By Benoit Dentan, VP T-Motion Robotics Solution, a division of EVS Broadcast Equipment.
When I started my career as a camera operator, the most important piece of technology on the field was a good tripod and a steady pair of hands. Decades later, I find myself watching robotic systems glide along rails or zip across cables, capturing moments that once required entire teams. Yet despite all that progress, the essence of live production remains unchanged: we’re still trying to tell the story of sport – clearly, creatively and in real time.
In 2025, that balance between human craft and technological precision reached a new stage. Robotics didn’t take over; it found its place alongside people. The year marked a quiet but significant transformation – not a revolution, but an alignment between human intuition, automation and data that is now reshaping how live sport is produced.
2025: A year of integration, not replacement
If one word defined 2025 in broadcasting, it was integration. The technologies themselves were not new – robotic cameras, AI-assisted tools and cloud-based workflows have been developing for years – but their relationship with production teams changed.
Remote operations matured. Robotic camera systems became increasingly common, not only at elite venues but in mid-range events that previously relied on fully manual setups. Combined with cloud-based control and monitoring, they allowed smaller teams to manage complex productions from afar. The benefits were tangible: reduced travel, smaller crews and improved consistency. Yet what stood out most was how these systems generated structured data. Every pan, tilt and zoom produced information that could feed into analytics and assistive automation.
AI entered the live space. Until recently, artificial intelligence was confined to editing or highlight packaging. In 2025, it began influencing live shots – suggesting framing adjustments or predicting where the play might unfold. It didn’t replace creative judgment, but it did enhance responsiveness. AI paired with robotics proved capable of handling repetitive or data-driven tasks, leaving human operators to focus on storytelling and emotion – the aspects that machines still struggle to replicate.
Data became an asset. The metadata collected by robotic systems – positional information, lens settings, movement patterns – began to be recognised as valuable in its own right. When coupled with video, it offered a foundation for new layers of viewer engagement and operational insight. In an industry built on fleeting moments, that kind of persistent, structured information is a quiet revolution.
2026: The year of scaling and proof
If 2025 was about establishing what’s possible, 2026 will be about proving it at scale. The calendar ahead is dense with major tournaments and overlapping events. Production teams will face the same expectations for quality and storytelling, but with tighter schedules and finite resources.
This is where robotics and automation will face their real test. The challenge isn’t whether the technology works – it does – but whether it can deliver consistently across different environments and budgets. Infrastructure remains uneven: while many venues have upgraded fibre networks and power capacity, others still rely on hybrid setups. For broadcasters, that means flexibility will be key. Systems must adapt quickly to varying conditions without adding complexity for crews already under pressure.
Another challenge will be operational sustainability. Automation can reduce travel and logistics, but only if workflows remain simple enough to manage remotely. The most successful teams next year will be those who treat robotics not as an experiment, but as an integral, dependable part of production – one that complements rather than complicates.
Evolving skills and team dynamics
Perhaps the most underappreciated shift happening right now is in the human skill set. The role of the camera operator is expanding. Today’s crews include robotics coordinators, engineers fluent in IP networking, and technicians who interpret data alongside visuals. It’s a quiet evolution that mirrors the technology itself: gradual, adaptive and collaborative.
Training remains the bridge between innovation and adoption. The more accessible these systems become, the more important it is to ensure operators understand not only how to use them, but how to use them creatively. Automation can capture motion; it can’t yet capture meaning. Maintaining that balance between technical efficiency and artistic intent will define the next stage of progress.
A measured future
Looking back, 2025 showed that robotics, AI and cloud technologies are no longer theoretical enhancements. They’ve become reliable components of modern broadcasting. But reliability alone isn’t enough; what matters is how they serve the story.
The coming year will demand both optimism and realism. Optimism, because the potential for richer, more flexible production has never been greater. Realism, because technology will continue to expose weak spots – in infrastructure, in training and sometimes in overreliance on automation. The goal should not be to automate everything, but to automate wisely.
In the end, the measure of progress won’t be the number of robotic systems on the field. It will be the quality of the stories they help tell – stories that feel immediate, authentic and human. That, after all, is what live sport has always been about.
