Infront X creates the ideal fan experience for leading clubs 

Liam Watson

With popular football clubs among their extensive client list, Infront X presents as the perfect partner for anyone in the sports industry looking to improve their fan experience. 

Infront X is a digital media company focused on the link between data science and technology and how this can create more personal experiences for users – growing audiences for content owners, bridging the gap between storytelling and technology and creating digital platforms and experiences to help global brands engage with audiences and monetise their investments. 

Infront X works with many of the biggest names in sports, media, entertainment, and gaming, tailoring to meet their interests using data-driven insights to cater to audience passions and empower businesses to make millions of lasting impressions.  

Infront X has established themselves across the world with offices across North America, Europe, and Asia, where they have had a massive impact in helping elite organisations like the PGA TOUR, Verizon, NASCAR, FOX, Chelsea FC, AS Roma, the International Ski Federation, and the International Basketball Federation, as well as many others. 

Forming part of Infront X’s expertise is the way they have delivered fan experience for sporting organisations. One of their leading projects has been with 2020-21 UEFA Champions League winners, Chelsea FC. 

Launched in 2018, The 5th Stand App connects a global fanbase to their club and community. 

During a long-term partnership, Infront X has worked closely with Chelsea’s digital team to create and implement a data-driven digital product strategy, which brings the very best features together on The 5th Stand. The app is designed to let Chelsea’s global fanbase interact with each other and support the club, even when they cannot be in one of the four stands at Stamford Bridge, particularly key to capturing an international audience. 

The collaboration between Infront X and Chelsea both parties to develop and deliver an innovative digital strategy that focuses on deep fan engagement for a truly interactive interface. Since From the time The 5th Stand was released, it has been downloaded over 6.7 million times, making it the fastest growing football app in the world. A recent survey by Chelsea saw 92% of all fans recognise the importance of having The 5th Stand app. 

Moving across to Italy, Infront X and AS Roma FC form another partnership that is in amongst a multi-year deal. Regarded as one of the most successful clubs in Serie A, Infront X saw another perfect opportunity to help a club that has an incredibly passionate global fanbase.

Ordinally, AS Roma were able to relaunch their flagship website in 2018 thanks to Corebine, powered by Omnigon, in conjunction with Infront X. The introduction of the digital media company to AS Roma’s business strategy and planning identified the needs and requirements for the club, through insights gleaned that saw new monetisation opportunities and holistic recommendations to take the digital experience to the next level. 

Infront X were then able to develop and launch mobile apps to cater for the global community, alongside a revamped and responsive website that comes with a host of different languages. A verstaile platform gives AS Roma fans everything they need with in-match and player statistics, as well as enhanced video capabilities. 

Sporting leagues themselves can even get in on the action, as evidenced with the features that Infront X helped the Scottish Professional League (SPFL) with. 

The SPFL were seeking new ways to keep their fans engaged in a time where the league was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. 

When league games were cancelled, Infront X found a way to fill a content gap by using a voting system to reach fans and create those interactions. Each week, they had the chance to vote for which archived match would be streamed each week. 

Eventually when matches resumed, a poll allowed fans to vote on ‘Team of the Season’ content and a variety of other campaigns ensured that fan engagement would always remain at a high. 

To see everything that Infront X has to offer across a range of industries, you can find it here. 

Previous ArticleNext Article

A-Leagues partners with Champion Data to enhance broadcast experience

Avatar
Image Credit: Shutterstock

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has appointed Champion Data as its official broadcast graphics partner in a three-season agreement designed to enhance coverage of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women. The partnership will introduce Champion Data’s live graphics technology across broadcasts on Network 10 and Paramount+, delivering real-time statistics, scores and visual insights to help fans follow the action.

Champion Data will use its proprietary GGi platform to connect match data with broadcast graphics and production workflows. The system will support the delivery of clear, engaging information throughout matches, giving viewers greater insight into key moments and performances. The agreement also strengthens the APL’s commitment to improving the broadcast presentation of women’s football. Champion Data will bring the Ninja A-League Women’s production standards into alignment with the men’s competition, supporting a more consistent viewing experience across both leagues.

