🏆 BBC and DAZN Teleport Audiences Onto the Pitch

French startup Immersiv.io has joined forces with media giant BBC and streaming service DAZN to deploy interactive, real-time 3D broadcasts of the tournament, powered by FIFA’s official 3D tracking data.

The project is anchored by Immersiv.io’s proprietary ARISE platform. During a match, smart stadium-mounted cameras capture the coordinates of key joints on players’ bodies (skeletal data) dozens of times per second. The platform ingests this massive data stream instantly, utilizing AI algorithms and machine learning to map the movements onto digital avatars of the players and referees. Neural networks are also deployed to generate highly precise 3D models of the athletes based on their photographs and biometric profiles, as well as to automatically synchronize the broadcaster’s audio track with the skeletal animation.

“Skeletal data is a highly complex, live stream where tracking noise or ‘jitter’ can occasionally occur due to the blistering pace of the game,” explained Emmanuelle Roger, Co-founder of Immersiv.io. “We deploy AI tools to filter and correct these anomalies on the fly, ensuring the most fluid and realistic 3D reconstruction of the match possible.”

In the UK, the BBC has integrated this technology into its web application and the BBC Sport mobile service. Fans are granted full control over a virtual camera, enabling them to toggle between a traditional broadcast feed, a top-down tactical view, a third-person perspective, or even a first-person point-of-view from the eyes of a specific player. A dynamic infographic layer is superimposed onto the 3D imagery, displaying tactical formations, running speeds, potential passing trajectories, and distance to the goal.

In Japan, DAZN is taking a different approach with the AR technology, leveraging it to power instant tactical analysis during halftime and post-match breakdowns. The studio generates dozens of 3D replays of a single goal or controversial incident from any conceivable angle.

According to the developers, as AI capabilities continue to mature, 3D reconstructions of live sports will become virtually indistinguishable from real video, completely redefining the sports broadcasting industry.