SailGP, the global sailing championship, uses Tata Communications’ Virtual Video Assisted Referee (V-VAR) to allow ‘anywhere refereeing’. With this solution, an unlimited number of umpires, referees, and judges are able to connect remotely from anywhere across the globe to assess and declare the winner.
Tata Communications is expected to carry 20+ video feeds from the broadcast centre at the event venue-site for the league’s second season. Every signal is made available in the company’s Media Cloud, allowing judges from all over the world to analyse the action and officiate remotely as if they were on the ringside of the event.
“We are constantly looking at ways to innovate and use technology to not only bring our global fans closer to the action, but also create digital solutions that support our Race for the Future ethos,” said Warren Jones, Chief Technology Officer, SailGP.
“The V-VAR not only ensures that our umpires have immediate access to all the data needed to make crucial, split-second decisions, but also – by being able to operate remotely – we reduce the carbon footprint of our umpiring operations.”
Apart from the V-VAR solution, SailGP also uses Tata Communications’ Video Delivery Network (VDN) to deliver a broadcast experience direct to consumers. The VDN allows fans to enjoy a high quality, low latency, synchronous viewing along with the interactivity and next generation data feeds – giving them a truly unique experience.
The VDN-powered SailGP app was available to the sailing fans at its Bermuda event, enhancing the event interaction for fans while they enjoy the live competition.
“We are happy to further digital innovation & help reduce carbon footprint in live sports through Virtual Video Assisted Referee solution,” said Dhaval Ponda, Global Head of Media & Entertainment Business at Tata Communications.
“Also, our low latency streaming solution enables global sports federations deliver video in sync or faster than live TV. From umpires to fans, these digital solutions enable organisations to offer a thrilling and high-drama experience to the entire sports ecosystem.”
