The FAI and the GAA are coming together for a world trial of a new in-play camera that will give TV viewers a new perspective on what it is like to be in the thick of the action.
The 1.4 Player camera is woven into the fabric of playing shirts and has been developed by Sky who will broadcast live pictures from the shirt during two opening-round matches in this year’s All Ireland Football and Hurling Championships, as well as on Republic of Ireland matches in the UEFA Nations League over the summer.
It was trialled in Tuesday’s 1-0 win for the Irish football team against Lithuania on the shirts of Caoimhin Kelleher, Matt Doherty and Callum Robinson though the pictures were not broadcast live.
“You wouldn’t know it was there at all,” said Robinson speaking to us after the game at the Aviva. “You’d feel the embroidered match details on the shirt more than this and it is so small it is amazing to get anything from it.”
“I haven’t seen the footage yet but you’d be a fool not to want to be able to play back what you could see when chances arose.”
“We have been working on this project for exactly a year,” said Sky producer April O’Faoláin. It uses technology that was developed in the United States for Basketball and Baseball players and we feel it will give a whole new perspective to the games we are covering.”
“We are trialling it in the UEFA Nations League and in a number of games in the English Championship and the hope is that we will roll it out to our Premier League coverage next season.”
When we were in touch with the GAA about our coverage of this year’s Championships in Hurling and Football, it came up in conversation and when the GAA were keen to be part of a trial we were delighted.
A final decision on the games and players involved has been slowed by the impasse between the GPA and the GAA over training mileage expenses but we hope to have that resolved very soon.
