By overlaying rink-side advertising boards, virtual advertising allows brands to regionally market messages on a global level and opens up a world of possibilities for tournaments going forward, delivering new value to sponsors."This is a new way for brands and sponsors to purposefully target their audience and this has only been done in a limited fashion until now," said Bruno Marty, Head of Winter Sports at Infront. "Fans are used to seeing a more customised message through many advertising solutions. Now we can deliver this through the global broadcast with market specific in-game advertising. In short, this technological evolution will help our partners provide a more relevant and impactful message to their TV audience."Once the tournament is over, Infront will assess and evaluate all aspects of the project, including the technique, cost and the opinions of all stakeholders. A decision on whether to carry it forward to future IIHF events will then be made.
“It is important for us to support innovative initiatives such as virtual advertising at this edition of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “Many events fall into a pattern of accepting the status quo and not pushing the boundaries of what is possible. It is incredibly beneficial to have a like-minded partner such as Infront who understands how to develop and implement new technology to further develop marketing opportunities for ice hockey. It is important for our future to see these new technical developments in our sport.”
The only non-intrusive solution
The system works by taking the normal broadcast signal from the television production truck, running it through a computer which then overlays the relevant boards.
That signal is sent to the local broadcaster that, in turn, delivers the live picture to the audience.
Importantly, this approach differs from other similar technology solutions available for virtual overlay by not interfering with either the standard TV production or the in-venue operations resulting in a smooth broadcast integration and a flexible system setup. This system is used in an effort to provide minimal impact on both cameras and boards.
Only the beginning
This innovation – which will only be implemented at the venue in Copenhagen, not Herning – is a leap forward for sport as a whole when it comes to virtual overlay. Infront and Vizrt are together introducing to the market the next generation in virtual overlay solutions, known as Viz Eclipse. Viz Eclipse, the first software and image-based virtual overlay solution, works with both static and LED boards from all manufacturers and supports broadcast centres or direct stadium implementation.
The partnership between Infront and Vizrt unites two market leaders with unmatched expertise in the global sports community. Fully committed, the team offers many decades of experience in sports marketing, media production, digital solutions and events delivery.
About Infront
Infront is a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events, including the distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 1,000 staff working from over 40 offices across more than 13 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Group, part of Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.
