World football’s governing body Fifa filmed Sunday’s World Cup final using a panoramic, ultra high-definition camera and will exhibit the footage when its World Football Museum opens in Zurich in early 2016.
The pioneering 360 degree viewing experience, developed in collaboration with scientists at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, was the latest visual technology innovation rolled out by Fifa at Brazil 2014 alongside 4K and 8K productions of matches.
Positioned at the halfway line, the OmniCam records the complete stadium in one panoramic view, meaning matches can be watched on 360 degree or 180 degree screens, as if the viewer is sitting in the stadium watching the match in person.
David Ausseil, creative director of the Fifa World Football Museum, said: “We believe this landmark project – filming all the action at the Fifa World Cup final match in Brazil in truly stunning panaromic format for our theatre – will be a must-see.”
Dr. Ralf Schäfer from the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute added: “Immersive video services will play an important role in the future and football is one of the most attractive applications for this kind of technology.”
Germany won its fourth World Cup at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro after Mario Gotze scored the only goal of the game to defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra time.