Augmented live streams of CFL games available exclusively on TSN+ starting Thursday
Published
The Canadian Football League, TSN, and Genius Sports Limited are continuing to transform how viewers connect and interact with the action on the field, with augmented live streaming of regular season and postseason games, and the 111th Grey Cup on Sunday, November 17 available exclusively on TSN+.
The CFL’s first-ever augmented live stream will air on Thursday, June 20, with the Ottawa REDBLACKS visiting the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes for their home opener.
Made possible through the league’s partnerships with TSN, Genius Sports, and Wilson, and in collaboration with the CFL Players’ Association, player tracking technology and microchip-implanted footballs will provide data and insights to better inform and engage viewers.
“As Canada’s exclusive home of the CFL, we’re proud to have TSN+ showcase these innovative and entertaining new augmented live streams for fans across the country,” said Shawn Redmond, VP, Bell Media Sports. “This new partnership with the CFL and Genius Sports provides our passionate CFL fans with even more unique and captivating insights into the game they love.”
Through Genius Sports’ unique AI and computer vision capabilities which automatically synchronize billions of data points with live video in real-time, CFL fans will be provided with a wealth of new statistics and insights. Players on the field will be identified by name and position, and their speeds will be measured. The quarterback’s time to throw will be tracked. Route trees will mirror the action, providing deeper understanding for fans and more in-depth analysis by media members. All features will be seen in real-time as the action unfolds. Additional information will be available for viewers as the season progresses.
“We’re excited to begin a new era of CFL broadcasts through the creation of live stats-enhanced viewing experiences in partnership with TSN," said Steven Burton, Chief Partnerships Officer at Genius Sports. "These new insights will be delivered in real-time, bringing audiences closer to the live action through data-rich broadcast augmentations that enable CFL fans to immerse themselves in every play,” .
Augmented broadcasts are one of several features that the CFL, TSN, and Genius Sports will roll out this season to bring fans and media members closer to the game.
Active player bios on CFL.ca now include transaction histories to display their full football journeys through the league and play-by-play summaries have been enhanced to include team timeouts, catch spots, challenges, automatic reviews and turnovers on downs.
The CFL Gametracker found within the dynamic scoreboard at the top of CFL.ca has been updated to include a redesigned interface, featuring play-by-play functionality, and faster individual player and team statistics. The new field visualization displays ball position and team possession, updated in real-time to keep fans following online up-to-date.
The league’s centralized hub of exclusive league offerings, products and contests – CFL Game Zone – has revamped a number of free-to-play offerings for fans. Blitz Picks, the popular weekly predictor game, has been re-envisioned to be club-specific, for fans wishing to focus on their favourite teams and heroes. Each week, every team in action hosts their own Blitz Picks contest, specific to their upcoming matchup. Fans in search of a bigger challenge can play all nine versions to test their knowledge of the entire league.
CFL Fantasy’s new user interface includes additional statistics and information. The updated salary algorithm makes the game more competitive and the introduction of team defensive scoring places greater emphasis on both sides of the ball. The enhanced statistics dashboards will also be featured in future CFL Game Zone offerings.
“When we talk about the path ahead for fan experience and fan interaction, one word comes to mind – more,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “More information. More understanding. More details to draw viewers in. More data to help fans feel like they’re in the game and truly part of the action.
“Our game is evolving. Through augmented broadcasts, we can showcase everything that makes our league so special – prime athletes in top-flight, the pace of CFL football, the quick-thinking of our players and more. This season’s entire lineup of offerings, developed with our partners, continues to lay the foundations for the future of our great game and CFL fandom.”