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SailGP has announced plans to share its award-winning production technology, LiveLineFX, with other sporting organisations. Originally developed to enable spectators to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex sport of yacht racing, the facility has now been recognised as suitable for other outdoor and stadium sports.
LiveLineFX combines real-time data visualisations, such as weather conditions and performance metrics, with an immersive, multi-platform viewing experience. It also features an advanced remote umpiring system and the potential for enriched storytelling. The system is designed and controlled remotely by SailGP's London-based team, which collects data from the 125 sensors situated on each F50 catamaran to provide a made-to-measure data solution for a variety of sports.
This step forward follows award-winning recognition for the LiveLine technology which helped to establish SailGP as a leader in sports innovation. The company's Chief Technology Officer, Warren Jones, commented on the development: “From the outset, SailGP has prioritised patented, leading-edge immersive media technologies and LiveLineFX is an award-winning example of this. It is truly unique and hasn’t just been built for use by SailGP, it has been developed with other sports properties and broadcasters in mind where the viewing experience can be difficult due to the nature of the sport."
SailGP relies on its technology not only for its audience experience but also for commercial branding, with LiveLineFX providing strategic on-screen placements for advertisers. This clearly demonstrates to other sports organisations how the technology can offer new opportunities for fan engagement while also delivering commercial advantages.
This commercial application of LiveLineFX is viewed by SailGP as a key element in its audience's growth. The audience now sees an average of 14 million dedicated broadcast viewers per event and an audience increase of over 300% within the last year alone.
The Chief Content Officer of SailGP, Melissa Lawton, emphasised the relevance and potential of LiveLineFX beyond its current application: “Our success, and the fact that LiveLineFX is perfect for a variety of out-of-stadium sports, such as cycling, horse racing, surfing, and any mass participation sports, has led to active conversations with other sports properties about how they too can utilise the technology to grow their fan bases."
SailGP's recent related innovations include a refreshed opening title sequence to its live broadcast alongside a new soundtrack, which is aimed at targeting and engaging new and younger audiences. This latest move to share the LiveLineFX technology, therefore, forms part of a broader strategy to expand and diversify the fan base, not only for SailGP but for sports presentations in general.
