Data-driven Summarization and Synchronized Second-screen Enrichment of Cycling Races: Using Live and Historical Sports Data to Reinvent Traditional Reporting

Abstract

Traditional broadcasters of cycling races are experiencing hard times as the numbers of spectators are decreasing each year. Other ways of reporting are needed to keep the viewer interested. In this paper, two possible solutions are proposed that have been evaluated during the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2019 in Brussels. The first innovation focuses on data-driven summarization and allows end-users to query for personalized stories of a race, tailored to their wishes (such as the length of the clip and the teams and/or riders that they are interested in). The second innovation follows the second screen trend and synchronizes cycling heritage multimedia data with the riders' live location during the race. Both rich, interactive TV experiences are based on a combination of data mining and computer vision techniques which can also be applied to other sports with similar characteristics. Evaluation by a test audience showed that there is certainly potential in both formats.