The APL expects the partnership to enrich its broadcast offering as audiences seek deeper insights and more engaging ways to follow Australian football. The new graphics package will help viewers understand match developments, track statistics and connect with the stories unfolding on the pitch. Champion Data will manage technical delivery, train broadcast operators and provide live matchday support throughout the agreement. This end-to-end approach will help production teams deliver accurate information and consistent graphics across both competitions.

The partnership builds on Champion Data’s experience in sports data collection, analytics and broadcast technology. They currently provide statistics for the AFL, V8 Supercars and Tennis Australia alongside many others. By integrating live match information with on-screen graphics, the company will help bring the tactical detail and drama of A-Leagues football to television and streaming audiences.

As the APL continues to develop its broadcast product across television and digital platforms. The partnership positions Champion Data as a key technology provider for the next three seasons. The collaboration will combine data expertise and broadcast innovation to improve how fans experience Australian football, bringing greater clarity, context and insight to every match.

Netflix’s Women’s World Cup deal puts IMG’s technology in the spotlight

Avatar
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Netflix’s first exclusive football deal will see the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup at the centre of it’s live-sport strategy. The US-streaming service company has appointed IMG as its production partner for all 64 matches in Brazil, as well as more than 100 hours of live studio programming. The deal includes English and Spanish coverage for viewers within the US, and English and French-language coverage for those in Canada. IMG will also support Netflix’s coverage of the tournament’s draw in December.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup runs from June 24 to July 25 across eight host cities, and will be the first edition to feature 32 teams. The scale of the tournament makes it an ambitious first foray into sports broadcasting for Netflix – which means IMG’s involvement will be of great significance.

IMG’s production engine

IMG has built its reputation on producing and distributing live sport at scale. It’s Stockley Park, London facility includes broadcast studios, production galleries, edit suites and facilities for radio, podcasting, dubbing and visual effects. The company has worked across major properties including the Premier League, Major League Soccer and other international sporting events.

For a World Cup, this infrastructure provides more than a place to make television; it creates a central point where production teams can manage feeds, graphics, replays, commentary, editing and distribution while events are taking place thousands of kilometres away.

Remote production is the key

The most important technology for a tournament spread across eight Brazilian cities is connectivity. IMG has invested in remote-production workflows that allow production teams to work across locations, rather than putting every specialist inside each stadium. Its wider production operation has used fibre, satellite, cloud and IP-based connectivity to move live signals between venues and production centres.

That model can reduce the amount of equipment and specialist staff required at every venue while allowing senior producers, directors, replay operators and graphics teams to work from centralised facilities. IMG has also demonstrated long-distance IP production, including a 20,000-kilometre link between Tokyo and London that carried uncompressed, low-latency video. For Netflix, those capabilities are particularly relevant. The platform is building a single viewing experience for audiences in two markets, but the raw ingredients will come from stadiums spread across Brazil. A resilient network becomes just as important as the cameras themselves.

From stadium to stream

The technology chain does not end when the pictures leave the venue. A modern sports production operation has to manage ingest, replay, media asset management, graphics, audio, quality control, archiving and transmission. IMG’s facilities have been built around those workflows, with master control and transmission capabilities alongside post-production and archive operations.

That infrastructure also gives IMG the ability to turn the live tournament into a wider stream of content. A goal can become a replay, a highlight, a social clip or part of a studio package without waiting for the match to finish. For Netflix, that fits a platform built around on-demand discovery as much as live viewing.

A new test for Netflix

Netflix has already made a significant investment in football through documentaries and other programming. The 2027 Women’s World Cup takes it up a level. FIFA describes the agreement as the first competition Netflix has acquired in full, making the tournament a major test of its live sports operation. IMG therefore has a job that goes beyond producing 64 matches; it must help Netflix build the technical backbone for a month-long, multi-venue broadcast, while maintaining consistent production standards across languages and locations.

The viewer may simply press play and see a World Cup match appear instantly. Behind that button will be a complex network of cameras, connectivity, control rooms, production systems, people and data. That is the real significance of Netflix’s IMG deal: the streamer is bringing the tournament to its platform, but IMG is providing much of the machinery that can make a global football event feel seamless.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend