World Cup 2023 live telecast: How does live broadcast of a cricket match work?

The World Cup has also witnessed an incredible 364.2 million viewers tuning in to the live telecast of the first 18 matches including the high-voltage India versus Pakistan clash in Ahmedabad.

These record-breaking numbers shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) point to the contribution of the changing technology which has taken cricket viewing to a different level, be it on TV, the web, or mobile phones.

35 to 40 cameras on the ground

In the last three decades, live broadcast of cricket has undergone a drastic change and it continues to include new technologies. From the time when just four cameras were used to cover a cricket contest, it has evolved to 35 to 40 cameras now at every game.

The viewers of World Cup 2023, played across 10 Indian cities, are treated to state-of-the-art-coverage in 4K technology.

How live cricket broadcast works

There are 35 to 40 cameras on the field covering each and every ball of the match. Experienced professionals handle these sophisticated cameras and have to concentrate hard just like the players who are playing the game on the ground. They cannot afford to miss even a single second with technology being used for umpiring decisions (Decision Review System – DRS).

During the live broadcast of a cricket match, all 35 to 40 cameras are wired up into the Broadcast Control Room (BCR) or Production Control Room (PCR) where there is the director who will be watching the live pictures from each and every camera on different screens and giving instructions to beam images from cameras.

The director sees the live images on 35 to 40 screens and makes split-second decisions to decide what the viewers around the world need to see.

Apart from the live feed, current cricket matches feature the Field 360-degree – a virtual field model, powered by an AI-enabled live player tracking engine that provides viewers with an immersive experience. This technology, used to shine a light on fielding positions and strategies, has been developed by Quidich Innovation Labs with creative direction from ICC TV.

DRS services including ball tracking and edge detection are being provided by Hawk-Eye, with a minimum of six cameras used for DRS.

Apart from the on-field cameras, a drone camera provides stunning views of all venues and the surrounding geography. There is also a roving buggy cam as well for a ground-level view, while a Spidercam provides an aerial view of proceedings.

A live cricket match production is a team effort and covering One Day Internationals (ODIs) is not an easy task. While Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) last a maximum of four to five hours (there are exceptions when rain interrupts) and 40 overs (240 balls), the workload on camera persons is more the double for ODIs (600 balls) as it goes beyond eight hours.

A first for cricket in World Cup 2023

In a first for the sport, the World Cup 2023 world feed match coverage has an additional vertical video feed, to watch in vertical mode (9x14 portrait view), which is revolutionising fans’ viewing experience. For this feature, there are an additional six cameras

The ICC TV’s vertical feed is a first-of-its-kind coverage for the sport across all 48 World Cup matches. The technological innovation is providing fans with an easier and more intuitive viewing experience on mobile phones that allows them to consume content on the go in the most convenient handheld position.

“For fans, this transformative approach to consuming ICC events will provide more access to World Cups than ever before. The vertical feed will provide a special experience with the addition of split screens in its coverage. With a focus on building more context to the on-field action, the split-screen feature will unlock an additional dimension for the viewers and provide a further sense of proximity to the action and their heroes,” ICC said.

The production uses a carefully curated array of dedicated vertically oriented cameras, while utilising the world feed cameras for split screens. The production will also feature match graphics and bespoke production enhancements to enhance the vertically oriented coverage.

The vertical video feed is also making use of traditional technical and editorial storytelling tools to further elevate the coverage. Key features like ball tracking, player tracking and field plot are tailored to fit the vertical format.