The PGA Tour, one of golf’s most prominent names, has recently entered into a partnership with fan experience services company The Famous Group to create a mixed reality iteration of The Players Championship. This was done as part of the 40th anniversary of the esteemed championship event, being held at Florida’s Ponte Vedra Beach.
The new mixed reality feature marked the very first time that the PGA Tour has brought mixed reality technology to broadcast. It featured the gold golfer, that offered a combination of some of the most esteemed winners of the tournament, including the likes of Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods. They were seen creating a throwback to some of the most iconic moments in the history of the tournament.
The mixed reality offering of the tournament debuted on the Golf Channel, and it also got featured across different platforms including ESPN+, PGA Tour Live, and several others. Viewers got to witness different activations when the tournament was running. This includes the famous “Better Than Most” putt from 2001’s tournament featuring golf legend Tiger Woods. It also included his iconic fist pump by the golfer. In addition, viewers were able to witness another iconic moment through the presentation, which was the triumphant winning shot of legend Fowler from the 2015 edition of the tournament.
Prior to this year’s tournament, Anne Detlefsen, Senior Director, Digital Content, PGA Tour, spoke about the offering. She said that there is a constant endeavour by the tournament’s organisers to incorporate advanced technology to Players. According to her, there are efforts every year to ramp up the novelty factor of the tournament, in order to provide better experiences to viewers.
Detlefsen further elaborated about the mixed reality feature of the tournament. She said that the number of mixed reality activations in the market is quite high, but not much of that has to do with the sport of golf. This is what inspired the PGA Tour organisers to grab the opportunity and implement the technology. It helped them boost the storytelling element to make the overall experience enjoyable and engaging. This tournament was a great way to showcase how mixed reality technology can be used to highlight a rich history of many years.
This is the very first of its kind in terms of a mixed reality powered golf broadcast. The Famous Group is set to make its mark in the world of sports broadcast with the help of compelling technology-based storytelling.
Based out of Los Angeles, Famous Group has developed a mixed reality version of the iconic raven for Baltimore Ravens, and a lifelike panther for Carolina Panthers. The company has contributed to many such sports mixed reality projects, including the widely popular integrations for the NBA All-Star Game, and the Super Bowl.
The integration for the PGA gains its information from a series of photos and scans of different locations, and produces it for the viewers. This includes places such as TPC Sawgrass. It also offers real-time updates of weather and time along with audio to give a precise and realistic experience.
