High Tech Sport: State of Origin player trackers used in TV coverage

For the first time in Australian sport, viewers at home will have access to data about player movements on the field during a live sporting event thanks to micro trackers every player will wear during this week’s opening State of Origin game at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Catapult Sports have been providing detailed tracking solutions to sporting clubs around the world to enable coaches to gain valuable insights into player movements and enhance their training regime and strategy work.

At this week’s opening State of Origin game, viewers will get access to that data thanks to the work of Channel 9, the NRL and Catapult sports.

Rather than GPS location, the trackers the players wear use beacons in the stadium and a system called Local Positioning System (LPS) which is more accurate than GPS.

The data available would be enormous, from actual line tracking of a player movement, to speed of runs and a heat map of player location.

What Channel 9 choose to use on air is yet to be seen, as presenting that data to a mass audience would be difficult.  Expect to see individual player heat maps and speed of breakaway runs shown on screen.

It’s the next innovation in sports broadcasting

More info: Mumbrella & 9 Sport