Today, LaLiga and Mediapro Group were awarded the Sports Technology Innovation Initiative of the Year at the 6th edition of the SPIA Asia Awards 2020 for their “virtual fans” initiative. Voted on by a global panel of 250 industry experts, the initiative used virtual technology in LaLiga match broadcasts to project “virtual fans” into the empty stadiums to recreate the magic of the fans’ presence during the extraordinary circumstances brought on by the pandemic.
As the main partner of SPIA Asia Awards 2020 and the presenting partner of the Sports Technology Innovation Initiative of the Year, N3XT Sports congratulates both organizations for their outstanding contribution to the sports industry, and for innovating in the face of an unprecedented scenario.
Learn more about the winning innovation initiative in this category by tuning into the video below.
Melcior Soler, Director of the Audiovisual Department at LaLiga, Óscar Lago, TV Sports Match Director at MEDIAPRO and Mounir Zok, CEO of N3XT Sports participate in a Q&A session moderated by Tom Bushell, MC of SPIA Asia, and hosted by Eric Gottschalk.
The Sports Technology Innovation “Initiative of the Year,” nominated companies that took a different approach to shaping the future of technology to enhance the viewer experience during these unprecedented times. Besides the LaLiga and Mediapro initiative, the other shortlisted nominations for this category were the following:
- SKY SPORTS “CROWDS” by Sky Sports – In association with EA SPORTS FIFA, Sky Sports created a bespoke and team-specific experience that uses crowd noise and chants to replicate Premier League clashes’ vibrant atmosphere, so never miss out on the noise that goes with the action.
- BT “Fans Reunited” by BT Sport – Fans reunited with BT Sport creative response to the biggest challenge in sports forecasts ever faced: sport without fans. BT united fans and families through Zoom calls and featured fans on its promos with the LFC title celebration live on BT Sport.
- Bringing Virtual Fans to the “NBA Bubble.” – The NBA used Microsoft Teams’ new Together Mode to place basketball fans courtside in a virtual experience during live games.
- Virtual NFL Draft by Bose – The NFL, in partnership with Bose, conducted for the first time in its history its annual 32-teams player draft virtually.
Congratulations to all these amazing initiatives.
In the upcoming days, the winners of the categories below will be announced across SPIA Asia Awards platforms and those of its partners:
- Sports Marketing Campaign
- Giving Back to Community
- Volunteering Service
- Sports Education Campaign
- Through Esports
- Public Service Hero
2020 has brought massive challenges to all industries, especially the sports industry. Even if the sports industry was caught off guard, the whole ecosystem proved to be innovative, agile and capable to transform itself digitally to adapt to the changing landscape.
From the entire N3XT Sports team, we would like to congratulate Eric Gottschalk and his entire team at MMC Sportz Marketing for organizing another edition of the SPIA Asia awards to recognize the whole sports industry during these unprecedented times.
For more information visit: https://spiaasia.com/