wTVision/TVTEL providing AR graphics for World Cup match

TVTEL, a Portuguese digital satellite and cable pay-TV service provider, has partnered with wTVision to provide augmented reality (AR) graphics for a football match between Peru and Colombia during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers. 

Both parties designed the remote production solution with a workflow focused on efficiency, high performance, and operational cost reduction. The camera feed was transmitted from Peru via IP in a combination of mobile networks to TVTEL’s production control centre from where operators had the capability to remotely analyse, track the video, and insert the graphics. The video was then sent back to Peru with the AR graphics. 

According to wTVision, signals were transported with “high security and very low latency”, ensuring the lowest possible end-to-end delay. 

Jorge Kossowski, Account Manager for South America at wTVision, said, “Remote production has been a major part of our operations and production services last year, and we are now taking full advantage of the experience we have been getting in these environments. For this project, we made sure AR graphics and data were broadcast with no latency or major delay, and we were quite successful in that field.” 

The project relied on a combination of wTVision’s software stack, including Football Stats CG V5, AR3 Football, and R3 Space Engine. AR3 Football and R3 Space Engine were responsible for tracking data and integrating with external data, while FootballStats CG handled the insertion of AR heatmaps of players and teams, influence zones and attack percentages. AR graphics also included line-ups in the field and ball speed. 

Nerio Aguirre, Art Director for TVTEL, added: “We found in wTVision a great partner to work with and achieve our goals using their AR graphic ecosystem, a solid tool that allows us to work on-site or remotely without issues.

“As Art Director, I felt it to be very important to create dynamic and compelling graphics without technical limitations. That is why R3 Space Engine was a great choice. In just a few days, I was able to work fluidly, and focused on the creative part, without concern with technical details.”