NEW YORK – Major League Baseball and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. announced a three-year partnership on Wednesday, making NTT the first Japanese information technology company to become an official MLB partner in the United States.
The collaboration will create a new experience for baseball fans with NTT’s Ultra Reality Viewing, which synthesizes video from multiple cameras to create a high-definition 180-degree image that approximates watching in person.
“We are convinced that a partnership with a company like NTT helps us maintain that reputation as a technology leader,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said at a press event in New York.
NTT will also become the title sponsor of MLB Network’s Ballpark Cam, a network of cameras across 30 ballparks that records pre-game and post-game footage and live on-camera interviews. The recordings are used in the network’s various studio shows.
“Technological innovations have the potential to change sport and fan experience drastically,” Jun Sawada, NTT’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Through this partnership, NTT aims to establish the valuable technology solution that brings smart sports to life.”
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times