How new broadcast technology is changing the way fans watch cricket

Cricket broadcasting has come a long way since the BBC showed matches from a single end of the stadium, using three to four cameras. Today, multiple camera angles, smart graphics, and new technology have changed how viewers experience the game, while giving brands ways to integrate themselves into the broadcast without disrupting it.

When India take on Afghanistan in Delhi from September 13, the bilateral series will introduce several broadcast innovations together for the first time.

Film directors often have signature techniques that become part of their storytelling. Martin Scorsese is known for tracking shots, Alfred Hitchcock used the Dolly Zoom to create a sense of urgency, while Wes Anderson is known for his symmetrical framing. Sport has developed its own visual language, with distinctive camera angles, effects, and graphics helping make live action more cinematic. The NFL, for instance, used NFL Films to develop a distinctive approach to American Football.

Cricket has adopted similar innovations over the past three decades as the game’s popularity, particularly in India, has grown. The India-Afghanistan series will bring several of these technologies together. 

One of them is the Magic 360 Cam, which “freezes” a moment and then unfolds it across multiple camera angles, creating the impression that the field is rotating 360 degrees. The visual is similar to some of the action sequences in The Matrix.

The Skel Track will offer a biomechanics view of players in action, showing how their bodies move while playing a shot. It is designed to help viewers understand elements such as balance, head angle, and weight transfer.

There will also be an Umpire Cam, using AI-stabilized technology to provide a first-person view of the action from the umpire’s perspective. Player trackers will show the real-time positioning of fielders, allowing fans to see how a field is set and imagine themselves as armchair captains.

These technologies also offer brands opportunities for contextual branding and messaging within the broadcast, without adding to the visual clutter viewers already encounter during a match. 

When fans power the game

The series will also feature what is being described as a first in cricket: a fan-powered sightscreen.

At branded cycle stations, spectators will pedal to generate kinetic energy that helps power the sight screen. The idea is to turn the energy generated by fans into a visible part of the live cricket experience.

Traditionally powered by diesel generators, the sight screen will instead use clean kinetic energy generated by spectators. The activation brings together sport, fitness, technology, and sustainability, while creating opportunities for health, fitness, lifestyle, and energy brands to engage with fans.

The concept also gives brands an opportunity to extend their activations beyond the stadium through content and storytelling around the property.

Explaining the thinking behind elevating the broadcast experience for bilateral cricket, Bhairav Shanth, Co-founder of ITW Universe, who are the rightsholders for the series, said: “Our focus has always been on creating platforms where brands can move beyond visibility and become part of the fan experience. The India versus Afghanistan series allows us to do exactly that by combining innovative broadcast assets with interactive fan activations.”

He added, “We want brands to connect with audiences at moments that are exciting, relevant, and memorable, ultimately driving deeper engagement and stronger recall.”