LONDON - Fans attending Arsenal's games could soon be
able to watch replays of goals or contentious tackles on Sony's
PlayStation Portable (PSP) devices by the end of next
season.
The Premier League club's commercial director Adrian Ford said a
Sony-developed application would allow fans to watch live streaming
video of a game, along with data and statistics, and give the
ability to watch near-instant replays.
The personalised system had been tested and could be rolled within
18 months, Ford said in an interview with Reuters TV.
Sony Europe's director of retail, transport and venues Eric
Siereveld said personalised video was the next technological step
for Arsenal's state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium, and it could even
allow supporters to create in-game communities.
"This device will brings an extra dimension to the game with
information and statistics," he told Reuters TV.
"But we think that the next generation of the software that runs it
could actually link fans during the game with each other."
Ford said Arsenal fans were already used to watching pre-match
entertainment and in-match statistics on hi-definition screens in
the stadium in north London, which opened in 2006
"What we are trying to do is pump a variety of different
entertainment on to those screens to help you arrive earlier and
maybe stay later," he said, adding that the club had doubled
revenue since the stadium move.
"There are a few rights issues that we have to overcome but on the
basis that we do that, we think it's a product we can offer to our
fans within the next 18 months or so," he said.
