper rallies the nation ahead of ICC Womens T20 World Cup

Thursday 11 June 2026 Daisy May Cooper rallies the nation ahead of ICC Women's T20 World CupTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options and...

11/06/2026

Hadewych Minis and Geert van Rampelberg to Star in New Netflix Series Directed by Paula van der Oest

Back to All News Hadewych Minis and Geert van Rampelberg to Star in New Netflix...

11/06/2026

Official Trailer for Anime Adaptation of Thunder 3' Unveiled Ahead of July 9 Premiere

Back to All News Official Trailer for Anime Adaptation of Thunder 3' Unvei...

11/06/2026

RT Radio 1 and Irish Lights mark RT 100 with special broadcasts from Ireland's Lighthouses

Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...

11/06/2026

Save Big and Play Bigger: GeForce NOW Summer Sale Brings Major Membership Savings

The GeForce NOW summer sale kicked off today with limited-time savings of up to ...

10/06/2026

SVG Sit-Down: Team Whistle's Joe Caporoso on Building World Cup Content Around Fans, Culture, IRL Experiences

DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...

10/06/2026

Clear-Com Appoints Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager

Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...

10/06/2026

Caretta Research: 2026 World Cup Revenue Growth Due to More Matches; Rights Revenue Up 32%

An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...

10/06/2026

Women Without Boundaries Awards Are Back!

The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...

10/06/2026

On Eve of World Cup Kickoff, FIFA and HBS Offer Deep Dive into IBC Operations, Commentary, and Ref Cam

Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...

10/06/2026

SES Supporting World's Biggest Soccer Tournament Broadcast Distribution Worldwide

SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...

10/06/2026

BirdDog Achieves Full NDI 6.3 Compatibility Across Entire Product Line

NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...

10/06/2026

Emmy Award-Winning Audio Team To Present at SVG Audio Symposium

Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...