Sportradar Deploys Augmented Streaming To Enhance Live Tennis Broadcasts

AI-based solution processes real-time match data into dynamic overlays

How tennis is visualized to audiences globally is definitely evolving. That was underscored at last month’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA, with Sportradar’s introduction of its 4Sight augmented-streaming solution for tennis.

Augmented streaming uses artificial-intelligence (AI), machine-learning, and computer-vision technologies to incorporate real-time match data into a live stream, visualizing the data as dynamic digital overlays. The Indian Wells tournament represented the first time the technology was used in tennis, according to Patrick Mostboeck, SVP, fan engagement, Sportradar.

Responsible for bringing 4Sight to market for the ATP, he notes that the company introduced a similar technology for table tennis last year across an estimated 20 venues in Europe. Sportradar, he says, now uses the same technology for “all our betting coverage when it comes to table tennis.”

A specific example of the use of augmented streaming in tennis is speed metrics, considered by many fans, players, and experts as an integral part of the game. The sheer depth of data available enables a richer storytelling experience for fans.

Besides measuring the speed of a serve, 4Sight can measure the speed of every shot during a rally. AI processes the data points to calculate the average shot speed and count the total number of shots in a rally, visualizing the output within the stream, which is delivered at ultra-low latency. Such insights enrich the viewing experience and provide fans with a greater understanding and appreciation of what’s happening on the court.

Doing all this in a testing environment, as Sportradar did with table tennis, is “very much different from doing it in full production,” Mostboeck points out. “We clearly saw different scenarios. I think deploying it under real-life conditions obviously gave us a very good understanding, which we’re going to incorporate [in the future].”

After Indian Wells, the technology was tested at the ATP 1000 tournament in Miami, and there are plans for future tournaments, he says.

Sportradar tested 4Sight live augmented streaming at the Indian Wells tournament in March.

He sees a few ways that 4Sight can boost the live-sports-viewing experience: “To begin with, it’s a lot about education and information. What we focus on with the product itself is displaying additional live data or additional distinct information. This is not just kind of playing numbers; we’re also trying to drive a narrative.”

One area important to focus on is how the sport of tennis, the tournament, and the fans can benefit from the technology, he adds. One potential benefit for fans is a “deeper understanding” of the sport. The technology can be beneficial for “something as transactional as betting,” Mostboeck says, “but it can also be important for keeping fans and audiences engaged.”

Although Sportradar is “very much focused on ATP and rolling it out across the ATP Masters series, we also look into other sports and deployments. I guess it’s not a secret that, [given] our list of key and main partnerships, some of the U.S. leagues are quite an interesting target here.”

Sportradar is not planning to use 4Sight in other ATP tournaments for now, but, he says, “as we get more confidence and get more learnings, it’s probably [just] a question of time until we do a broader rollout.”

The timeline for those plans has yet to be decided, he adds, although a broader rollout by the end of this year or in 2025 is “possible.”

A time frame for expanding the technology to other sports has not been decided, but, he says, “I think we are looking at the new U.S. sports seasons next fall. That’s definitely a target we’re working towards.”