AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TO FEATURE SPORTVU PLAYER TRACKING TECHNOLOGY
Singapore, 6 November 2009 -World Sport Group (WSG), the exclusive marketing and media partner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), announced today that this year's broadcast of the AFC Champions League (ACL) final will feature enhanced data graphics developed and implemented via STATS' SportVU player tracking technology.
STATS is the official AFC Data Partner and a leading global provider of sports information. It's SportVU system is a player tracking technology that utilizes a sophisticated technology to collect X, Y positioning data of the ball and participants (players and referees) within the playing field in real time. All aspects of the data collection process are completely non-intrusive to game action.
Live match and player statistics have been available for the AFC's key competitions for over a year, however, this is the first time ever that real-time player tracking technology is being featured. The on-screen graphics will be incorporated into the World Feed during instances when the ball is out of bounds, during half-time and at the end of the ACL final between South Korea's Pohang Steelers and Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad on Saturday, November 7th in Tokyo.
Some of the types of statistics that will be aired include team and player possession stats, player run comparisons (measures the distances and pace run by individual players), and player heat maps (illustrates the areas of the pitch where individual players spent most time). In addition to the broadcast, player tracking data will also be streaming live in the Toyota sponsored match centre, powered by STATS, at www.the-afc.com.
James Clarke, Senior Vice-President, Content, WSG said, "We are constantly seeking to enhance the television viewers' experience of the AFC matches through new technology, and we are pleased to make this value-added service available to all our broadcast partners. This player tracking feature is part of our on-going commitment to deliver quality programming by ensuring that fans are provided with accurate up-to-the-minute stats throughout the match."
"We believe our SportVU player tracking technology raises the bar for championship broadcasts going forward and provides AFC fans the absolute best viewing experience," said Steve Byrd, STATS Executive Vice President. "World Sport Group and the Asian Football Confederation are deeply committed to providing their fans the most innovative product available and STATS is proud to be their partner."
Comprehensive data and editorial content from the ACL final and other AFC events are also available on www.the-afc.com and www.the-afc.tv; both official websites of the AFC.