Saturday’s DFL Supercup between Bayern and RB Leipzig was produced in the 9:16 format as part of a collaboration between Sky Sports Germany and production solutions specialist Vizrt.
The match, notable for being the first appearance in Bayern colours of England captain Harry Kane, was the first vertical football match multi-screened on Tik Tok by Sky Sports in Germany.
Described as a ‘Watch Party’, viewers were able to watch multiple sources and graphics simultaneously including exclusive camera cuts, performance history, and match analytics.
Recent research by Vizrt has shown a growing trend amongst Gen Z – those born between 1996 and 2010 – for short-form content. Sky Sports Germany is producing 15 minute-long segments posted before, during and after the match. Two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z and almost half (47%) of millennials frequently watch sports on social media and over 70% find vertical viewing more personal and immersive than horizontal.
“Sport viewer trends are rapidly changing. Vertical football matches have been broadcasted previously, however screening on TikTok whilst offering a multi-screen viewing experience is a first. We’ve seen a growing demand for snappier content via digital platforms, and with Vizrt Vectar, we can deliver a one-of-a-kind experience that combines multiple aspects of the game within a short 15-minute segment,” said Alessandro Reitano, Senior Vice President Sports Production, Sky Sports Germany.
Sky Sports Germany is using Vizrt’s Viz Vectar Plus for the live 9:16 production, in addition to using Viz Engine 5, and its classic render pipeline, for its core broadcast studio production to drive the LED walls and AR graphics. Sky Sports Germany has also brought in Viz Arena for in-stadium AR graphics and Viz Libero for advanced sports analysis.
