viztrick AiDi, Provided by Nippon TV and FOR-A, Powers Automatic 9:16 Cropping with Auto-Tracking and Intuitive Operation for Dynamic Streaming Content
Cypress, CA, January 13, 2025 - Nippon TV and FOR-A America have announced the world's first deployment of viztrick AiDi-an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV. NBC Sports will use the real-time AI solution during coverage of several live events, starting in 2026. AiDi delivers real-time player tracking, face tagging, object recognition, 2.5D telestration, auto-score graphics, and motion data analytics-without internet connectivity. Automatic 9:16 cropping with auto-tracking using highly intuitive operation enables incremental streaming business for mobile phones. FOR-A America is responsible for the sales and delivery of viztrick AiDi.
"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," explains 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 says: "We are honored 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."
> Read more (link to NIPPON TV)
About Nippon TV
Nippon TV is Japan's leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, as well as owner of streaming giant Hulu in Japan. Nearly 90% of its content IP is fully owned by Nippon TV and the company has been active in bringing its content to the international market in the form of anime, ready-made programs, formats, and through co-production partnerships. The company is committed to technological innovation in content production, including the development of AI-based tools such as viztrick AiDi. Visit the Nippon TV web site at AiDi | AI-assisted system for efficient video analysis | Nippon Television ×TECH
