Major League Baseball (MLB) and NTT have signed a multi-year technology partnership. NTT is the first Japan-based IT company to be named an official MLB partner in the US. The deal will explore and leverage NTT’s Ultra Reality Viewing (URV) tool to create new services for baseball fans. Also, as ‘Official MLB Fan Experience Partner for Ultra Reality Viewing’ and ‘Title Sponsor of MLB Network Ballpark Cam’, NTT plans to increase its brand awareness using MLB’s distribution platforms including digital, mobile, social, offline and television.
NTT and MLB will jointly create services for baseball fans using NTT’s Ultra Reality Viewing platform. Ultra Reality Viewing is NTT’s real-time super HD surround video synthesis technology that combines multiple 4K camera images into a super-wide image such as 12K in real-time and transmits them synchronously to remote locations. With these HD surround videos, audiences will be able to view sports content as if they were watching it live in the stadium or on the field, NTT said. The tool is based on NTT’s R&D technology called ‘Kirari!’, which has already been implemented in Japan to enhance audience viewing.
MLB and NTT are in the planning stages for a prototype URV experience at select upcoming games. Specific details and preview media opportunities will be announced at a later date.
NTT has also been named the title sponsor of MLB Network’s Ballpark Cam technology. Controlled from MLB Network’s studios in Secaucus, NJ, NTT Ballpark Cam is a network of cameras installed across all 30 MLB ballparks, allowing MLB Network to capture pre-game and postgame on-field footage and live on-camera interviews for each of its 8 studio shows. The service also delivers live game content to MLB Network daily for use across its live and original programming.
