This evening brings the biggest game in German soccer, Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund, at 6:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET). Besides the regular broadcast, Germany will get a very different second version of the match: the players will appear as Playmobil figures that move exactly like the real ones, in real time and thanks to artificial intelligence. It’s the first time a full Bundesliga match has been brought live into a virtual world like this.
How it works
The foundation is the match’s official 3D tracking data, which records the position of every player and the ball in real time. Tracab‘s AI system analyzes the video feed to extract each player’s tracking points. That data goes to the company Trickshot, which rebuilds the match with Playmobil figures in a virtual world created with Unreal Engine, the same engine many video games use. The result is a broadcast that runs in parallel with the real one, play by play.
Who’s behind it
The project is called “Sky Sport Spezial – Next Level” and it’s a joint trial by RTL Deutschland, Sky Sport and the Bundesliga. It will have its own host, Sonja Kisseljow, at the stadium, and its own commentators, Danyal Rafiei Samany and Julius Fellermann. It’s aimed mainly at younger fans: through the TOGGO app, RTL’s kids’ channel, viewers will be able to vote on some parts of the show.
Maximilian Orgonyi, head of transformation and AI at RTL Deutschland, sums it up like this: “RTL Deutschland sees AI as a huge opportunity for the future of video.” And Alessandro Reitano, vice president of sports production, explains that the Klassiker is “the ideal stage to test new forms of sports production” together with the Bundesliga.
Where to watch it
- Playmobil version: from 6:00 p.m. local time on Sky Sport Bundesliga 3 and RTL+, with a pre-game show, the match and post-game analysis.
- Free-to-air pre-game show: on the TOGGO channel and the TOGGO app (the pre-game show only, not the match).
- Regular broadcast: on Sky, as usual.
Keep in mind: these are German services, so you won’t be able to watch this version from the US. To watch the regular match, you’ll need the platform that holds the Bundesliga rights where you live.
My take
I live in Germany and, as a tech fan, this seems like one of the most interesting uses of AI in sports I’ve seen. It doesn’t replace the real match, but it could be a perfect gateway to get kids hooked on soccer, and it shows how far real-time tracking data has come. If it goes well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar in MLS or the Champions League soon.
Sources: Sky Sport Austria, Netzwelt, Yahoo Nachrichten.
