During the Apsara Conference 2020, Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, unveiled a series of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions which are set to transform the way sports entertainment has been traditionally organised, broadcast and consumed. The new solutions bring spectators centrestage for more personalised and interactive engagement, while helping organisers and broadcasters operate more efficiently, effectively and securely.
Event organisers are set to benefit from Alibaba Cloud’s Event Simulation Services (ESS). Running on cloud and powered by elastic compute, ESS can help organisers plan the layout of indoor venues virtually, optimising the position of equipment and facilities, without having to move or commission anything physically. With the ability to create a digital twin, ESS negates the time, expense and risk of physical tests and runthroughs, providing a comprehensive digital examination of a venue for all key stakeholders. When it comes to event broadcasting planning, ESS enables broadcasters to simulate and test different camera positions before installing camera tracks, thereby offering audiences the best point of view. Furthermore, ESS provides organisers with a wealth of insights for post-event analysis for more effective future planning.
For large-scale events, crowd management and access control could be time-consuming and cumbersome to coordinate. The typical paper-based accreditation system is not effective enough, especially at a time when venue coordinators are working hard to maintain social distancing measures.
Alibaba Cloud has developed a Digital Badge System which embeds access control and essential event information with digital accreditation. Developed to be simple to use, the digital badge system is environmentally friendly, and reduces the risk of access pass fraud. Digital badges can also carry information such as maps, event times and organiser contact details, and can be issued within seconds and on demand. Card holders can also receive card expiration notices and other important notifications in real-time. In addition, event organisers have the option to embed health advisory information in the event of COVID-19 outbreaks.
Alibaba Cloud has launched Press Conference on Cloud to facilitate virtual media briefings using proven live and on-demand streaming technologies. The solution broadens the reach and increases efficiency for journalists, who do not need to be physically present in order to join press conferences, saving them travel time. With Press Conference on Cloud, reporters can even choose to attend more than one briefing happening in different locations at the same time.
To bring fans closer to sports events, Alibaba Cloud has launched Fan Video Hub. This service enables sports fans from all over the world to support their favourite teams and athletes more personally, regardless of their location. The AI-powered technology can act as an efficient aggregator, collecting and filtering real-time videos uploaded by fans from all over the world to a variety of social network platforms, before broadcasting them onto designated online platforms, or in venues where the event being enjoyed is going on. Organisers of sports events can initiate campaigns encouraging fans to create themed videos that to be displayed in sports stadiums.
“As a global leading cloud service provider, we are excited to see our mature technology innovations to be used to support the digital transformation of some of the largest international sports events,” said Selina Yuan, President of International Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
“For example, with Alibaba Cloud’s trusted infrastructure and services, we are able to work with stadiums and event managers to create even more thrilling and immersive experiences for fans, wherever they’re based. More importantly, health and safety has to be front of mind at all venues and events, and our solutions help event organisers deliver on their post-pandemic responsibilities through reduced and unnecessary travel. We want to maximise the thrill of sporting achievements, while enabling event organisers to work safely and even more efficiently with fans and global broadcasters.”
Alibaba Cloud is committed to digitalising sports events through helping broadcasters transform the experience. In September 2018, together with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), Alibaba Cloud launched OBS cloud, which was developed to transform the process for bringing the Olympic Games to viewers. Alibaba Cloud is also the official cloud services partner of the International Olympic Committee.
Alibaba Cloud is among the world’s top three infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers according to Gartner, and the largest provider of public cloud services in China, according to IDC. Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to businesses worldwide, including merchants doing business on Alibaba Group marketplaces, startups, corporations and government organisations.
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