Unlocking the Future of Baseball Viewing Experience through Data and Technology in Collaboration with NPB
In collaboration with NPB Enterprise, Inc., which oversees the business operations and marketing of professional baseball in Japan, we are leveraging the data from Hawk-Eye Innovations' optical tracking system to create a new baseball viewing experience. Our goal is not only to enhance the enjoyment of baseball fans but also to engage those who may be unfamiliar with the sport.
Broadening Baseball Experience for Wider Generations: Alternative Broadcast
Sony, in collaboration with NPB Enterprise Co., Ltd. and Sanrio Co., Ltd., is undertaking a new initiative to share the excitement of professional baseball with a wide range of generations, including children. Sony is utilizing the technologies of its group companies Beyond Sports and Hawk-Eye Innovations to initiate a PoC that involves the production of a video where Sanrio characters, such as Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and Bad Badtz-Maru, play and commentate on baseball in a fun way, drawing from the actual professional baseball game.
A new CG video featuring Sanrio characters enjoying baseball based on a real game.
This content is accessible only from Japan.
This video is based on the game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp during the 2025 season, utilizing player and ball movement data obtained by Hawk-Eye's optical tracking. By leveraging Beyond Sports' data validation, enhancement, and visualization technology, it recreates actual plays as a new animation content within the cute world of Sanrio, distinct from traditional broadcast footage. Beyond Sports' virtual recreation engine transforms Hawk-Eye's data into vibrant animations, allowing Sanrio characters to reflect real-world plays and actions in an immersive environment. Custom elements and triggered events are also added to enhance entertainment, clarify the action, and improve the overall viewing experience.
Comparison with actual game footage
Video footage
Through the collaboration of Sanrio characters and various Sony technologies, we aim to deliver the appeal of professional baseball to viewers who are not familiar with the sport, contributing to a greater awareness of its enjoyment among a wider audience.
Transforming the Baseball Viewing Experience: NPB+ Application*
We are striving to provide an immersive experience that allows fans to feel the excitement of professional baseball and the high performance of the players, in collaboration with NPB Enterprise and Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. We have developed the 'NPB+' application*, which visualizes player performance through various data, enabling fans to enjoy the games even more.
This application is available only in Japan.
Through data-driven visualization, fans can understand the type of pitch thrown, its trajectory, speed, spin rate, and movement, as well as the batter's swing speed, sprint speed, and the defensive throw speed. This comprehensive data visualization allows them to truly experience the overwhelming power of professional play in a way that traditional viewing styles could not offer. Additionally, with visualization technology, it is possible to recreate plays using CG. Fans can easily revisit thrilling plays they want to see again or catch crucial moments they may have missed.
Thanks to Hawk-Eye's high-precision data collected from multiple optical tracking cameras installed in all 12 stadiums, fans can replay detailed plays of pitchers and batters in near real-time on their smartphones. Hawk-Eye's proven tracking technology - already deployed across various sports worldwide - enables precise data collection of the ball, bat, and players' movements.
Utilizing Hawk-Eye's Optical Tracking Data: Content Management System (CMS)
As of 2024, Hawk-Eye's tracking system is operational in the major league stadiums of all 12 professional baseball teams. This system utilizes multiple optical tracking cameras installed in each stadium to track the movement of the ball and the players' bodies, converting that information into data.
The collected data not only contributes to enhancing player performance but also feeds into the "Content Management System (CMS)," which allows for the recreation of plays in CG and viewing from various angles. Developed in collaboration with NPB, this CMS centralizes the play data from all 12 teams' official games, making it available for display on each team's social media and stadium screens. The "NPB+" app also utilizes the data managed by the CMS.
Images of Graphic Content Created by CMS
Example of Graphic Utilization Created by CMS: Play Recreation Video of the baseball team Tokyo Yakult Swallows on social media
