Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 18 noveMber 2019
NBA teams enhancing fan experience with high-tech replays

gagement.” The new tech-
nology isn’t just for the fans.
Coaches and scouts can
make use of the enhanced
replays to improve player
evaluations.
“I think the future of this is
going to weigh heavy for
basketball operations and
player development,” Ab-
ercrombie said.
Players now have bet-
ter tools to evaluate their
strengths and weaknesses.
Abercrombie said players
who take dozens of shots in
a practice can now study
their shooting form in a new
way.
“Players have asked ‘Can
I shootaround and you
take a look at the way I’m
shooting and I want to spin
around and take a look
at the way I’m releasing,’”
he said. “You think about
traditional coverage of a
game, there’s only four an-
gles. Two on the floor and
two up.
“When you think about
360 view and repetitive
shooting over and over
again, they can say ‘Oh, I
see where my tendencies
are.’”
In this Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, photo taken from video, technicians monitor video feeds from 38 cameras placed around State Farm Hawks CEO Steve Koo-
Arena in Atlanta in order to produce 3 dimensional video replays. nin, a former executive at
Associated Press Turner Entertainment, says
By CHARLES ODUMN The Bucks, Mavericks, Pac- cally located around are- replays start from the tradi- TV sports leaders have
ATLANTA (AP) — NBA fans ers, Wizards and now the nas. The high-tech cam- tional side camera before dreamed for years of the
will soon be able to look Hawks are using the tech- eras work together, bring- swinging around to bring day fans could control the
up at the big videoboard nology to package and re- ing 360-degree replays to the viewer behind the way they watch a game.
above the court and get a play highlights in the arena in-game video boards, TV quarterback. “We’ve been reading for
different look at that deep during games. The Bulls, broadcasts and fans’ de- Not that the NFL was first in years that ‘You can be
Trae Young 3-pointer early who host the 2020 All-Star vices through social media. line. the director,’” Koonin said.
in the first quarter. Or see game, are scheduled to It’s the latest effort by teams Gamers have been ma- “Actually, you can do that
a different perspective of come online next month. to entice ticket-buying fans nipulating all-angle replays with this. The capabilities
that monstrous Giannis An- “It’s very nice. I especially to come to new and reno- for years. Video game-sav- are unbelievable. ... We
tetokounmpo dunk. like that up-above view,” vated NBA arenas. Atlanta vy kids may roll their eyes think it’s the next genera-
In a reversal of roles, NBA said Allen Hazlett a fan from spent almost $200 million when their parents come tion of sports media.”
teams are bringing the vid- New Berlin, Wisconsin, after to renovate State Farm home from NBA games Green said there is more to
eo game experience back seeing the new technology Arena; Milwaukee last year eager to share their sto- come as new ways to uti-
to the live action — one at Thursday night’s Bulls- opened its $477 Fiserv Fo- ries about their first looks at lize the technology will be
arena at a time. Bucks game in Milwaukee. rum. 360-degree replays. found that are not yet pos-
The Atlanta Hawks Friday “I think it’s an added ben- “For us it was really a no- Those video games were sible.
will become the fifth NBA efit for the fans. For those brainer,” said Matt Pazaras, designed to mimic the real Green said such high-tech
team to unveil significant that aren’t here all the time, the Bucks’ senior vice presi- games. Now it’s time for terms as “voxels” — similar
financial investments into to see that, I think, really dent for business develop- some role-reversal. to pixels in the 3D age —
new 360-degree replay ups the fan experience for ment and strategy. Rich Green, Intel’s director and “volumetric video” will
technology designed to them. I don’t think people “There’s nothing like seeing of sports, said popular vid- become common. He said
eventually give fans the realize until you go some- a Giannis dunk live, and if eo games Madden NFL 19 fans will be able to follow a
power to change the way where else and you don’t we can supplement that and NBA 2K20 “have cam- game from the viewpoint
they see the game. see it how lucky we are to experience with this tech- era angles and if you do of their favorite player.
“It’s the wave of the fu- have this arena. Everything nology, great. But if people replays, you can spin the “How you watch a play
ture,” said Hawks vice-pres- here is state of the art.” are experiencing the Bucks camera around.” could be completely dif-
ident of live experience The six teams have joined wherever they are, hours Added Green: “Now we’re ferent from how I watch it
Joe Abercrombie, who NBA partner Intel, which away or thousands of miles going to have that in live based on how we control
says the technology also provides the technology away, we can still make games. Now they can what angle we want to
is “one more thing to give for the new video replays. the experience better.” watch their favorite player see,” Green said. “That’s
people a reason to come” The process begins with 38 NFL fans already have seen and follow just him. It in- why we’re just scratching
to the arena. 5K video cameras strategi- 360 replays on TV. Those creases their level of en- the surface.”q