Parallel Ads boosts revenue options for The FA Cup Final overseas
Thursday, May 13, 2021 - 09:55
Print This Story
Parallel Ads will be a feature of the FA Cup Final broadcast this weekend
Dynamic advertising solution Parallel Ads will be a feature of the FA Cup Final broadcast this weekend, just as it was for the semi-finals. It's a high-profile application which technology inventor Appario Global Solutions (AGS) hopes will be a launchpad for even wider adoption.
What we are doing with the FA will build trust of our solution among other productions, says Max von Braun, founder, AGS.
The solution is based on the patented Dynamic Content Multiplication (DCM) technology that can also provide similar benefits to music and other live events as well as studio productions. As opposed to a virtual overlay, which creates a new advertisement in post-processing, the DCM technology enables rights holders to broadcast up to four simultaneous feeds for event-based LED advertising from a single camera, and tailor these ads to different markets. Anyone present in the stadium will only be able to detect the venue feed/naked eye, whilr Parallel Ads (PADS) content is captured by the camera and displayed in real time.
While the technology works with more conventional rolling shutters, it is optimised for live system cameras with a global shutter. Currently, that narrows the choice to cameras from Sony, including the HDC-5500 which has native 3x UHD CMOS sensors and incorporates global shutter technology.
When we hide' information on an LED screen it's important that you can't see this with the naked eye otherwise it would be visually distracting, says von Braun. The faster and more precise the PADS timing, the better. With a rolling shutter the image will appear correctly synchronised within more than three milliseconds of exposure, but running a global shutter reduces this to a fraction of that exposure time.
This works even when operated with super slow motion. Within a production frame we need to show the content six or eight times without being interrupted by alternate signals. A global shutter allows us to run more sophisticated timings and allows for that.
The NFL is testing the system from Parallel Ads
Wembley workflow
The FA Cup semis are a complex affair involving three different broadcast service providers over a weekend. Arena TV partnered with BBC Sport for the first semi-final on Saturday 17 April before Telegenic and BT Sport took charge of Sunday's match which entailed a, complete change over, rip out and install .
Fortunately, the FA works with Gravity Media to produce the host international feed for all matches.
They have their own unit, like a unilateral broadcast feed, and they manage the signals we create on site, says von Braun.
The host feed is transferred to Gravity's remote broadcast centre at Chiswick for the addition of graphics and audio mix before onward distribution via BT Tower. A similar workflow, using just the one main centre pitch camera (HDC-5500), is in place for the final at Wembley.
Our solution fundamentally broadens the horizons of rights holders, allowing them to engage with different sponsors simultaneously or tailor sponsored content to each market
AGS is producing three feeds for Gravity's production in addition to the standard UK and rest of world feed: one for MENA, another for Asia and one for Europe excluding the UK.
Synchronisation is done by configuring the camera settings with the LED board. No additional hardware is required. Once a camera is synchronised to PADS, the multiple feeds are directly available in the vision mixer. We do this by connecting a reference signal of the host broadcaster to the LED playout system to ensure the identical clocking. The referencing of the host broadcaster's cameras stays untouched.
All this takes 45 minutes at the most and more likely just 20 minutes. Once the signal is set it can stay unchanged for weeks, he says.
The client is free to synchronise as many angles as they wish, including slow-motion shots and highlights.
Hologram to LED
PADS came about after von Braun began exploring how to create 3D holograms for viewing glasses-free. He tried to bring the technology to market in 2015 and found that transferring some of the basics of it to 2D LED was an easier first step. He realised that there was latent demand for a solution to producing multiple simultaneous ads in live sports, reworked the idea into Parallel Ads and founded AGS in Switzerland in 2016.
I had no background in broadcast or sport, I was just a pure technician, but we quickly found interest from content providers like Infront Media and from soccer clubs in Germany who wanted to deploy with us.
That sparked interested from TGI Sport, a subsidiary of QMS Sport Holdings, to license DCM exclusively worldwide. That deal was signed just before Covid hit but since then - during the pandemic - AGS has rolled out PADS to 70 events.
The biggest to date was for the five-week return to action of the MLS from its base in Florida. The MLS is Back tournament took place inside the league's bubble at ESPN's Wide World of Sports in Orlando last July. The PADS technology delivers two 18-camera feeds across the US and Canada for all 44 matches.
We were able to work with Sony HDC-2500s since PADS deploys on older camera systems such as these, says von Braun.
He says there is no additional cost whether you run one or 20-plus cameras with Parallel Ads during the same event. The client is free to synchronise as many angles as they wish, including slow-motion shots and highlights.
In contrast to virtual solutions, external environmental factors such as rain, fog or snow will not impact visual output. Likewise, cameras do not need to be static, making drones a possibility.
We are clo
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
Parallel Ads boosts revenue options for The FA Cup Final overseas 
