Euro 2024: TVP Sport rolls out Hawk-Eye stats stream
TVP Sport’s Hawk-Eye stream included stats such as ‘Shot goal probability’
TVP Sport has launched an additional ‘Hawk-Eye’ feed for its Euro 2024 coverage, offering a comprehensive array of data and statistics to viewers in Poland.
Available via TVP’s online channels—including its website, mobile app, and smart TV app—it was introduced during the opening Euro 2024 match between Germany and Scotland. The feed for that match was also distributed via YouTube in Poland to promote the offering.
“People today are very interested in data, so this is very attractive for viewers in Poland,” Piotr Michałowski, TVP Sport online content producer, told SVG Europe.
Describing the ‘Hawk-Eye’ feed, he said: “It looks like the FIFA or EA FC video game, where you have name plates under the players and the radar on the bottom of the screen, plus all the different data connected to the game, such as speed of the player and the ball, height of the jump of the player, the strength of the shot, and a lot of data connected with the shot itself, for example XG expected goal and how much of the goal was obstructed when a player took their shot and the angle of the shooter to the goal, plus a lot of other information connected with passes and runs such as speed of the run, distance from the goal.”
The technology behind the Hawk-Eye feed is a prototype developed by Hawk-Eye, with TVP the first broadcaster to deploy it, Michałowski said.
One of the host broadcast camera feeds from UEFA is enhanced with data and graphics by Hawk-Eye. This signal is sent to TVP’s IBC in Munich and thento TVP headquarters in Warsaw for distribution, with a delay of some 20 seconds compared to the main stream.
Michałowski said: “We are in touch with [Hawk-Eye] all the time, and we work with them to change some of the statistics and how they are presented. For example, we changed the intensity of showing the height of the jump of a player, especially when it is in the middle of the field. Instead of height, we asked for more shots and passes data.”
Statistics related to shots have proven particularly engaging for viewers and commentators, Michałowski said: “We have found that statistics connected with shots are more interesting for viewers and also for our commentators.
“We decided to add specific commentary to the Hawk-Eye stream, but this is not the typical commentary. We considered two different types of commentary; one option was to commentate just like in FIFA or EA FC for the gamers. And the second option—which is what we adopted—was more educational to teach people in Poland how to read football, with more tactical and analytical insights related to the data that is shown on screen.”
Clips from the ‘Hawk-Eye’ stream are also featured on the main linear TV transmission and TVP’s social media channels, generating significant engagement. “One video of Romanian Razvan Marin’s goal vs Ukraine has the reach of 1.7 million,” Michałowski said.
This graphic informed viewers that 73% of the goal was covered when a shot was taken
While matches involving the Polish team naturally draw the highest viewership, other matches such as Denmark v England have also attracted significant numbers. Michałowski said: “The numbers are good, especially if we talk about the choices viewers have on our website and the smart TV and mobile apps, because they have four streams to choose from: the main stream which is also on TV; stadium atmosphere; Hawk-Eye; and the coaching camera.
“During the Qatar World Cup, we offered viewers the tactical camera which is fixed, but the coaching camera is better for viewers, I think. Of the four online viewing options, the main stream is the most popular as you would expect, because it is the traditional transmission and people are used to it. But second place is either Hawk-Eye or stadium atmosphere, it depends on the game. It’s hard to tell why some viewers choose one over the other, but Hawk-Eye has proved very popular; over 70,000 viewers watched Poland v Austria, which is a good result for an alternative stream.”
Public service broadcaster TVP has a history of rolling out alternative viewing options, including using esports streamers for commentary during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The broadcaster aims to offer ‘Hawk-Eye’ for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Looking ahead, TVP plans to enhance user experience by providing more customisable viewing options. Michałowski said: “Another aim for the future is to prepare a more friendly player for online users so that they can choose when they view it or how many layers of information are shown, because not everybody likes to watch it in the same way, or for the whole match. This is for the future – but not the nearest future—this is something we are thinking about, giving the viewer more options.”
Distance from goal