ESPN to debut live player-tracking visuals during MLS Cup
The MLS Cup 2014 is taking place this Sunday, December 7th at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles, where the LA Galaxy will play host to the New England Revolution. Obviously, one of the main stories around the final match of the season is the retirement of Landon Donovan, who is expected to hang up his cleats after the game -- win or lose. On the technical side, ESPN is going to be using its program to introduce set of live player-tracking graphics, which were developed by ChyronHego, a New York-based company that makes visuals broadcasters. As you can see in the video below, these will be shown on screen live, highlighting key players as the play is developing or in a replay.
Jed Drake, ESPN's senior vice president of product innovation, told me the network is always looking to enhance the viewing experience for the fans. He said, "Soccer is mostly a free-flowing game, but there is purpose behind each movement. The virtual player-tracking graphics allows us to offer viewers richer context to the nuances behind the on-the-field tactics."
"Earlier this year, during the MLS All-Star match, we introduced cameras embedded within the goal posts to give fans an idea of what the action looks like from that perspective," Drake added. "The virtual graphics are another extension of our commitment to delivering quality MLS productions."
[Image credit: Associated Press; video courtesy of ESPN]
