How Genius Sports’ AI tech is powering a new era of Danish football

This article was first published in SportsPro. Data company Genius Sports is using artificial intelligence technology to help deliver the Danish Super Liga's fan-first strategy. Ahead of his appearance at SportsPro AI in London, Paul Hunt, the company’s sports business director, explains how AI is powering immersive experiences, richer performance analysis and faster, more accurate officiating.

What impact is Genius Sports’ data and AI technology having on Danish football?

As the governing body of the top competitions in Denmark, the Danish League has established a reputation as one of the most innovative organisations in European football.

Back in 2021, the Danish League unveiled a new strategy to put our cutting-edge tracking technology at the heart of Danish football. Our tracking cameras are installed in stadia, automatically capturing millions of positional data points on players and the ball multiple times per second.

This tracking data is then ingested by GeniusIQ, our data and artificial intelligence platform which translates it into a semantic understanding of the language of football, creating valuable outputs for Danish football fans, teams, coaches and more.

For example, GeniusIQ applies powerful machine learning to the mass of tracking data to power a suite of performance and analytics tools used by teams. Everything from training to in-game decision making and detailed analysis with individual players is enhanced by the Danish League’s focus on data and AI technology.

How is AI being applied to enhance the Danish Super Liga’s broadcast product specifically?

Ahead of last season’s Danish Cup Final between Silkeborg and AGF, we worked with the Danish league and Viaplay to deliver a groundbreaking new ‘Manager Mode’ viewing option.

Data and statistics have long been pivotal to the live broadcast experience, helping to educate viewers on the detailed stories behind every game. Manager Mode takes this to the next level for Danish football fans, delivering live tracking insights directly into the broadcast in real-time, when the live action is at its most compelling.

Powered by GeniusIQ, which uses AI to automatically synchronise the tracking data with live video, Manager Mode provided Viaplay viewers with key insights such as player minimaps and IDs, shot speeds and much more. The introduction of AI-powered broadcasts is part of the Danish League’s strategy to attract and retain the attention of the next generation of fans who increasingly expect interactive and immersive viewing experiences.

Rolling this out for the final in May was a resounding success and we’re set to power a series of augmented broadcasts throughout this season.

As well as creating more immersive experiences for fans, what impact is AI having on sporting elements such as performance analysis and officiating?

On its own, tracking data has value but is not being leveraged optimally. AI platforms – like GeniusIQ – translate the core data points into valuable insights with coaching and performance tools being one of the major beneficiaries.

Our Insight tool is used across Danish football as well as the Premier League, EFL Championship, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 in France amongst others, providing coaches and analysts with an incredible platform from which to analyse and improve all parts of their performance.

Instead of having to watch hours of film to manually create clips and compilations, analysts can easily search and identify precise performance indicators such as a full-back’s effectiveness defending 1v1 situations or a striker’s number of runs in behind the defence.

This wealth of data combined with AI is also creating new breakthroughs in automated officiating technology. The incredible volume of data points, referred to as “mesh data”, captured by our tracking technology enables the automatic creation of a digital twin of the live action, creating groundbreaking new content and analysis opportunities. This is the basis of new automated officiating tools across football and multiple other sports.

What are some of the key challenges associated with applying AI in a top-tier sports property like the Danish Superliga?

We’re only at the very beginning of the AI revolution across world sport. But already its value has transformed everything from the viewing experience for millions of fans to the insights used by coaches, analysts or officials.

One of the main challenges for leagues embarking on a new AI strategy, therefore, is deciding where they particularly want to enhance their competitions to begin with. Is the top priority enhancing the quality of your league with detailed performance tools or insights? Or is it attracting a new generation of fan with more immersive broadcasts and other content?

Once the league has decided its strategy, there then needs to be alignment across a variety of stakeholders including broadcasters, streaming platforms, teams, sponsors and more.

What does the future hold for Danish football when it comes to implementing AI and other technological innovations?

The Danish league has put the necessary foundation in place to supercharge Danish football both on and off the pitch in the years to come. Going forward, launching additional augmented broadcasts with ‘Manager Mode’ will be a key focus, including incorporating more elements currently being rolled out for the Premier League Data Zone, a similar data-driven viewing mode for the world’s largest football league.

Genius Sports provides the technology for Danish football and Viaplay to provide league sponsors with brand new dynamic inventory that inserts their logo and branding directly into the live broadcasts, building valuable connections with viewers when the live action is at its most compelling.