Having been used successfully by rival UK free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4 in its cricket coverage, the BBC has bought up the use of Hawk-Eye to complement its interactive Wimbledon broadcasts this year.
A network of five cameras on Centre Court and Court One will be linked into the device, which is able to analyse the behaviour of the ball in flight. Shots will be replayed through 360 degrees and shot selection and contentious line calls will be more closely analysed.
Said Hawk-Eye inventor Paul Hawkins: “Tennis is being reasonably pro-active in looking into using it as an umpiring aid. I think the authorities may start looking at proper trials relatively soon.”
For a full interview with Jeff Foulser, chief executive of TV Corp., the company behind the technology, on the use of Hawk-Eye in tennis coverage see the features section of today's sportbusiness.com
For the first time, host broadcaster the BBC is using the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking technology in its coverage of the 2003 Wimbledon championships, which starts today.
