SMT Gears Up for USFL Championship on Fox With Technological Innovations

SMT  is providing the United States Football League (USFL) with the same signature production services it provides to the National Football League (NFL). In the league’s inaugural championship game, the Philadelphia Stars will take on the Birmingham Stallions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

As it has for the past 42 games of the league’s debut season, SMT’s team of broadcast specialists will provide its
traditional and innovative football technology for the USFL championship matchup, including the iconic Emmy winning virtual 1st & Ten line platform, Camera Tracker data, stats integration, and larger-than-life augmented reality graphics.

SMT’s six-member, on-site technical crew supports the games onsite each week with the 1st & Ten line lead operator, two Skycam operators, a Top Font operator, a standby utility, and AR operator. SMT also provides two technicians at NBC’s Stamford studio to support timing and scoring, statistical integration and the zoom telestration, which inserts a tackle box, backward pass line, three-yard cushion, on-side kick and tight-end box.

For the Fox broadcasts, SMT is providing augmented reality graphics that “rise” from the field that display player lineups, game summaries, player of the game, quarterback comparisons, and integrated data. Top Font pointers use player tag data provided by Shot Tracker that allow SMT to air live, stats-integrated pointers that identify players before the snap.

“SMT has delivered innovative systems for a wide variety of football leagues, from the NFL to startups such as the Alliance of American Football (AAF) and American Flag Football League (AFFL). We’re proud to have the USFL under our umbrella as the league has ushered in an exciting new era of professional football,” said Robbie Louthan, Sr. VP, business development, SMT. “As the pioneers of the virtual yellow first-down line and innovators of AR graphics, SMT has for decades championed fan-engagement technology, and we’re thrilled to support the USFL with our experienced team of broadcast specialists who are committed to providing next-level technologies, impeccable service and top-notch support.”