A New Era of Sports Broadcasting; Camera Technology Focus
The summer of 2024 was a remarkable period for sports broadcasting, marked by unprecedented viewer engagement and cutting-edge technological advancements. BBC Sport’s coverage of the Paris Olympics set a new standard, with a record-breaking 218 million streams online – more than doubling the 104 million streams recorded during the Tokyo Games in 2021. This surge in digital viewership was complemented by traditional TV audiences, with 36.1 million people, equivalent to 59% of the UK population, tuning in for at least 15 minutes of the Olympic action.
In addition to the Olympics, the Euro 2024 (Mens UEFA European Football Championship) final captivated 24.2 million viewers across the BBC and ITV in the UK, while Spanish broadcaster RTVE delivered its most-watched soccer game in 12 years. These staggering numbers highlight the immense global interest in these sporting events and underscore the pivotal role of advanced camera technology in delivering such immersive viewing experiences.
In this blog, we’ll explore the innovative camera technologies that made these milestones possible, transforming the way we experience live sports and setting new benchmarks for future broadcasts.
4K and 8K Ultra HD Cameras: Both events prominently featured 4K and 8K Ultra HD cameras, ensuring that viewers received the highest possible video quality. These cameras provided crystal-clear images, bringing out intricate details and enhancing the overall viewing experience. The use of 8K cameras, in particular, was a significant step forward, offering a resolution that is 16 times higher than standard HD (Nature).
AI-Powered Motion Tracking Cameras: For the Paris Olympics, AI-integrated cameras were widely used to track athletes’ movements in real time. These cameras, working in conjunction with AI algorithms, captured detailed motion data, which was then used to generate enhanced visualisations for broadcasts. This technology allowed broadcasters to provide viewers with insights into athletes’ speed, acceleration, and performance metrics (Nature).
360-Degree Cameras: To create immersive viewing experiences, 360-degree cameras were employed at various venues during both the Euros and the Olympics. These cameras enabled broadcasters to offer panoramic views of the events, allowing viewers to explore the action from multiple angles. This was particularly popular in virtual reality (VR) broadcasts, where viewers could experience the events as if they were on the field or track themselves(AVIXA Xchange).
Robotic and Drone Cameras: Robotic cameras and drones were also used extensively. These cameras provided dynamic, aerial, and close-up shots that were not possible with traditional setups. Drones, in particular, were used for aerial coverage of outdoor events, providing sweeping views of the venues and capturing the scale of the events from above. Robotic cameras were utilised for precise, stable shots in high-action areas (N3XT SPORTS).
Ultra-Slow-Motion Cameras: To capture the most intricate details of the action, ultra-slow-motion cameras were deployed. These cameras recorded at extremely high frame rates, allowing broadcasters to slow down footage and highlight key moments in stunning detail. This was especially useful in events like track and field, where split-second movements are critical (Nature).
These cutting-edge cameras, combined with AI and other advanced technologies, ensured that the broadcasts of Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics were some of the most visually impressive and engaging sports events ever covered.
Record-Breaking Viewership and Broadcast Success
The 2024 UEFA European Championship final and 2024 Paris Olympics have done an amazing job in showcasing the continued importance of live sports in driving viewership numbers.
BBC Sport’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics was streamed a record-breaking 218 million times online – more than doubling the 104 million streams recorded during the Tokyo Games three years ago.
The UEFA final, a major event in the UK’s broadcasting landscape, drew a combined peak UK television audience of 24.2 million viewers across the BBC and ITV. Although this figure was lower than the viewership for the Euro 2020 final, it still represents a substantial audience. The final also saw significant streaming figures, with 7.6 million streams on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, highlighting the growing influence of digital platforms in live broadcasting.
About the author:
Rebecca Price, Managing Director, Creative Vision Finance
About Creative Vision Finance
Creative Vision Finance (CVF) is an innovative media and entertainment asset financing company that offers a fresh approach to lending for industry creatives, hire companies, broadcasters, and more. Leveraging some of the key innovations from the rapidly developing field of fintech, its customer-focused approach to financing is driven by a team that has over three decades of experience in the TV and film, broadcast, and production sectors.
For more information visit creativevisionfinance.com.
