Sportcast, Sky and Studio Automated placed an AI-controlled PTZ camera into the live host production for the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. The test used one camera on the main gantry as a tactical feed within a 28-camera production.
An Egripment HotHead 3 carried the camera and exposed an IP-based control interface to Studio Automated's software. The AI analysed the incoming low-latency video and generated pan, tilt and zoom commands. The companies stress that the system does not alter the image; it controls the physical camera while the resulting feed is shaded and integrated like other sources in the OB workflow.
The football model is designed to anticipate play rather than simply centring the ball. It has learned framing patterns for corners, substitutions and tactical positions, and can support multiple conventional camera roles. Control can run on site or from a remote production centre.
The feed will be evaluated before wider use, with a possible rollout for selected Tuesday fixtures. No independent accuracy or failure-rate data has been released, and the trial used one automated source inside a large human-operated production. It demonstrates integration, not a complete replacement for conventional camera crews.
