Video solutions provider Accedo joins forces with hardware and software enabler Qualcomm Technologies and HBS, specialised in sports broadcast organisation, to accelerate commercialisation of XR sports services.
The three founding members are collaborating to form a strategic alliance with the aim of bringing together market-leading stakeholders to bridge the sports and XR industry. It will draw on Accedo’s expertise in video user experience, distribution and monetisation, Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon-powered XR technology, and HBS’ sports ecosystem. The programme aims to accelerate knowledge gathering, technological advancement and time-to-market for XR sports services, as well as gather and share industry knowledge.
The XR Sports Alliance aims to drive development and deployment of XR sports products and services by providing an end-to-end solution framework to help stakeholders deploy state-of-the art XR services efficiently and at scale. The framework encompasses immersive video production and distribution, system architecture definition, data and monetisation frameworks, user testing and technology and business model advisory elements. The initiative will be open to third parties to join, including XR OEMs, to drive development of purpose-built XR hardware for the sports and video entertainment use case.
At its core, the programme aims to connect leading companies from the sports, video, telco, infrastructure, and hardware industries to collaborate with one another in innovation projects, collectively contribute to each other’s roadmaps, and exchange knowledge and feedback, with the aim of supporting and accelerating industry growth and innovation.
“We believe XR will become an important content distribution and user engagement platform and we want to connect industry stakeholders to collaborate and innovate. The alliance network will enable industries to uncover industry demand in different geographical regions and shine light on the pipeline of upcoming XR solutions, allowing sports rights owners and holders to make data-driven decisions,” said Michael Lantz, CEO of Accedo.
Patrick Costello, Senior Director, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, added: “We are entering a new era of spatial computing. We firmly believe that XR experiences will revolutionise how fans engage with sports and we are already seeing a rise in adoption of immersive entertainment experiences thanks to the emergence of new XR devices and increased investment by OEMs for sports content rights. The XR Sports Alliance, will bring together key players in the sports entertainment value-chain, collectively fostering the ecosystem to deliver game-changing immersive sports experiences.”
Sylvain Lebreton, Head of Digital Services at HBS, commented: “This programme aims to be a game-changer for the sports industry, helping to drive innovation. We are engaging with industry leaders across every part of the XR and sports broadcast ecosystem, which we are sure will ultimately accelerate development and deployment of commercial XR sports services.”
