NHL deploys 10.5K “super camera” network across all arenas, set to revolutionize officiating, replays and player safety

The National Hockey League has finished a league-wide deployment of ultra-high-resolution cameras in all 32 arenas, which is one of the most significant technology enhancements in professional sports history.

The new system, which was installed through a multi-year partnership with Cosm, is intended to enhance the accuracy of officiating decisions, improve player safety monitoring, and enable new digital content initiatives.Each arena now boasts four of Cosm’s 10.5K “C360 Capture System” cameras, which are placed behind each net and along both blue lines, providing multiple high-definition angles of every play.

The footage is then transmitted to Cosm’s cloud-based production platform, which enables video operators to zoom, pan, and freeze plays in real-time or on-demand. The system is currently being used to facilitate official blue-line reviews and is also helping to build the league’s short-form highlight and social media content offerings.

NHL's league-wide C360 system to give hundreds of ultra-HD angles per game, improving accuracy and next-gen digital content

The technology is much more than what is seen on broadcast television. By interfacing with the NHL’s puck and player tracking system, such as the NHL EDGE platform, the new system can filter out player action, track puck movement, and provide detailed analytics on player performance for teams and the league.

As stated by Cosm’s chief product and technology officer, Devin Poolman, the scope of the system’s deployment is historic in nature. During busy nights of game action, the system pushes the equivalent of hundreds of ultra-high-definition video streams to the cloud at one time, providing the league with a level of visual coverage that has never been possible in the sport of hockey.But aside from officiating, the NHL believes that this system is an investment in storytelling and fan engagement in the long run. The system of cameras will be in operation for more than 1,500 games in a season, ensuring that there is consistency in data and video capture throughout the league schedule. Although the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Cosm stated that the technology was built to scale across multiple sports and leagues, which means that the NHL implementation could potentially be the blueprint for future adoption.This may be the beginning of the NHL's new era for the league, one that is data-driven and visually enhanced, where technology not only assists officials in making the right call but also changes the way the game is analyzed, shared, and consumed by fans around the world.