How is Virtual technology redefining digital advertising?

While Nepal still has a long way to go in terms of digital advertising, we are increasingly seeing adoption of virtual technology in global advertising, especially in global events like international matches. As everyone gears up for the epic Argentina vs France FIFA world cup match tonight, have you ever wondered how you see different digital ads on different TV channels broadcasting the same live matches? Well the magic happens thanks to a technology called Virtual Perimeter Replacement.

Virtual Perimeter Replacement

Virtual Perimeter Replacement is a digital technology that is used to place virtual advertising content into a live streamed television show. This technology is mostly used to place regional advertisements in international sports events. For example, an Indian audience watching a FIFA world cup streaming in an Indian sports channel would see Indian ads.

So how does this technology work?

The camera is placed on a “virtual head” which reads the positioning and alignment data. The lens of that camera is calibrated with the camera body and sensor, along with the software, so that the virtual software can be adjusted for any variance for offset off “zero” when the camera was mounted. Think of a virtual 3D box, and they just tell the computer where to put everything relative to the camera. Data is fed from the camera to a computer running the virtual software. After the calibration, the virtual operator will load in the graphics they have been given, created to whatever specifications. They then use various keys to mask out what they want and don’t want the virtual graphics to appear on. This same technology is not only used to make virtual billboards, but distance lines (e.g. horse racing), stat overlays, on-ground logos, and images…up to and including whole studios.

Source: Reddit/r/nextfuckinglevel

What is the point of Virtual Perimeter Replacement?

Traditionally, physical ads were displayed in the playfield ( Nepal still does this). However, when it comes to global events like the World Cup, advertisements relayed through the physical ad boards did not always make sense with the varied viewer demographics. Moreover, while the advertisement revenue of the playfield ad goes to the organizer, broadcasters did not get any revenue from displaying physically placed ads on the stadium. Broadcasters spend millions to acquire the rights for a match/event. With the adoption of this virtual technology, broadcasters have found an alternative revenue stream. Also, this technology has helped advertisers reach their target demography.