Infront Sports & Media

Infront Sports & Media, the leading international sports marketing company, will collaborate with Vizrt, to jointly launch a cutting-edge virtual overlay solution – to be expected for the 2016/17 season. The fully-fledged version of the Viz Eclipse product will be exclusively distributed by Infront as part of its sports services portfolio, enabling rights holders to regionally tailor and streamline their marketing and commercialization of sports events on a global basis.

Infront will support Vizrt in further developing and refining the technology, based on its substantial experience in the fields of media production and advertising technology – e.g. as a long-standing host broadcaster and provider of LED advertising solutions to various major sports properties. Both partners will offer rights holders a game-changing virtual overlay solution that guarantees fully reliable, high-quality performance.

Powerful combination of skills

Working with 170 rights holders in sports as well as hundreds of sponsors and media companies, Infront will contribute its profound market insight and sports marketing know-how to the new partnership. Furthermore, it will provide access to testing environments and leverage its proximity to rights holders, sponsors, broadcasters, and media production entities. Vizrt will bring on its superior technical capabilities and production know-how to further drive the engineering process of its in-house product.

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront, commented: “We have been monitoring the development of virtual overlay technology for many years to ensure we can provide our clients with an effective solution, once technological progress meets their high-quality standards. Viz Eclipse is a ground-breaking move forward and we are ready to invest in the refinement of the product. Jointly with Vizrt, we will soon bring a perfected and fully reliable solution to the market, which will allow rights holders to monetize their events on a global basis. Viz Eclipse will open up a new era of sports advertising.”

Primary focus on football

Martin Burkhalter, CEO of Vizrt, added: “Infront has proven its foresightedness in the area of sports advertising and production already in the past and we are glad to partner with a company that is so close to the needs and expectations of the sports industry. Our technology is now ready for the next level and we are convinced that it will transform the marketing capabilities of modern sports. While the initial focus will be on pitch-side advertising in football, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the marketing of many sports disciplines in the long run.”

About Infront

Infront Sports & Media is the most respected sports marketing company in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, and event operation – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sports and with a leading role in football, summer, and endurance sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 170 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 650 experienced staff working from 25 offices across 13 countries, delivering 4,000 event days of top-class sport around the world every year.