SMT (SportsMEDIA Technology) continues its collaboration
with the American Flag Football League (AFFL) to provide game management
technology for the AFFL’s first U.S. Open of Football Tournament (USOF). The
teams playing in the Ultimate Final at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston will
battle for a $1 million cash prize.
SMT technical teams will be onsite at the USOF Tournament
for every game, providing the customized virtual and clock-and score technology
and graphics package that helped to define the league last year during its
launch on June 27 at Avaya Stadium. Retired NFL stars Michael Vick and Chad
“Ochocinco” Johnson return to the field to captain the teams, along
with basketball legends Nate Robinson and Carlos
Boozer, former NFL running back Justin Forsett, and
Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson.
SMT’s virtual 1st & Ten line system, used in NFL
broadcasts, will be deployed from its Camera Tracker system, working in tandem
with SkyCam to give viewers the “Madden-style” play-by-play angle used during
NBC Sports’ 2017 season. SMT’s virtual Go Clock, designed specifically for the
fast-paced AFFL, will synchronize with in-stadium displays to indicate when the
defense can rush the quarterback.
SMT’s Design Studio designed and implemented the AFFL
graphics package — including show open and score bug — and the virtual-graphics
package.
SMT’s clock-and-score technology is made available via its
dual-channel SportsCG, a turnkey graphics publishing system that allows greater
autonomy via a second channel laptop that can be operated remotely. In addition
to producing the score bug, the SportsCG offers real-time, in-game offensive
and defensive statistics powered by SMT QB Stats, the same system SMT uses for
NCAA and NFL games.
“SMT is proud to have helped the AFFL launch a new sports
era, and we are thrilled to build on last year’s great success by offering flag
football fans the same platform they’re used to when watching college and NFL
games,” says Ben Grafchik, SMT Business Development Manager. “With
the debut of our dual- channel SportsCG, we can decrease the production
bottleneck associated with rendering graphics on-air, allowing the quickly
developing storylines to be told in a more dynamic way.”