Sky Sports, Betfred Super League and Catapult have combined to deliver a UK-first for in-game real-time GPS statistics during Dacia Magic Weekend. Watch all six fixtures from Newcastle's St James' Park live and exclusive on Sky Sports on September 4 and 5
Wednesday 1 September 2021 08:58, UK
Sky Sports will be breaking new ground at Super League's Magic Weekend by delivering real-time player GPS statistics direct to the viewer at home during its live coverage.
The link-up with Catapult means the data from the GPS devices worn by players at all 12 Super League clubs and collected during the weekend's six matches at Newcastle's St James' Park will be sent directly to the broadcaster and delivered in real-time to the viewer.
The insights will focus on three key metrics, distance covered by each player in metres, top speeds achieved, and game intensity measured by how many metres a player runs each minute, with the top 10 players in each category for the regular season so far also being released.
"We're really excited to add live GPS data to the Sky Sports broadcast for Dacia Magic Weekend," Super League chief commercial officer Rhodri Jones said.
"It has been a massive effort by all parties to make this happen, but this first in the UK will allow the Sky Sports viewers to get even closer to the action."
"It will give everyone watching a greater understanding of what it takes to play rugby league at the top level."
Elite athletes rely on Catapult's wearable solution, Vector, for the most accurate and efficient data to empower critical decisions about performance, risk, and return to play.
Vector is the world's smallest GNSS/LPS device, delivering live algorithms, communications, and enhanced functionality.
Indoors and outdoors, Vector combines advanced GNSS capability with Catapult's ClearSky LPS to set new standards for tracking accuracy and reliability.
"Super League is an exciting league with a track-record of innovation," Will Lopes, CEO of Catapult, said. "We're excited to show fans the performance analytics that empower their athletes and coaches with actionable insights regarding player performance, health, and wellness with our data."
The use of live GPS data follows on from other notable innovations by Sky Sports and Super League, with video referee and dressing room cameras being introduced before any other sport.
This latest announcement, on the back of the recent partnership extension between Sky Sports and Super League, further emphasises the 25-year relationship and drive to bring fans closer to the action.
This relationship continues to flourish, with Super League viewing figures up 10 percent on 2020 and 25 percent on 2017.
The development will give Sky Sports' Super League commentators immediate access to intricate tracking detail, meaning already comprehensive analysis can be even more exhaustive, showcasing to viewers the extreme athleticism of the players on the pitch.
"Sky Sports aims to take fans as close to the heart of the action on the pitch as possible, so we're thrilled that we will be able to share this detailed statistical information with Super League fans tuning in to the Dacia Magic Weekend," Sky Sports Director of Multi-Sports Helen Falkus said.
