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Intel teams up with Premier League giants to offer soccer fans 'immersive experiences'

Key Points
  • Intel has announced a partnership with English soccer clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
  • It aims to use technology to bring a new viewing experience to the world's most popular sport.
Anthony Devlin | AFP | Getty Images

Intel announced a partnership with English soccer clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City Thursday, with the aim of bringing a new viewing experience to the world's most popular sport.

In a statement, the U.S. tech giant said its technology would be used at the clubs' grounds to "deliver immersive experiences" through its Intel True View system.

One of the clubs involved in the partnership, Liverpool, said that advanced computing, together with "dozens of 5K ultra high-definition cameras" at its stadium, Anfield, would allow people watching matches from home to view clips from every angle of the game. Fans will even be able to view key moments from matches from a player's perspective, the club added.

The technology is based on volumetric video, according to Intel, which is used to capture three-dimensional spaces. Using the "volumetric capture method," game footage is recorded using 38 5K ultra high-definition cameras.

This includes the height, width and depth of data, which is used to produce pixels with volume, or "voxels." Once content has been captured, the data are processed, with software used to re-create the viewpoints "of a fully volumetric 3D person or object."

Liverpool's Chief Commercial Officer, Billy Hogan, said the new technology enabled fans to "immerse themselves even further into the game and has the power to add a new depth to match highlights, which can significantly improve the supporter experience."

"This technology has the potential to add a new dynamic to how people interact with the game and create different conversations with our fans around the world," Hogan added.

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