Virtual Eye News

PGA TOUR TOURCast received a 2020 Leaders Sports Award for Innovation in September, for it's creative disruption of Golf coverage. PGA TOUR TOURCast (developed by PGA TOUR, iX.co and Virtual Eye) runs on the web and multiple devices, tracking the action of golf players playing on the PGA Tour in real-time on an interactive 3D model. Tee shot shapes are shown using TrackMan radar, and SHOTLink (powered by CDW) displays shot trails within the 3D environment. Video clips from the TV broadcast are automatically inserted into PGA TOUR TOURCast.

Since June, Virtual Eye Golf has delivered our tracking graphics to the PGA Tour from our remote operations suite in Dunedin, New Zealand. The European Tour teed off once more in late July, with Virtual Eye supplying our tracking graphics both remotely and with local Virtual Eye operators. In September we were able to cover the Andalucia Masters in Portugal, the PGA Tour Championship in Georgia, the Safeway Open in California, the Portugal Masters, the U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle.

Sports Video Group Europe posted in late September about Virtual Eye taking 3D graphics production for sports broadcasting remote over the European summer, using Amazon Web Services to enable our continued global sports broadcasting work during lockdown. At the start of the month Virtual Eye Sailing covered Kiel Week in Germany, and we continued supplying our data-driven graphics and virtual stadiums to the Major League Baseball StatCast 3D product.

Virtual Eye continued supplying our data-driven graphics and virtual stadiums to MLB's StatCast 3D throughout August. Broadcasters are taking advantage of the MLB tool, producing their own reviews and recreations.

Virtual Eye Golf is covering both the PGA and European Tours - mostly remote, with local operators on occasion. Both Tour's schedules align so that Virtual Eye Golf brings our graphics and ball-tracking to concurrent tournaments thousands of miles apart. In August, the English Championship at Hanbury Manor coincided with the PGA Championship in San Francisco, the Celtic Classic in Scotland took place alongside the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina - and the Wales Open, the Northern Trust in Boston and the Women's British Open all ran concurrently with Virtual Eye Golf supporting each. The UK Championship at The Belfry and the BMW Championship in Illinois were the final tournaments for the month.

MLB StatCast 3D, K.Gausman pitching graphic