Levira produces TV broadcasts using artificial intelligence

Digital services provider Levira has started a collaboration with Dutch start-up Uscoutfor, in order to produce outside broadcasts (OB) of sports competitions with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Relying on the new technology, the footage is produced without human intervention and the producer’s role is awarded to AI, which guides the cameras and produces the broadcast.

„The application of AI helps Levira to bring sports broadcast production to an entirely new level. With such flexibility and cost-effectiveness we see great potential for the service, as the automated solution helps to bring even those events to the viewers which were previously too expensive to produce,” explained Martti Kinkar the Development Manager of Media Services at Levira.

For example, in sports broadcasting the AI tracks the movement of the ball and the players, choosing automatically the most exciting moments for replay.

The new technology has been developed by a Dutch start-up Uscoutfor, in collaboration with local data scientists. It is based on a hard- and software solution that is developed in cooperation with Levira and Uscoutfor. The computer selects the frames to be edited and transmitted via cloud sharing to a net-based platform or selected application.

In addition to producing regular broadcasts, the use of AI creates other exciting opportunities as well. For example, it will now be possible to make observations during team training, do a video analysis of games or training sessions, and most importantly – grant to audience access to the games, which would have previously been too expensive to broadcast.

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 centers 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.

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 a highly reliable broadcasting network in Estonia and broadcast 38 TV channels, both free-to-air and pay-TV.

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

Levira has two shareholders: the Republic of Estonia (51%) and the French telecom and broadcasting company TDF Group (49%).