5VREAL: EMG / Gravity Media Italy and Vodafone contribute to innovative sports analysis and fan engagement project By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - 08:48
Print This Story
Combining artificial intelligence, 5G and video analytics systems to enhance technical match analysis and enrich audience engagement, the 5G Volley Reality Experience & Analytics Live (5VREAL) Project was conceived and implemented by a partnership of companies and research institutes including the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, EMG / Gravity Media Italy, the Bruno Kessler Foundation, Small Pixels, and Vodafone Italy.
As part of this project, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano recently led an experiment on systems using AI to recognise phases and parameters of volleyball games and to generate data associated with video to support the development of game tactics or to enhance fan engagement by producing real-time highlights with augmented reality graphics for inclusion in the event's coverage.
In the experiment, conducted at the Trento Sports Hall during an event involving women's volleyball team Trentino Volley, remote broadcast production techniques and technologies based on 5G networks played a dual fundamental role. First, they enabled the acquisition of images and their transfer to the Edge Cloud hosting AI-based systems. Second, they enabled the creation of real-time highlights and made them available for playout in the control room.
The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano led a consortium of entities and companies engaged in developing technologies to achieve the project's goals. In particular, the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK) and UniBZ focused on developing AI-based systems for analysing game phases. Small Pixels developed and provided its AI-based technology to enhance the video quality of compressed content. Vodafone installed a dedicated indoor coverage network at the Trento Sports Hall, leveraging the capacity and flexibility of its 5G network to ensure the required performance for mobile devices located there. It also established a private network connecting these devices to Edge Computing resources set up at the MCR in Cologno Monzese by EMG / Gravity Media Italy.
EMG / Gravity Media Italy built the entire technological infrastructure of the data centre, provided its production facilities, and implemented a low-latency remote contribution and production system based on Vodafone's 5G Remote Media Production Platform.
The complete process developed by the partners enabled the filming of a volleyball match using four cameras connected via 5G to the remote production system of the edge data centre in Cologno and EMG / Gravity Media Italy's Nova 126 mobile unit. Alongside broadcast cameras, the event was filmed with three smartphones, also connected via 5G to the Edge Cloud in Cologno, to demonstrate the feasibility of AI-based tracking even when the event is not produced for television broadcasting.
The AI-based systems' processing results were displayed on a tablet showing the event video and the game data extracted by the systems. Clips enriched with augmented reality were integrated into the event's programme as highlights.
The extracted data and generated content could also be consulted post-event for game analysis to support strategy development.
5G network solution
The experiment benefited from Vodafone's 5G network solution designed for remote video contribution and production applications, extended with an Edge Computing node at the MCR data centre in Cologno Monzese by EMG / Gravity Media Italy. To maximise performance in terms of low latency and reliability, the Edge Computing infrastructure was made directly accessible to devices enabled on Vodafone's 5G network through a direct and virtually dedicated connection.
This approach allowed devices equipped with specific non-commercial SIMs to utilise advanced features such as network slicing, which allocates the necessary resources to ensure substantial bandwidth (especially in upload) and extremely low latency levels. These resources are essential for enabling real-time transmission of high-quality video streams over a wireless network.
Additionally, these devices enjoyed a direct and dedicated connection, almost as if there were a direct line between the indoor coverage apparatus in the sports hall and EMG's Edge Cloud. This was made possible by the high capacity and evolved functionalities of Vodafone's advanced 5G infrastructure.
To maximise its network's performance for audiovisual contribution and production uses, Vodafone contributed to developing dedicated devices, acquired and managed by EMG Italy for this occasion. These devices, comparable to backpacks commonly used in the broadcast sector, represent a significant evolution as they feature superior audio/video functionalities compared to what's currently available on the market, integrating technologies such as bonding with precise operator network integration.
As a result, wherever a connection is established in Italy via one or more SIMs, data reaches the Cologno Monzese data centre in an average time of about 15 milliseconds without traversing the internet, thus avoiding impacts on bandwidth availability and latency. The connection characteristics (bandwidth and latency) depend only on the radio access quality, which is enhanced by the terminal's features.
During the experiment, exceptional access performance was achieved, allowing terminals to operate with connectivity exceeding 700Mb/s in download and 100Mb/s in upload, with transport latencies consistently below 20ms.
The video contribution latency, thanks to the encoding and decoding performance of the devices and the data centre systems, was consistently under 150ms, enabling any contribution or remote production activity.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
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...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
5VREAL: EMG / Gravity Media Italy and Vodafone contribute to innovative sports analysis and fan engagement project By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent 
