Levira produces automated video for Telia LIVE channel with AI cameras

Digital services provider Levira and telecommunications company Telia concluded an agreement for the collaborative production of high-technology TV broadcasts in sports and entertainment. As a result, the Telia LIVE channel will show the first sports competition to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems for providing a live broadcast in Estonia.  

Tests for the live broadcasts produced using Pixellot’s AI-powered cameras will be taking place this weekend, between 17 and 19 May, when test matches for the Estonian and Finnish women’s volleyball teams are held in Audentes Sports Hall in Tallinn. The games will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 6:00 pm (Eastern European Summer Time) and can be watched at https://levira.com/ai/.

“With an AI camera, the sports competition is broadcast without human interference, and the AI controlling the cameras takes the role of the director. AI broadcasts are the future of TV programmes, because they allow events to be followed better, and from the point of view of production costs, this is a reasonable solution. In this way, it is also possible to bring to viewers sports competitions that have until now been too expensive to broadcast,” said Levira Media Services Development Manager Martti Kinkar.

“Levira is actively working on installing AI cameras in other sports halls in Tallinn and elsewhere, too. Our aim is to create opportunities for AI broadcasting of sports competitions and practices all across Estonia,” said Andres Tarto, who is in charge of Levira’s AI camera project.

Birjo Kiik, Head of TV and Multimedia Content at Telia Eesti, added that with the help of the innovative technology, live broadcasts from various sports halls and sports competitions would be shown on the Telia LIVE special channel. “Today it is possible to cheer for women’s professional tennis tournaments via Telia LIVE channel, but through our cooperation with Levira, we will broaden the choice of exclusive content even more. Thanks to AI cameras, we will be able to live stream a variety of ball games.”

Kiik added that testing for the new solution would take place at the coming weekend. All those interested can watch the video recordings from the testing via the Telia Video on Demand Service as of next week. In the future, AI cameras will provide live images for the Telia LIVE channel.

The Telia LIVE special channel can be viewed by all Telia TV service subscribers, which includes more than 200,000 Estonian homes.

According to Helen Veermäe, Secretary General at Estonian Volleyball Federation, both the federation and the women’ national team are happy to partner Levira and Telia in the launch of a really revolutionary technology. “Presently our women’s volleyball is experiencing an upward trend. It’s of special significance that after the Estonian women’s national team qualified for the first time to the European Championships final tournament, for the first time in Estonia a new technology is used for broadcasting the games of women’s national team”.

During sports broadcasts, the artificial intelligence follows the movement of the ball and the player, and automatically selects the most exciting plays that a sports fan would want to watch. In the field of AI broadcasts, Levira’s technological partner is Pixellot, the global leader in AI-automated sports production.

Pixellot’s unmanned multi-camera system covers the entire field and follows the action automatically using cloud-based AI to analyse the video from the field, producing a TV-like experience, including scoreboard and graphics, with zero people in the loop. “We’re thrilled to be the technology propelling the production automation behind this tournament. Having full automation is the key to brining more sports coverage to viewers across the globe and we hope that the Estonian team will get an extra motivation boost thanks to the support from fans and family members watching from home”. , said Alon Werber CEO Pixellot.

Levira

Levira is a digital services provider and a technology partner to companies whose business depends on technologies and who wish to involve a professional service provider that can offer necessary solutions.

Levira is one of the biggest independent TV playout centres in Northern Europe. Levira helps local and international media companies to design TV channels and ensure that the programs are on air 24/7 and 365 days a year. Levira transmits programs to viewers in the Baltic States, Scandinavia and Europe as well as Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

In the TV production segment, we are active players in the Baltic and Scandinavian markets and the market leader in Latvia. Levira owns three OB vehicles for TV production.

Levira is the main TV and radio network operator in Estonia. We manage the only broadcasting network in Estonia and a network of 22 transmitter towers that comply with highest requirements.

Levira’s clients are regional and international IT companies and media service providers, including ERR, Eesti Meedia, All Media Eesti, Sony, EBU, Discovery, ATEA, as well as major telecoms, such as Telia, Tele2 and Elisa.

Levira’s shareholders are the Republic of Estonia (51%) and the French telecom and broadcasting company TDF Group (49%).