The Premier League has appointed Genius Sports Limited as its Semi-Automated Officiating (SAOT) supplier, implementing new technology aimed at improving offside decision-making.
The system, powered by Genius Sports’ AI and data platform GeniusIQ, is set to be installed in every Premier League stadium and is expected to be operational during the 2024/25 season.
The GeniusIQ platform employs computer vision cameras to create full 3D renders of all players, the ball and the offside line within seconds. This system is designed to increase the speed and accuracy of offside decisions, reducing interruptions in the game.
The Premier League anticipates that this technology will significantly cut down the time required for offside rulings and ensure consistent application of offside lines.
Tony Scholes, Premier League Chief Football Officer, stated: “The introduction of semi-automated offside is an important move to maintain the flow of the game in the Premier League. We are confident that by using the newest and most accurate technology available we will see the time taken for offside decisions reduced significantly alongside a consistent application of the offside lines.”
Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke added: “I am thrilled that Genius Sports is now the Premier League’s Semi-Automated Officiating supplier. This is a seismic moment for our business, as we bring our unique AI and data platform GeniusIQ to the world’s most watched league.”
Genius Sports has a history of providing data and technology services to the Premier League, including powering the Premier League Data Zone, which offers live tracking insights and statistics. This new agreement extends their existing partnership, which includes their AI-powered data being used by all 20 Premier League teams.
The announcement of the SAOT system follows Genius Sports’ report of a 23% increase in revenue to $119.7m for Q1 2024. The company has also secured exclusive betting rights with Football DataCo until 2029 and launched AI-powered in-game highlights in collaboration with Brentford FC.
