ADI, together with Supponor, have won the award for Sports Tech of the Year at the 2017 Sports Business Awards.
The award recognises the impact of Virtual Hybrid digiBOARD; a new innovation that blends ADI’s perimeter LED platform with Supponor’s virtual replacement advertising technology.
Virtual Hybrid digiBOARD is an innovation that combines traditional LED, visible to fans in the stadium, with augmented reality technology, which makes it possible to virtually overlay the perimeter content seen by different international audiences watching the same match.
The first system of its kind was installed in the Premier League at Watford FC’s Vicarage Road Stadium in 2016. The award comes shortly after ADI and Supponor completed the first leg of a European tour, which included installation of an entire system at Eintracht Frankfurt’s Commerzbank-Arena for their match against VfL Wolfsburg to showcase Virtual Hybrid for Bundesliga clubs, federations and broadcasters.
Combined Market Leading Technologies
ADI’s perimeter LED technology is the leading platform in UK football, with 25 permanently installed systems throughout the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as of the 2017/18 season.
Supponor’s technology is the most successful virtual replacement solution of its kind, having been commercially deployed in Spain’s La Liga and NHL in the USA.
Whereas previously such virtual replacement technology was only compatible with ‘static’ boards, the collaboration between ADI and Supponor has made it possible to integrate the technology with digital LED signage, creating a much broader market for virtual replacement advertising in sport.
Transformative Revenue Platform
Judges for the Sports Business Awards praised the innovation for its potential to transform club revenues by essentially commercialising perimeter media inventory multiple times over and creating a partnership platform that allows brands to tailor their message for individual territories.
Judges commented: “The technological breakthrough by ADI and Supponor was a mere dream not that long ago. This advancement creates a massive opportunity for clubs & sporting bodies.
“The ability to create multiple branded broadcast feeds has huge opportunities in terms of revenue for clubs moving forward.”
Clubs and venues wishing to learn more about Virtual Hybrid LED technology are encouraged to contact Claire Fitzgerald-Firth at ADI for information and to arrange a demonstration via claire.fitzgerald-firth@adi.tv.
