5 minutes with Steve Plunkett from Supponor
Supponor’s technology solutions are the proven virtual advertising solutions for any sport, anywhere around the world. Steve Plunkett explains how the company utilises artificial intelligence technology to boost the sporting industry.
Can you tell me about your company?
Supponor is the market leader in virtual advertising in live sports broadcasting. We use AI and augmented reality technologies to replace real world objects, such as perimeter signage in football stadiums, with authentic looking alternative content to allow clubs and brands to tailor their messages to different television audiences.
What is your role and responsibilities at the company?
I am the Chief Product Officer with responsibility for Product, Research and Development.
How does Supponor utilise AI?
We use AI in various places within our platform, all focused on computer vision based AI. For example, we use AI to accurately key a physical object or space within the television scene so that we can insert replacement advertising, in real-time, without over drawing objects that occlude that area (players, balls, match officials etc).
How do you think AI will transform the world of sports broadcast and the internet world?
Computer vision based AI allows machines to identify and understand objects and activity within each frame of video during a sports broadcast. That insight can be used to augment the video itself and provide fans with additional information to enhance the viewing experience. We are only at the very beginning of that journey and we can expect to see a lot of innovation, driven by AI, in how fans can experience and engage with their favourites sports on TV.
What can we expect from Supponor and its use of AI/ML-enabled technology in the future?
We are continuously expanding our AI team and capabilities to allow us to reach more sports genres, in more interesting ways, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. AI is now a foundational technology and a critical innovation driver in everything we do and we are very excited about its role and potential going forward.
