In this interview, Megha Gambhir, Co-founder & CEO of Stupa Sports Analytics, discusses how AI is revolutionizing sports broadcasting, creating more informative, engaging, and personalized experiences for viewers. She explores the opportunities for broadcasters and fans alike, highlighting the use of augmented reality (AR) and real-time data to create immersive experiences. Gambhir also shares success stories and the impact of AI on the sports broadcasting industry globally and in India.
Today, advancements in augmented reality (AR) can be coupled with real-time data generation by AI to enhance fan engagement and create immersive experiences. AR enhances live broadcasts by overlaying intuitive graphical representations onto live content. Statistics such as game patterns, player comparisons, movement data, and posture analysis can be conveyed effectively using AR to create visualizations such as heat maps and charts, enhancing storytelling and providing a larger-than-life experience for viewers. Such solutions are often customized to meet the needs of diverse audiences, allowing sports broadcasters to provide tailored experiences.
These use cases showcase the immense potential of technology to broaden the audience base and rejuvenate lesser-known sports. In a country like India where cricket dominates every other sport, technology can play a transformative role in reshaping how lesser-watched sports content is consumed and experienced. Moreover, the rise of OTT platforms has provided unprecedented access on demand to sports content that would otherwise not be telecast on linear TV due to limited availability of slots.
With scope for hosting live matches, highlights, as well as exclusive content on OTT platforms, sports with lower visibility have an opportunity to enrich their engagement with audiences. AI-driven features can further empower sports organisations to deliver immersive content that enhances fan engagement and transforms the viewing experience.
Stupa Cast has provided enhanced broadcast solutions in global sporting events such as the WTT Singapore Smash 2023, European Table Tennis Championships 2023 in Sweden and Season 4 of the Ultimate Table Tennis, that empowered commentators to offer viewers with compelling narratives in real-time from the data generated by Stupa’s AI-based service. The data was coupled with graphics such as player heat maps, shot patterns, and statistics, and overlaid on live broadcast to provide match insights. Thus, broadcasters were enabled to highlight key moments, player performance, and tactical analysis using Stupa’s AI-based broadcast solutions to transform the viewing experience for fans.
The implementation of AI in transforming sports broadcast has been seen in major sports such as football, cricket and tennis. In football, AI-based virtual graphics overlays on live broadcast have become a regular feature, offering viewers a new way of consuming live sports. In cricket, AI-powered camera systems such as Hawkeye are playing a significant role in assisting decision-making through its ball-tracking and predictive analytics tools. Tennis has also adopted AI in the areas of automated match commentary, ball-tracking replacing line umpires and automated production of highlight reels.
These use cases have offered cost efficiency for sports organizers, as automation has replaced the need for manual intervention. They have also improved the broadcast value by offering richer content such as detailed statistics in real-time, immersive graphics and personalized experiences, enhancing viewer engagement and retention. The same impact has been seen in India, where broadcasters offer localization features that cater to India’s diverse sports interests and language preferences, thus improving the sports viewing experience for fans in India, leading to a growth in overall viewership of sports in the country.
Indian sports tech companies are at the forefront of leveraging AI along with AR/VR technology to provide immersive experiences driven by hard data in real-time. The rapid growth of IPL has compelled broadcasters to integrate innovative technologies into their platforms to make them more interactive for users and drive viewership. Their success has influenced global streaming trends and business models in sports broadcasting. Many Indian fantasy sports platforms are leading the way in impacting how fans interact with sports broadcasts, through their advanced data collection technology that captures match-related information in real-time and complements the viewing experience for fans, thus significantly enhancing fan engagement.
At the core of Stupa’s implementation of AI is a real-time object-tracking technology that meticulously captures the movement of the ball and players in real-time during live matches or from recorded footage. This data is then used to generate valuable statistics such as ball speeds, elbow angles at time of striking the ball, forehand success rates, etc. This data can be used to empower athletes and coaches with actionable insights, personalized training programmes and performance optimization tools.
However, Stupa’s product isn’t just beneficial for players; it also provides valuable broadcast solutions that enhance the viewing experience for fans. Imagine watching a thrilling badminton match, where every shot, every movement, and every strategy is brought to life through AI. Our technology precisely tracks the ball, the players, and their rackets, capturing data on shots, trajectory, and player positioning. This information is then transformed into captivating engaging stats, allowing viewers to analyse each shot, understand player tactics, and appreciate the sheer skill and precision involved in the game.
By incorporating captivating graphics and compelling storytelling into broadcasts using visual representations such as charts, graphs and animations, we make watching matches more engaging and enjoyable using real-time data. Additionally, our technology automatically generates highlight reels tailored for social media platforms, increasing the visibility of players and their achievements, while also increasing the social media engagement for federations and enhancing their brand value.
Stupa differentiates itself from its competitors by offering an end-to-end integrated SaaS solution, from AI-driven analytics and data insights to digital event management and media solutions. The web-based platform simplifies and enhances the administrative and management processes for sports organizations, ensuring seamless operations and elevated experiences. With features such as tournament/ league creation, fixture management, player registration management, online payment collection, results and rankings, integrated live-streaming and Over-The-Top (OTT) services, Stupa empowers sports organizations to deliver immersive content that enhances fan engagement and enriches the viewing experience.
By integrating real-time statistics, interactive features, and personalized content streams, Stupa’s solutions enable rights-holders to captivate viewers and cultivate a loyal fan base. Thus, Stupa offers a 360-degree solution with comprehensive tools that empower sports organisations to optimise their operations and engage with fans in innovative ways.
