Manchester City has teamed up with a California-based camera manufacturer GoPro which creates and helps to create sports content for broadcast and promotional videos.
GoPro, whose HQ is in San Mateo, has hiterhto specialised in extreme sports footage.
This new initiative will see the company generating unusual new footage of City players and related activities, primarily through the use of player cams.
To quote GoPro: “Our trademark action point-of-view filming will allow both City and us to put fans firmly at the heart of the action giving them a first-hand insight into what it’s like to train and play like a professional footballer.”
The first fruits of the association follow City on its pre-season tour of New York, with GoPro’s cameras mounted to some of the club’s coaches and players during practice sessions, including goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Further footage was also shot at the Busch Stadium in St Louis as the cameras captured the pre-match atmosphere.
Tom Glick, chief commercial and operating officer at Manchester City, said: “As a Club we have always been passionate about providing fans with content that is not only immersive and captivating, but a true reflection of what goes on behind-the-scenes on and off the pitch also. From Tunnel Cam to Inside City, we have continually pushed the boundaries to engage fans and bring them closer to the club they love.
“GoPro has enabled us to take that philosophy to the next level, combining both their cutting edge technology and expertise in capturing raw point-of-view sports footage. GoPro is a perfect fit and together with CityTV, we look forward to creating the next evolution in sports content.”
It is believed that the club and GoPro are currently exploring 3D capabilities and how these might be be applied to sport.
