NBC Sports To Debut viztrick AiDi

Nippon TV and FOR-A America have announced the world's first commercial deployment of viztrick AiDi, an on-device artificial intelligence solution developed by Nippon TV that will be used by NBC Sports in live broadcasts beginning in 2026.

The system delivers real-time player tracking, face tagging, object recognition, 2.5D telestration, auto-score graphics, and motion data analytics—all without requiring an internet connection. AiDi also features automatic 9:16 cropping with auto-tracking, enabling broadcasters to efficiently produce mobile-first vertical video streams. FOR-A will handle global sales and delivery of the system.

"We were looking for the right tool for streaming live sports that would automatically crop athletes to a 9:16 aspect ratio with auto tracking," explained Tim Canary, Senior Vice President of Engineering, NBC Sports. "AiDi is that tool. AiDi uniquely provides real-time processing with minimal delay, which is key for live sports content.

"AiDi was designed and developed by broadcasters, so it solves the specific challenges we face every day. It easily switches between AI mode and manual mode. This is particularly useful when the scene switches from a tight to a wide shot. If AI can’t grab the right athlete instantly during a camera switch, you can easily re-track them manually with AiDi. You never lose the athlete you're tracking, which is a very important detail for our live coverage. Nippon TV and FOR-A collaborated with us, understood our needs, and quickly implemented them with AiDi."

Takayuki Shinoda, Lead Developer of viztrick Aidi, Global Strategy Headquarters, Nippon TV said: "We are honoured that our technology has been selected by NBC Sports, a global leader in sports broadcasting. It is deeply gratifying that Nippon TV's creative power, honed at the forefront of broadcasting, has gained recognition beyond borders—this is extremely encouraging for us. This selection is not the ultimate goal, but the first step in our journey toward the global market. We will continue to pursue 'AI that is truly useful on location', delivering new value to video production sites worldwide."

FOR-A America President and COO Satoshi Kanemura said viztrick AiDi creates incremental revenue opportunities by enabling broadcasters to produce vertical, mobile-optimized sports streams with minimal additional cost.

viztrick AiDi creates the opportunity to provide additional revenue with minimal cost of ownership and helps NBC Sports develop a new business model by offering viewers dynamic 9x16 content for cell phones, reports FOR-A America President and COO Satoshi Kanemura: "Broadcasters reap the rewards of additional viewers from unique streaming content that's not only just as exciting as the broadcast version but also enhances the viewing experiences. AI technology assists in increasing creativity with minimal investment and manpower."

Unlike cloud-based alternatives, AiDi performs all processing on-device, ensuring consistent low-latency performance regardless of internet connectivity. This makes it well suited for remote production and outside broadcast environments.

"viztrick AiDi represents a fundamental shift in how AI can enhance sports broadcasting," added Kanemura. "By operating entirely on-device without internet dependency, it provides broadcast-grade reliability while delivering intelligent automation that empowers creative teams to focus on storytelling and less time on routine tasks."

Nippon TV and FOR-A say the platform was shaped by extensive feedback from broadcasters, including NBC Sports.

"AiDi was designed by broadcasters who know the specific challenges involved in live sports," continued Canary. "When we provided input into the design, Nippon TV and FOR-A were open and collaborative. It was a partnership resulting in a sports-production-centric workflow with an intuitive GUI that's extremely easy and practical to use."

AiDi allows operators to draw directly on the screen while automatically tracking moving players or objects. Its facial recognition system enables the display of player profiles without interrupting live coverage, while automatic scoreboard recognition speeds up and improves the accuracy of score updates.

Breakthrough features of viztrick AiDi include:
• 2.5D telestration anchored to the field
• Player tracking and motion data
• Face tagging and profile generation
• Auto score graphics
• Auto cropping and tracking

www.nbcsports.com