How Wimbledon and Watson are using AI to curate video highlights

The Wimbledon tennis championship is among the world’s most prestigious sporting events. First held in 1877, it’s also the oldest tennis tournament in the world. Much has changed in the past 142 years — from the players’ attire to the quality of their equipment — but behind the scenes an AI evolution is transforming how footage is captured and curated for public consumption.

For context, Wimbledon has 18 grass courts, which host nearly 700 matches over a two-week period, spanning men’s and women’s singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and more. The six main “show courts” alone — which host the most prominent matches — each average around four matches a day. For the first time, last year all 18 courts were televised, using a mixture of “manned” and “robotic” cameras. This can give viewers unprecedented access, but it also creates a heck of a lot of footage, too much for mere mortals to sift through in a timely manner. This is where IBM believes automation can help.

Full story at VentureBeat.