Premier League club Manchester United are looking into the possibility of having its players wear cameras during matches. According to ESPN, the Glazer family is a strong supporter of augmented reality (AR) and sees it as an additional source of income.
Additionally, they had received confirmation from United’s much-maligned former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. AR had been viewed as a “huge opportunity” that the team might have been able to capitalize on.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an NFL team owned by the Glazers, were the first American football team to use augmented reality in 2016.
The report from ESPN quoted a source saying, “The big idea, or maybe the big hope, that the Glazers have – and this was driven by Ed Woodward – is the emergence of Augmented Reality.
“The technology is already out there whereby a player could have an AR wearable on his body. A supporter anywhere in the world could pay a small fee to experience a game through the eyes of his favourite player.
“Just imagine how much United could generate from their huge global fanbase if supporters were able to pay to be Marcus Rashford or Bruno Fernandes for 90 minutes?” the source added.
United may have a good idea, but if they decided to pursue it, they would run into some difficulties. The International Football Association Board’s current regulations forbid the use of body cams during competitive play.
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