Wave Launches 'Field Cam' for KLPGA Coverage, Bringing the Course Closer

Wave said on the 7th that it will roll out a new golf broadcast content offering called "Field Cam." "Field Cam" is a new format that differs from conventional golf broadcasts, which move from player to player to show the flow of the game.

The service will begin on the 13th and will be applied to the final round of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour's "KB Financial Star Championship." Wave plans to run this format for the final round of major tournaments.

"Field Cam" provides a separate broadcast that closely follows one "Wave Pick" player selected by Wave throughout all play from the 1st hole to the 18th hole. Unlike TV broadcasts, which switch among multiple players with a focus on the title race and key moments, "Field Cam" focuses on delivering a continuous broadcast of one player's round, including facial expressions and shot preparation.

Wave will expand the service by combining real-time chat and multiview. Through this, it aims to create an interactive viewing format for online gallery participants.

Wave's golf broadcast, "Field Cam," is hosted by Soyou as the main MC, with pro An Shin-ae and commentator Park Won appearing in rotation by tournament. An and Park explain players' play and the situation on site. Unlike existing broadcast coverage, which changes the players shown on screen based on the leaderboard, Field Cam tracks a preselected player throughout the round.

In existing broadcast coverage, the screen may exclude players who are far from title contention or have lower visibility. Field Cam, by contrast, is designed so viewers can watch one player's entire round regardless of changes in the standings.

Based on these differences, Wave sees the key benchmark for competitiveness in golf broadcasts as not broadcast rights or the commentary team, but the camera's tracking target. It also plans to provide Wave-exclusive coverage by deploying separate cast members and cameras, rather than simply simulcasting existing broadcast footage on OTT. Through this, Wave plans to ease the weightiness of expert broadcasting and create an atmosphere that feels like a familiar cast member is watching alongside the player.

Field Cam is structured into three stages, including pre- and post-round content. Before the round, there is "Field Preview"; during play, "Field Live"; and after the round, "Field Behind," linking the flow of the tournament site with context before and after the action.

In "Field Preview," the pre-round content, the program introduces the tournament venue and course, along with the players who will receive focused coverage that day. It also includes footage of players practicing, pre-interviews, and a guide to gallery etiquette.

"Field Live" is operated as a companion broadcast following Wave Pick players. It covers play across the entire span from the 1st hole to the 18th hole and also delivers gallery reactions.

In "Field Behind," the post-round content, the program offers player interviews and gallery interviews. Designed to deliver on-site stories that are difficult to include in regular broadcasts, it aims to turn not only the results of the round but also pre-round preparation and post-round reactions into a single piece of content. The goal is to provide viewers who did not visit the venue with an experience similar to watching from the gallery.

Along with Field Cam, Wave is also introducing a real-time chat feature for live golf broadcasts. Viewers can support players and share opinions about shots and the flow of the game while watching the screen. Through this, Wave aims to turn solo sports viewing into an online gallery-style space for simultaneous participation, and to position OTT golf as a "game watched together" by combining chat and multiview.

Wave offers a multiview feature for golf broadcasts. On mobile and PC, users can watch up to 3 channels at once, including KLPGA, Korea Professional Golf (KPGA), and Field Cam, while TV supports up to 2 channels.

This allows viewers to watch the regular broadcast and the player-tracking Field Cam at the same time. The format lets viewers follow the title race on the main broadcast while watching the play of a favorite player on a separate screen.

Wave has combined real-time chat and multiview with Field Cam. It also operates media commerce within the broadcast screen, allowing viewers to purchase related products immediately.

This is part of Wave's strategy to secure a distinctive OTT viewing experience in sports broadcasting. Under the view that simply offering broadcast coverage as is has limits in differentiating platforms, the company has strengthened features that let viewers directly choose the screen and viewing style. Wave aims to extend golf viewers' time on the platform by connecting live broadcasts, player-focused content, user interaction, and product purchases within a single service.

Field Cam will run from this month through November and will be applied to the final round of 6 major KLPGA tournaments. The broadcast start time for each tournament is 9:30 a.m.

A Wave official said the goal of Field Cam is to bring players and the atmosphere on site, which are difficult to experience through TV broadcasts, closer to viewers. The official also said the company is continuously upgrading its golf broadcast service to reduce the perceived distance for viewers.

Source: IT DAILY · Lee Jae-young
Original: https://www.itdaily.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=241443

References

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