Ascot Racecourse, Focal Point VR, and Ateme Collaborate to Deliver Live Immersive Video Stream for Horse Racing

Live sports broadcasting reached a new milestone last Saturday at the Ascot Racecourse with the debut of the world’s first live ultra-high-resolution immersive broadcast of a horse racing event, delivered in real time with heightened depth, clarity, and realism.

The Ascot showcase demonstrates how live sport can be experienced with an increased sense of presence, bringing audiences closer to the action through workflows designed specifically for next-generation immersive video.

It was made possible through a close collaboration between Ascot Racecourse, Racetech, Ateme, Focal Point VR Ltd, and Bluebell Opticom across capture, encoding, connectivity, and on-site deployment:

• Focal Point VR deployed its multi-8K sensor immersive camera system, delivering stereoscopic depth and clarity with an extraordinary 37 pixels-per-degree fidelity.
• Bluebell Opticom provided its flexible fiber connectivity solution to link Focal Point VR’s camera system and processing engine.
• Ateme’s TITAN encoder processed the ultra-high-resolution content in real time, encoding directly into Apple’s MV-HEVC immersive format for seamless playback on Apple Vision Pro.
• Racetech and Ascot Racecourse supported the live racing environment and operational integration for the demonstration.

This collaboration sets a new reference point for live immersive sports broadcasting, demonstrated through a real-time experience delivered to selected VIP guests at Ascot on race day.

Graham Badger, Head of Media and Broadcast, Ascot Racecourse, says, “This demonstration at Ascot showed the power of collaboration across the industry. Together this technology can push the boundaries of what fans can experience in real time, bringing people closer to the heart of the sport and making them feel as though they’re truly there. We see this as a major step forward, and we’re excited by the opportunities it will create for our audiences.”

James Gray, Commercial Director, RaceTech, says, “With innovation being so important to RaceTech, the team are delighted to be involved in the delivery of this live immersive experience. Ascot Racecourse is a world-renowned venue of sporting excellence, so is a fitting place to demonstrate this technology. The immersive experience really makes it feel like you have been transported into the parade ring. I am confident this demonstration will provide innovative opportunities for RaceTech’s existing customer base and a multitude of other applications in live events.”

“This exclusive “Focal Point VR and Ateme” pipeline sets a new standard for live immersive broadcasting” adds Mickael Raulet, CTO at Ateme. “It demonstrates how ultra-high-resolution immersive video can be delivered live, bringing audiences closer to the action and enhancing the sense of presence at major sporting events.”

Jonathan Newth, CEO Focal Point VR ltd says, “Live immersive broadcast has long been discussed as the next frontier for sports but delivering it at true broadcast quality and in real time has remained a significant technical challenge. This demonstration at Ascot shows that ultra-high-fidelity immersive experiences can now be delivered live, reliably, and at scale. Working alongside RaceTech, Ateme, Bluebell and the Ascot team, we’ve proven that immersive video can be integrated into real-world broadcast environments without compromise, opening the door to entirely new ways for audiences to experience live sport.”

“For immersive production to operate reliably in real world environments, the transport layer must deliver uncompromising performance,” says Anil Parmar, Sales and Marketing Director at Bluebell Opticom. “This deployment demonstrates that uncompressed 8K video and control signals can be carried over fibre infrastructure with the performance and confidence required for next generation immersive workflows.”