SailGP has announced an expanded collaboration with T-Mobile for Business. SailGP will leverage a 5G hybrid mobile network from T-Mobile’s 5G advanced network solutions (5G ANS) portfolio to further elevate fan experience with new views of live race action and provide SailGP athletes advanced on-water performance analysis.
Utilising T-Mobile’s secure low-latency 5G connectivity in their hybrid mobile network, SailGP fans and athletes are already getting advantages: For fans, T-Mobile’s 5G advanced network solutions technology is now powering new action cameras mounted on SailGP’s 10 F50s 50-foot flying catamarans that race at speeds upwards of 60 mph that provide live POV (point of view) broadcast feeds to help bring fans into the on-board action from the athlete’s point of view.
Here’s how it works: All SailGP’s F50s are now 5G-connected and feature POV cameras that are used to stream live, high-definition video from each F50 to SailGP’s London broadcast studio. These wireless cameras are embedded with 5G modules, making them ideal for mounting where needed on the F50s, and can utilise AI (artificial intelligence) to track athlete movement, ensuring that every moment of action is captured.
“We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what 5G can do for consumers and businesses,” says Callie Field, president, T-Mobile Business Group. “Delivering fast and reliable analytics along with immersive viewing experiences in a tough offshore environment is a literal game changer.”
During last month’s Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, SailGP strategists on board carried 5G-equipped handsets that provide live race data to help them make key tactical decisions in real time all while flying over the water at highway speeds with nine other F50 catamarans in close proximity.
“SailGP and T-Mobile for Business are committed to pushing the boundaries on innovative ways to bring fans into the middle of the action through on-board, live camera views,” says Warren Jones, SailGP’s chief technology officer. “Plus, our athletes can now access real-time data, which further accelerates the decision-making capabilities for our 10 national teams.”
Across the SailGP F50 fleet, 125 sensors are mounted on each F50, sending 300,000 data points every second through T-Mobile’s 5G routers, resulting in 48 billion data points in just one race day. “Our F50 catamarans are essentially massive internet of things (IoT) devices that also provide incredible entertainment for fans whether they’re in person or watching from around the world,” says Jones.
As the official 5G partner for SailGP events in the United States, T-Mobile for Business will be featured at each of the four US events in 2023/24’s Season 4, including next summer’s Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in June 2024, and the SailGP Season 4 Grand Final in San Francisco in July 2024. Additionally, T-Mobile for Business continues as the official 5G partner of the United States SailGP Team.
In the 12-event Season 4 global calendar, SailGP is headed next to Saint-Tropez for the France Sail Grand Prix on September 9 – 10. U.S. fans can watch live on the SailGP YouTube channel, and on CBS Sports Network live Saturday, Sept 9, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET, and via tape delay Sunday, Sept. 10, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET.
Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @VanillaPlus OR @jcvplus
