TTBL-Livestreaming at Spontent: More pictures, more perspectives, more interaction, more closeness
The German Table Tennis League (TTBL) will offer its fans completely new live experiences from the start of the season. Via the new TTBL media partner Spontent, all table tennis fans will not only be able to follow all matches on the livestreaming platform Twitch from at least three camera perspectives from the first match day, but will also be given the opportunity to interact.
The equipment has been delivered, the technicians trained and the commentators briefed: For the German Table Tennis League (TTBL), the start of the season also marks the transition into a new era of digital presentation of Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Dang Qiu and Co. in the visual media.
The new TTBL media partner Spontent is already setting unprecedented standards with its broadcasts on the livestreaming platform Twitch. "We have prepared everyone involved at the clubs in workshops for the tasks ahead. Both the quality and the quantity of images from the TTBL will be significantly improved," emphasizes Spontent Managing Director Alexander Walkenhorst.
By equipping all twelve TTBL clubs with the necessary technology, images from at least three, and at most five, camera perspectives are now possible instead of the previous two fixed angles. Expert analysis is now provided by a duo of commentators who are also permanently visible via picture-in-picture technology instead of just a single off-camera expert.
Walkenhorst: "We are creating a whole new feeling of closeness"
Beyond these sustainable improvements for the live experience at TTBL matches, one highlight sets the new broadcast format apart from the rest of the sports coverage on German screens: Via superimposed chat, fans can interact with the commentators during the match in progress: Whether questions about the players, tactics debates, material discussions or, or: direct communication between the viewers in front of their screens and the hall is possible at any time - and all other fans can dial into the chat.
"The chat alone creates a whole new level of closeness," says Walkenhorst, describing the intended effect of the communication tool, which is new for sports broadcasts: "This is also reinforced by the fact that the commentators are not external TV professionals or table tennis experts, but come from the respective clubs and live the team and the sport. That makes for completely new insights."
An additional gadget enhances user enjoyment: A virtual program guide on Spontent Live provides a constantly updated overview of upcoming streaming broadcasts from the TTBL and the on-demand videos that can be accessed.