Intel is considering selling its sports technology division, which works on projects such as the True View cameras, which produce 360-degree content for broadcasters in more than 19 NFL stadiums. The news was verified by “multiple people familiar with the situation,” according to Sportico.
The Intel Sports Group’s main project is True View, which has cameras mounted in the home stadiums of 20 NFL teams. (Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium is home to both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.) Eight NBA home stadiums and more than 10 soccer stadiums around the world use the technology. It creates a replay from volumetric data using several cameras, displaying it from various angles or perspectives.
To Sportico, Intel “declined to comment on rumours and speculations.” According to reports, the chipmaker has hired investment bank PJT Partners to assist in the transaction, which may be to other tech companies, media companies, or special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.
The Sports Group was founded in 2016 in response to Intel’s acquisition of Replay Technologies’ video technology and Voke, a video start-up. Intel Studios, which was dedicated to volumetric capture with a 10,000 square-foot stage in Los Angeles and over one hundred 8K cameras, was shut down in November.
“We believe that the future of sports entertainment will be powered by volumetric technology, which allows us to deliver all-encompassing experiences across viewing channels,” the company told Protocol at the time.
However, with a new CEO, Intel seems to be refocusing on its core goods, which means selling off the impressive, costly technology it has developed in other areas.