Basketball's 5G broadcast was the first ever shot using nothing but smartphones – believed to be Samsung Galaxy S10 5Gs
(Image credit: NBA / Sports Video Group)
In a historic moment for sports broadcasting, and a coming of age moment for camera phones, the NBA broadcast the first major sporting event ever to be shot entirely on smartphones.
The game was broadcast using 5G technology, with the infrastructure provided by America's AT&T network, and was filmed using an array of six Samsung camera phones – which appeared to be Samsung Galaxy S10 5Gs.
The National Basketball Association's summer league game featured the Washington Wizards, led by rookie sensation Rui Hachimura, coming back from a halftime deficit to down the Atlanta Hawks 76-71.
The NBA game was filmed using six phones, which appear to be Samsung Galaxy S10s (Image credit: NBA / imgur)
"In a historic first, tonight’s Atlanta Hawks-Washington Wizards NBA Summer League game will become the first live major sports production ever shot exclusively on smartphones using 5G technology," tweeted the NBA.
While 5G broadcasts have taken place before, such as during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February and the US Open last summer, this was the first time that consumer camera phones were used to record and air the action.
“The plan is to deliver fans a unique broadcast experience using the same cameras they use every day to capture special moments in their lives,” said Steve Hellmuth, EVP Media Operations and Technology, NBA Entertainment, to Sports Video Group.
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I like the up-close sideline view the NBA is experimenting with...I wouldn't watch a whole game this way but certain highlights would look great from this angle. Maybe they could implement it during the playoffs/ nationally broadcast game as an extra camera angle #smartphoneview pic.twitter.com/kmaOPF6nIaJuly 11, 2019
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The 'Smartphone View' broadcast was carried as an alternate stream on the NBA's major streaming outlets, International NBA League Pass, NBA TV Canada and the ESPN App. The mechanics of filming using the Samsung phones was handled by the LiveU Smart mobile app.
The NBA has been using its Summer League as a proving ground for new ideas and initiatives. With the new Smartphone View stream having had a successful debut, and offering a different and more informal flavor to the standard broadcast, it could easily make its way into games in the upcoming regular season.
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
