New ‘FIFA-style’ graphics and features are coming to Prime Video’s coverage of the Champions League this season – and will be debuted on Tuesday by two Manchester United legends in the studio.
Taking inspiration from video games, the broadcaster will give Champions League viewers a new way of watching football’s elite competition this campaign by drip-feeding data and graphics into its coverage.
Titled Prime Vision, the new AI-powered broadcast will debut in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Spurs taking on Spanish club Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Man United legends Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick, who both also enjoyed impressive careers at Tottenham, will be part of the streaming giant’s new launch as they take on punditry roles during the match.
The new broadcast will see the match overlaid with data, from a player’s name and their running speed to the distance of a pass and placement of a shot on goal.
Prime, who will now have 22 cameras in operation at every one of its Champions League games, has honed the system during the last three seasons of its ‘Thursday Night Football’ NFL coverage, recognising an appetite for statistics and data among the sport’s fanbase.
New ‘FIFA-style’ graphics are coming to Prime Video’s coverage of the Champions League
The new broadcast will see the match overlaid with data, from a player’s name and their running speed to the distance of a pass and placement of a shot on goal – plus much more
Michael Carrick (left) and Dimitar Berbatov (right) will be on punditry duty during the match
Andrew Hornet, Prime’s director of live production, said: ‘We wanted to give the viewers something that innovates with a purpose, rather than just that looks pretty.
‘This is an alternative that doesn’t disrupt the main viewing experience but offers a new perspective.
‘It’s something unique for European football and is designed for the fans who are really interested in tactics without being super-nerdy.’
Prime is confident the new system will help fans better identify footballers who perhaps aren’t household names, such as the lesser-known opponents of a Premier League team, as each player’s name will be tagged.
When a player receives the ball, the AI-powered system will display his three most likely passing options, based on numerous factors including positioning and viewing direction.
While holding on to possession in tight spaces, a player will have a red ring surrounding them – and a blue ring if they have plenty of time and space on the ball.
Every shot will also be monitored in terms of its speed, distance and direction. After a goal or near miss, a separate graphic will be displayed showing the shot’s xG (expected goals), a statistic which determines the likelihood of the effort finding the back of the net.
Any player clocking up a speed of over 17.3mph will also be noted on the system, as well as those heading the ball at a height of more than 6ft 8in.
Prime will debut its coverage when Thomas Frank’s Tottenham play Villarreal on Tuesday night
Possession statistics are now commonplace within television’s football coverage, but now Prime has gone one step further by introducing a ‘momentum bar’, which indicates the team on top over the last five minutes of the match.
The momentum bar, unlike possession and territory graphics, will take into consideration different tactics including counter-attacking and gegenpressing, rather than simply rewarding the side who is currently in control of the ball.
Finally, for those eager to put the game they are watching into context, Prime will also display a live Champions League table which changes dynamically throughout the match – available for viewers who select ‘Live Standings’ from the in-game menu.
