Star Sports Network, the official broadcaster of TATA IPL 2023, has unveiled a slew of product features for the upcoming season, aimed at providing an enriched viewing experience for fans. The broadcaster has once again joined forces with Dolby to showcase the tournament with Dolby ATMOS (5.1.4) audio, which promises an immersive sound experience on its HD feeds. To capture cinematic and realistic sound, the broadcaster has collaborated with Dolby to optimize the configuration of over 40 microphones located within the stadium.
Moreover, Star Sports is launching several interactive features in partnership with Airtel Digital TV (“Star Sports Pro,” available on the red button on the remote) and Tata Play (“Star Sports VIP,” available on the side button on the remote). The service includes real-time highlights, key moments, and comprehensive statistics, all of which can be accessed on-demand with the touch of a button, powered by ESPN Cricinfo’s statistical database. Other features, such as “Ambience feed” and “Subtitled Feed,” are available to viewers. The Ambience feed enables viewers to switch off commentary and experience in-stadium sound without any interruption, while the Subtitled Feed is a first-of-its-kind feature that provides subtitles for commentary during live matches, powered by an innovative workflow and AI.
Apart from the features being offered to consumers, technology plays a significant role in enhancing the coverage of Tata IPL 2023. The “Holobox” at the Studio provides an interactive experience that allows fans to teleport and interact with commentators, while “Traxis” enhances graphics in 3D to augment the viewing experience. Furthermore, the “social listening tool” allows real-time fan polling through any social platform, promoting fan engagement. The introduction of Hawkeye 4K Cam, Xeebra Quad Replay, and the VR Immersive Cricket Game aims to elevate the standard of programming and live match coverage.
A Star Sports Spokesperson said, “We have always believed that Tata IPL 2023 should be a hotbed for innovation in the world of live sports broadcast. Our coverage, in association with BCCI, should aim to set global standards. As viewing experiences enter a new era, we want to make sure that we are always pushing boundaries, to serve fans. Our continuous focus on fan behaviour has led us to develop features which complement the viewing spectacle of IPL and still offer the comfort of the lean-back TV experience, which fans love.”
In the past two weeks, Disney Star has unveiled its coverage plans for Tata IPL 2023, aiming to drive community viewing, add layers of interactivity, and enhance customization on television. With its unique brand of storytelling and association with cricket superstars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shreyas Iyer, Star Sports promises to take fans deeper into the game and closer to their heroes than ever before. A panel of experts comprising World Champions, IPL title winners, marquee coaches, and seasoned broadcasters from around the world will present the tournament. Additionally, Bollywood star Ranveer Singh and Telugu acting legend Nandamuri Balakrishnan are part of Star Sports’ broadcast team for Tata IPL 2023, bringing alive a never-before-seen spectacle that aims to engage over 500 million viewers on TV.
Key Product Features introduced by Star Sports Network
Special button service: It will consist of ‘Real-time Highlights,’ which will provide viewers with instant highlights of missed game segments, ‘Key Moments’ will provide viewers highlights of critical game-changing moments from the match and ‘Stats Feed’, in association with ESPNCricinfo, will provide real-time stats to viewers on television.
Dolby Atmos (Live match feed): The live match feed will be produced in Dolby Atmos sound. This Atmos audio, available on the HD feeds, will enable the viewer to experience the original stadium atmosphere in the comfort of the home.
Ambience-only feed: Viewers will be able to enable the ‘Ambience Only’ mode whenever they wish with just a press of the blue button on their remote which will eliminate commentary and provide a stadium-like atmosphere to fans.
Holobox: This feature is one of the newest advancements in sports broadcasting which provides an interactive experience that allows fans to get a better understanding of key moments in the game.
Subtitled Feed: The Subtitled Feed will provide live match commentary subtitles. It will allow the broadcaster to provide the IPL to audiences who are differently abled by providing Live Match commentary subtitles which is an innovation in Live Sports Broadcast. This feature is also highly efficient in noisy areas like pubs and restaurants, allowing viewers to remain invested in the game.
Social listening tool (real-time fan polling through any platform): Fans will also be able to interact with the television by using the Social Listening Tool which provides fans with real-time polls through any platform.
Xeebra Quad Replay: Using the Quad Replay tool, viewers will be able to capture key moments through different angles simultaneously and enjoy a richer viewing experience.
VR Immersive Cricket Game: VR Cricket Game with real-time engine rendering. Mixed reality output, broadcast-like output, and stabilized POV output to help in better analysis of the game
Hawkeye 3D cutouts: Using 3D player cut outs for Analysis for a better visual experience during match analysis.
