It is now the norm for people to watch live sports on their mobiles. For example, a UK survey of 2,000 sports fans found that over 60% now view at least some live matches on their phones.
But when audiences watch sports on mobile, there’s a problem. Many people’s screens are locked to portrait mode, and they’re used to watching videos in a vertical position on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Yet most live sports content is delivered in a horizontal 16:9 format intended for traditional TV.
Optimizing live sports to a vertical format would mean you could delight fans who watch more sports on their phones - and win more viewing time. But up until now, it’s been very challenging for broadcasters to offer this.
The challenge of producing vertical live sports content for mobile
Mobile devices are designed to view the screen vertically - it’s a natural, comfortable position for the human hand. Moreover, the world’s most successful mobile video apps (i.e., TikTok, Instagram, and Snap) have educated users to view content this way. Most content on these platforms is filmed and viewed in a 9:16, vertical format.
Unsurprisingly, research shows that 82.5% of people keep their phones in portrait mode on video sites. Many people now lock their phones to portrait mode and watch most videos in this position, too.
However, for sports broadcasters, delivering content in a way that’s enjoyable to consume in portrait mode is very difficult. Why is this?
Sports broadcasters today almost exclusively receive a horizontal 16:9 feed from a production company at the sports event. This company will film the action, using dozens of cameras around the venue, and send this directly to the broadcaster, whose production crew then edits it.
In most cases, the live feed is only delivered in 16:9 format. So, the broadcast production crew focuses on creating the best possible 16:9 stream (since traditional TV remains the largest audience for many sports). But this means mobile viewers don’t get the same experience.
One potential solution here is to duplicate production. One stream would be focused on 16:9 and another on vertical 9:16. However, this relies on the host broadcaster at the sports event having the cameras that can capture both 16:9 and 9:16 (sometimes this is possible using existing cameras; other times, it isn’t). It also requires an extra production crew at the broadcaster who can produce the 9:16 feed for vertical viewing. However, paying for an additional vertical stream and hiring extra staff would be very expensive.
Auto ReZone: a better way to verticalize live sport
With its unique Auto ReZone technology, Wildmoka automatically generates a live vertical stream from your 16:9 stream without the need for a duplicating vertical/horizontal production. The result is more than a cropped output - a smart recomposition of your feed with an optimized layout for each shot.
So, how does it work?
Adapted layout
Auto ReZone uses dynamic layouts to deliver the best viewing experience.
For general play, Auto ReZone automatically splits the user’s screen. The top third displays the whole live 16:9 shot from the standard horizontal feed - this helps fans understand the full context of the action. Then, the bottom two-thirds of the screen is filled with a zoomed view of the action, so they can more clearly see what’s happening.
Split-screen for a wide shot and a close-up with multiple players
(tall layout with the complete 16:9 picture on top and a square zoom-in below)
The technology can also detect when the original feed is zooming in on a player, on a coach’s reaction, or a replay of a piece of skill. It dynamically readjusts, and the vertical stream goes full-screen zoom so viewers can see more detail.
Dynamic readjustment to full screen for single-player close-up (in-game or coach/fans)
Adapted graphics overlays
Auto Rezone’s video output can lift and repurpose graphics from the dirty feed and intelligently apply (or remove) overlays from the clean feed, too.
It then dynamically adds or removes clocks, player names, scores, branding logos, and other overlays. This means that you get overlays optimized for vertical viewing.
Suitable for live clips and stories
Auto Rezone’s live output is also ideally suited to creating VOD (with both manual and/or automatic clipping). This means goals, strikes, shots, and other content types are automatically delivered in an ideal format for mobile-oriented social media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, etc.), as well as your apps and those of partner organizations.
Verticalize live sport to mobile
Auto ReZone is tried and tested as a solution for automatically verticalizing live football (soccer) to mobile - but is also ready to be adapted to other sports.
If you want to deliver live sports to mobile in a vertical format - without vast investments in editorial teams and new processes - request a demo today and see how Auto Rezone gives you a better way to verticalize live sports video.