DFL and RB Leipzig test innovative camera technologies during USA club tour
20 August 2024 – In July of this year, the RB Leipzig Bundesliga squad travelled to USA, taking up quarters at the New York Red Bulls Academy in Whippany, New Jersey. The on-site programme included a friendly match against English Premier League club Aston Villa who had likewise chosen the United States as their summer camp destination in preparation of the new season.
Friendlies provide an ideal environment for trying out new ideas and technologies. To seize this opportunity, RB Leipzig and the DFL had engaged in a lively dialogue ahead of the trip to discuss a wide range of potential technologies they might test in the match against Aston Villa. They finally agreed on a short list of various innovative products with a promising future.
Live body cam
Body cams made by the Israeli company Mindfly had been tested previously at the Supercup 2023 during warm-ups and after the match, and at SportsInnovation 2024. Now they were put to the test during a live football match. Players Kevin Kampl from RB Leipzig and Diego Carlos from Aston Villa each received a special vest with an integrated camera as well as a modified jersey with an opening for the camera lens in front of the chest. As a novelty, they wore these camera for the entire duration of the live game. To capture the live camera signal, Mindfly provided wireless transmission from the camera vests to the sidelines where the signal was picked up by the host broadcaster (in this case, Red Bull Media House) for transmission to the outside broadcasting van. The video director on the van then selected specific moments of body cam footage to integrate into the live programme feed.
Body cams create an entirely new visual experience – the camera moving across the pitch shows the match directly from a player’s perspective. This clearly sets the body cam apart from traditional camera angles. The trial revealed the potential of this technology for future broadcasts of football matches.
Live drone camera
RB Leipzig had suggested to test an innovative, remote-controlled live drone camera that can move freely throughout the stadium. Similar to the body cam, the purpose of this trial was to experiment with new camera angles, such as looking at set-pieces like corner kicks from a bird’s eye perspective. The drone’s daring manoeuvres were controlled by a pilot positioned near the edge of the pitch. Whether a live drone can be used during a professional match in addition to the standard aerial camera system depends on local legislation: Safety distances must be observed, and appropriate permits must be applied for and granted.
PoV cameras
Additionally, point-of-view or PoV cameras were positioned at various points in a stadium to capture a specific area continuously, whether as a bench cam near the dugout, a goal cam behind the goal, a fan camera following the emotions on the grandstand, or a dressing room cam. For the first time, RB Leipzig opened up the doors to their own dressing room, allowing fans to get a memorable, close impression of the atmosphere. Trialling this perspective in a real-live match situation was of particular interest since video from the dressing room tract will be added to the Bundesliga media product from the 2025/26 season. Fans appreciated the early foretaste at this occasion.
Our goal in deploying new technologies is to make the football experience even more realistic for fans.
Dominik Scholler, VP Product Management and Innovation at DFL
Closer to the game
Dominik Scholler, VP Product Management and Innovation at DFL, explains the project: “Our goal in deploying new technologies is to make the football experience even more realistic for fans. Taking viewers ‘closer to the game’ is our motto. To us, innovative technology is not an end in itself; rather, we want to discover new ways to boost the emotional involvement, convey football in an even more compelling way, and bring the stadium even closer to viewers.”
It not only takes comprehensive practical testing but also many discussions before an innovation can be integrated into the media product: talks must be held to clarify legal questions, secure support from the clubs with whom the DFL cooperates closely, bring the individual players on board, and get approvals from the governing bodies whose consent is a prerequisite for using new technology in league games. Once an innovation has undergone this process successfully, it will be incorporated into the broadcast signal to delight the fans.