Media

Euro 2024 switches to chipped ball for VAR offside decisions

Published

1 year ago

November 15, 2023

UEFA will introduce connected technology into the Adidas FUSSBALLLIEBE ball for Euro 2024 to improve the accuracy of semi-automated offside VAR decisions, as well as provide additional tracking data for players.

The same technology was used by FIFA at the World Cup in the Adidas Al Rihla ball, and it was able to conclusively prove that Cristiano Ronaldo did not make any contact for Portugal’s opener in their 2-0 win over Uruguay.

UEFA’s semi-automated offside system being used in the Champions League does not have a chip inside the ball, meaning Artificial Intelligence (AI) alone has to make up for any issues in accurately detecting the kick-point for offside.

Semi-automated offside uses a series of cameras in the stadium roof to track all 22 players on the pitch and map their position, so the VAR does not need to manually create the offside lines. A sensor is in the centre of the Adidas ball, recording data 500 times a second to detect when the ball has been kicked. It is intended to be quicker, more accurate and provide a 3D visualisation of the decision.

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5dDale Johnson

Serie A is the only other major league to use semi-automated offside, without a chipped ball, while LaLiga has confirmed it plans to introduce it next season and Premier League clubs are expected to hold a vote in March after continuing trials through this campaign.

While Adidas provides the official ball for both FIFA and UEFA, Puma is the supplier for LaLiga and Serie A, with Nike for the Premier League, Derbystar for the Bundesliga and Kipsta in Ligue 1.

The time needed to make a VAR offside decision should be reduced from an average of 70 seconds to 25, while fans inside the stadiums and viewers watching on television will be provided with a 3D animation to clearly show the offside.

Clubs in England’s top flight rejected a proposal to introduce the technology at the start of this season, unconvinced it was the right time. But the Premier League has suffered a series of offside errors this calendar year, although semiautomated offside would not have prevented the failure to correct Luis Díaz’s wrongly disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur as that was a communication error.

However, tracking the ball would have enabled the VAR to make a decision on Anthony Gordon’s offside position for his winning goal for Newcastle United against Arsenal.

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Ambrose Ijeh

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Media

How To Stream AC Milan vs Liverpool Match Online For Free

Published

2 months ago

September 17, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

How To Stream AC Milan vs Liverpool Match Online For Free

An online streaming service has exclusive rights to the big Champions League match – but it’s easy to watch it for free.

Liverpool will be returning to the Champions League on Tuesday night, hoping to get back to winning ways on the opening night of the new campaign, facing old foes AC Milan.

The side, who previously faced Milan in the 2005 and 2007, suffered a 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, so they will be hoping to get back to winning ways this week.

However, Milan have also had a tumultuous ride so far, with the team currently in 9th after four games, despite a solid 4-0 win over Venezia at the weekend.

It’s shaping up to be a thrilling match, then, with both teams having plenty to prove, and you can watch it for free on Amazon Prime Video.

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Ambrose Ijeh

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Media

LaLiga Signs 2024-25 Broadcast Deal With China Media Group

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

LaLiga Signs 2024-25 Broadcast Deal With China Media Group

Spanish soccer’s top-tier LaLiga has unveiled state-run China Media Group (CMG) as its official broadcast partner in the country.

Through a deal announced today, CMG returns as a Chinese broadcaster of the 20-team Spanish league.

The tie-up has come with the 2024-25 campaign already four matchdays in and follows a memorandum of understanding between the two parties in late July.

Last season (2023-24), LaLiga action was shown in China by the Migu streaming service, while rights for 2024-25 have also been snapped up by the iQiyi digital broadcaster.

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, has said: “China remains a key market for LaLiga, and we are thrilled to bring our league’s unique passion and excitement to Chinese fans through one of the most influential media platforms in the country.”

Over the last few weeks, LaLiga has been scrambling to add more partners to its stable of broadcasters for this season.

Earlier this month, a significant deal across numerous African markets was unveiled with SportyTV, while mid-August saw BeIN Sports extend its exclusive rights deals across the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Domestically, DAZN and Movistar are the main rights-holders through deals running between 2022 and 2027.

Sportcal

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Ambrose Ijeh

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Belgium’s Pro League Launches Five-Season Domestic Rights Tender

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

Belgian soccer’s top-tier Pro League has gone to market with a domestic media rights tender for the five seasons between 2025 and 2030.

The tender was launched recently (September 9), and the Pro League is being strategically supported by the heavyweight IMG agency – through a deal unveiled last October – during the process.

The deadline for prospective rights-holders to submit bids is October 16, with a Pro League general assembly to then evaluate the bids on October 18.

Interested parties can obtain the tender documents by contacting tender2025@proleague.be.

The 16-team Pro League’s domestic and international rights are currently held by global sports streaming service DAZN – which acquired previous rights-holder Eleven Sports in 2023 – in a five-year deal running through the 2024-25 season. Eleven tapped sports agency Mediapro to distribute international rights in partnership with the league.

In total, eight rights packages are available for purchase – three specifically for the Pro League (others cover the second-tier Challenger Pro League and various domestic cup competitions).

A new development in this tender is that the packages are platform-neutral, meaning they cover both linear and streaming rights.

In terms of kick-off times for games across the five seasons covered by the tender, meanwhile, the Pro League has said these “remain virtually unchanged.”

IMG, meanwhile, also has a contract in place to collect and commercialize the Pro League’s fastpath data in a five-year agreement with European Leagues running from 2022-23 to 2027-28.