Intel Plans to Enter 3D Sports Broadcasting

Intel announced on Wednesday, March 9, that it has acquired Israeli company Replay Technologies. The tech giant said that it's intending to enter the field of 3D sports broadcasting.

Replay Technologies is a virtual reality startup company specializing in 360-degree, "free dimensional" videos. Replay Technologies' uses computer-intensive graphics and high-resolution cameras to offer viewers an experience of the sporting events from any angle. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Intel declared on Wednesday the $170 million agreement to acquire Replay Technologies. The Israeli virtual-reality startup specializes in digitization of sports, which attracted Intel.

The deal is expected to close in three weeks. After the closure, Replay Technologies' Chief Executive Officer Oren Yogev will be appointed as Intel's corporate vice president. Wendell Brooks, senior vice president at Intel, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday that the two companies will scale this new technology together to offer immersive sports entertainment experiences.

Intel has already been collaborating with Replay Technologies since 2013. In January 2016, they presented the new 3D interactive technology on stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intel and Replay Technologies also joined forces during the NBA All-Star Weekend, providing fans a full 360-degree experience of the popular Slam Dunk contest.

According to Ars Technica, Intel has plans to further utilize 3D technology, hoping to bring sports fans along for the ride. The acquisition is part of Intel's plans use virtual reality and augmented reality. As of now, Intel has acquired at least five companies specializing in such technologies. Also, Intel is working on an augmented reality wearable device.

Mixed reality or augmented reality superimposes information to look like the real world. The technology uses special glasses or the screen of a device like a smartphone. By contrast, virtual reality is usually displayed in computer-generated scenes.

According to Brooks, immersive sports field is data driven and requires the high-performance computing technologies of Intel. He added that 3D sports broadcasting can add new dimensions to every game. The new technology provides coaches, athletes, fans and broadcasters the ability to capture, analyze and share new data.