Professional sports in the US continue to face challenges in their restart amid COVID-19. For their reboot, the National Basketball Association (NBA) sent its teams to play in a bubble in Orlando, Florida. Fans couldn’t watch the games, which eliminates the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball (MLB) continues to play in stadiums, but without fans. But as they plan to welcome fans again, the league is planning to use cameras to spot mask-less fans in the stadiums.  

Fan Welcome from the MLB

Engadget reports that the MLB is in talks with Airspace systems, a startup, about using AI to spot mask-less fans during games. The company has used AI software to identify drones near airports and stadiums. For baseball, the MLB believes they can repurpose Airspace’s AI programs for detecting face masks.

MLB and Airspace AI

Also, Engadget says that Airspace has tested its software, which spotted face masks in security footage with 80% accuracy. Bloomberg adds that Airspace’s systems study security camera video to figure out “hot zones” where people don’t wear masks. The company plans to let the MLB decide how to handle offenders.

MLB teams could use cameras to detect fans who don't wear masks https://t.co/ssTo0Vrtsq pic.twitter.com/L1hVngy4fa

— Engadget (@engadget) August 12, 2020

For privacy concerns, Airspace CEO Jaz Banga said fans don’t have to worry about a thing. Banga said their software blurs faces. Moreover, Banga said they don’t know how to do facial recognition in the first place. 

MLB Adapting to Zero Fans

Currently, MLB is trying out several options to recreate the live fan experience during games. Stadiums are installing cardboard cutouts of fans in the seats, while TV companies are using the Unreal Engine to render virtual fans. 

The MLB is still wary of enforcing mask rules at the risk of sparking political controversy.

The post MLB Plans Using AI to Spot Mask-Less Fans in Games first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

With a wide variety of cable and streaming services available, sports fans might have trouble knowing where to watch their teams play. Some channels may carry a delayed broadcast, while streaming might show a live feed. Luckily for fans, Google is rolling out a new Google Search feature to help find live games. 

Google Search for Sports

If you’re an NBA or MLB fan, you could just type in your request in the Google Search bar. Type “where to watch the Lakers game today,” and Google will give you a list of TV channels hosting the live game. Even just a general query like “Mets game” and Google would still tell you where to watch it through a “Live on” button.

In the Gizmodo report, Google says the service is only available for the MLB and NBA for now. The company does plan to add more pro sports leagues to the service in the future. While Google Search only shows available TV broadcasts now, the company also says it plans to add digital viewing options.

Google is upgrading search to make it easier to find live sports and TV shows https://t.co/xZ3ziegPD8 pic.twitter.com/vMZWwmerrK

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) August 13, 2020

For Movies and Live TV

In 2019, Google had rolled out a recommendation tool for Search. With this tool, a simple “what to watch” search can get recommendations for several movies or TV shows. Now, the company is also adding live TV shows from cable and broadcast providers to the tool. 

Google Search for Streaming

A simple “what to watch” or “good shows to watch” query will also reveal options for live and streaming shows. If you’re planning a night of binge-watching, you could even check which of these shows are “On TV now” or “On TV later.” 

With this update, Google hopes to bring content to everyone’s homes. 

The post Google Search Now Lets You Find Live Sports and TV first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

In the US, game engines render virtual fans to watch MLB teams. Fox Sports is now using the Unreal Engine to fill baseball stadiums with digital fans. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing US professional sports leagues to adapt their practices. With fans forced to stay home, the leagues keep trying to find ways to recapture the old “live” feeling on TV. Even sports outside the US got creative in handling the lack of fans. In South Korea, Pokemon plushies sit in the stands to watch baseball games.

Major League Baseball and the Unreal Engine

Variety reports that Fox Sports plans to pack Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Nationals Park, and Petco Park with virtual fans. The company also plans to render hundreds of digital fans in other baseball stadiums where they cover games. To do this, Fox Sports will use the Unreal Engine, the video game engine of Fortnite and Street Fighter V.  

What Major League Baseball Can Do with the Unreal Engine

Brad Zeger said that Fox Sports wanted to make its MLB broadcasts feel as natural as they were before COVID-19. Using the Unreal Engine, Fox Sports can show virtual fans in different clothes to support various teams. They can even reduce the crowd size “in later innings.” Zeger is a Fox Sports executive. He added that Fox Sports wants to ensure the games still look normal.

Unreal Engine used to create virtual baseball fans for MLB games: https://t.co/PpgZCNCfHd pic.twitter.com/NJxpnCO1wR

— Kotaku (@Kotaku) July 27, 2020

How Did Major League Baseball Handle Zero Fans Before the Unreal Engine?

Several MLB teams have tried to make do without the Unreal Engine. The New York Mets used cardboard cutouts of fans in their game against the Yankees at CitiField. 

The NBA and the NFL are also looking for solutions to the zero-fan issue. 

The post MLB Uses Unreal Engine to Render Virtual Fans first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold