In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Jonathan Levene

The SPOT – meet the guest speakers!
​Jonathan Levene, Managing Director for Business Development at INTEL Sports, in interview with iSportconnect, talking about smart stadiums, the future of Virtual Reality and its impact on sport and fans.

Jay Stuart
In Conversation:

The Future of Sports Entertainment Is ‘Smart’

The day when fans at home can enjoy live sports events just as if they’re at the venue will definitely arrive, according to Jonathan Levene of technology giant Intel, who will be sharing his company’s vision of the connected future at The SPOT in Lausanne in May.

Intel is investing in a revolution in the way sports entertainment is consumed.

It has already rolled out the cutting-edge 360° True View video technology that is used by the NFL for the Super Bowl. Six clubs in Spain’s LaLiga already have the systems installed in their ‘smart’ stadiums, with other teams and leagues around Europe on the cards. The True View system uses 38 sensors (5K) around the stadium to generate the data needed to deliver an immersive 360° picture.

The video area generally encapsulates why Intel is so interested in the sports business to begin with. “Smart stadiums produce ridiculous amounts of data and the streams are becoming richer. Live sports events generate the most engaging data in the world. That’s why Intel wants to be there.”

What we’re mainly talking about with ‘data’ in this context is video content and images.

Intel is betting heavily on the future of Virtual Reality, which is still in its early days. “There has been a disconnect between expectations and where the technology actually is that has created some disappointment,” said Levene, who is Managing Director of Business Development at Intel Sports. “To travel a thousand miles you have to take a first step. In the next few years, there will be a massive change.”

Intel has already rolled out its True VR technology as the NBA’s official virtual reality partner. The NBA on TNT VR app enables you to pick your viewpoint, get instant replays, watch live and uninterrupted, or choose your TNT commentary.

“A few years from now, you will have 8K streams and 5G networks delivering content via the cloud,” Levene said. “You’ll have great resolution and fans will be able to zoom in on what they want to see and experience their favourite sports in a totally immersive way.”

www.thespot2018.org

In the same series:

• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Brett Abarbanel
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Kim Blair
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Earl Crane
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter An Dang Duy
• ​In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Olivier Glauser
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Jonathan Levene
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Daniel Marion
• In Conversation with Innovation Spotter Federico Winer