France won the #EURO2016 of the #future of sports on #TV

M6, a French TV channel, raised up sport engagement by applying augmented reality to their live content, bringing sport on TV to the next level.

© Marcos Moraes

Digitally all in!

Watched by more than 100 million viewers worldwide, the Euro2016 is a major sport event that TV channels fight hard to broadcast. This year, M6 spent €25 million to offer 11 games (including the final, thanks to the lucky draw) in live and in replay on its 6play site. In addition, the channel is also broadcasting three matches in 4K (ultra-high definition).

To better editorially leverage live studio debates, M6 is also using @Vigiglobe technology, a real-time social media content analytics platform.

Vincent Régnier, Managing Director of Content Productions at M6, explained to Canal+’s reporter that despite star guests and presenters, their best asset this year is technology. Source Le Tube du 11/06

Live interviews “à la Star Trek”

No, you do not need to adjust your screen, the French midfielder, Dimitri Payet, made quite an “hologram” entrance right in the middle of the studio!

Payet appears in front of the presenters as if he was in the studio — M6 / Via 6play.fr

“The main idea was to be focused on the immersion of our audience in the Euro 2016 event. In simple words, we would like to be really close to the fields and the venues wherever you were watching the game.” said the M6 spokesperson.

Nathalie Renoux virtually entering the “field” in Nice — M6 / Via 6play.fr

and then walking back to the studio in Paris — M6 / Via 6play.fr

“These sequences are shot on a green set and the cameras (on the set and at the venue) are calibrated exactly with the same distance of shooting and the same lens focus,”

Payet getting ready in Nice — M6 / Via 6play.fr

“One of the main issues was to consider it all as a real-time sequence with no delay, to have the perfect chat between people in the venue and on our set in Paris. After checking the transmission solutions between these two points and some testing sessions, it was [ready] to be implemented live.” explained the M6 spokesperson. Source BuzzFeed News

Vincent Régnier explaining the “magic trick” behind the frame to Canal+ Euro 2016 reporters — Le Tube du 11/06

A social media buzz

M6 went viral because of the tweet of @BriceBachon here below:

It got then retweet by @BBCSport and other media, unfortunately some as usual without giving any credit to the author, as the @independent here:

The independent used Brices’s video without crediting the author

Carine Galli, the presenter herself, was very happy that the buzz has been relayed by @BBCSport.

Her colleague, David Ginola aka “El Magnifico”, former french football player, also took part of the chain.

Watching TV is normally a passive pastime. By developing new ways to provide content to increase the level of engagement for viewers, M6 definitely succeeded in pumping up the volume of the conventional TV sport format and reaching out a larger audience at the same time.

I am not a huge football fan but I surely enjoyed watching the Euro 2016 in this innovative and dynamic configuration.

TV is not dead!