At NLCS and World Series, ‘Fox Sports 5G View’ Offers a Peek at the Future of the Mobile Viewing Experience

Powered by series of 4K-capable cameras, 5G-capable Android users can pick their viewing angles of the live game

As the National League Championship Series rolls on, Fox Sports is testing out some innovations that begin to shed some light on the potential impact the emergence of 5G can have on the live sports video production and viewing experience.

On 5G-enabled Android smartphones, users will be able to access multiple unique camera angles while streaming the NLCS and World Series in the FOX Sports app.

Fox Sports is partnering with Samsumg and the team at 4DREPLAY – the company most known in sports television production circles for its multi-camera, 360-degree replay technology – to offer new features in the FOX Sports app that allow for users to access camera angles of their choosing while live streaming games in the NLCS and the upcoming World Series.

An interactive video-player allows the viewer to essentially be their own director, offering the ability to rotate around the action and zoom in/out during live game play. In addition, a multi-view feature allows for users to watch up for five unique camera angles simultaneously.

The feature is available to users of select 5G-enabled Android smartphones.

“It’s exciting to collaborate with Samsung to share our view of the game with the fans at home and give them a totally new way to see the action,” says Brad Cheney, VP, Field Operations and Engineering at FOX Sports. “To bring it all to life, we’ve been working with the team at 4D Replay, a group we’ve been working with for the past few seasons, and their technology keeps taking large steps forward.”

Within an interactive video-player, users will able to select a camera angle and move about the image during live game play.

To produce the experience, Fox Sports, Samsung, and the team at 4DREPLAY have deployed a series of 90 FD10 cameras in a ring around Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX (the site of this year’s NLCS and World Series) shooting in 4K and 60 frames-per-second (fps). The small acquisition units are all networked back to a dedicated workspace just outside the stadium where 4DREPLAY technicians and their processing engines allow for both the broadcast and the audience to pick their angles in real time.

So while, traditionally, the 4DREPLAY system has allowed for broadcasters to play back and dynamic, spinning, 360-degree replay, the new ‘Fox Sports 5G View’ actually allows users to access a single camera feed and scan around that space.

“After recently reimagining the Fox Sports app, we’re thrilled to work with Samsung to add this exclusive 5G smartphone experience for the NLCS and World Series,” David Katz, EVP and Head of Digital, FOX Sports said in an official release earlier this week. “During these unique times for fans, we have an immense opportunity to get them closer to the action with impactful, creative solutions during some of our biggest moments. This collaboration combines the best of Fox Sports production and mobile user innovation for the fan of the present and future.”