China is pushing live sports streaming into the future with new technology that gives fans full control over the camera, letting viewers rotate, zoom, and reposition the angle in real time.
The system made its big debut at the 15th National Games, where basketball and badminton spectators can now explore matches from any perspective using an “ultra-perspective” broadcasting mode.
According to QQ, the project is a collaboration between Central Video, the National Key Laboratory, the Sports Youth Program Center, the Technology Bureau, and teams in Shanghai and Guangdong. Together, they deployed a fully homegrown “three-dimensional video event live broadcast system” throughout the venues.
The setup uses a real-time 3D video acquisition array combined with deep-learning and 3D reconstruction algorithms. The result is a seamless blend of multi-angle video and real-time 3D modeling of the entire playing surface.
With this tech, fans can drag the camera freely in 360 degrees, switch viewpoints instantly, or zoom in on specific players using phones, tablets, or other devices. It creates a highly personalized, immersive viewpoint that traditional broadcasts don’t offer, and fans across the globe want it at home.
China sports streams lets viewers rotate the camera, zoom in, and more
Clips showing the interface for badminton have already taken off on X, with viewers calling it a game-changer.
“China national games is next level!” one user wrote.
“I’ve dreamt of this for years in live sports,” another said. “It all happens in a bowl. Why not have a camera array you can navigate around?”
Some noted that similar systems have appeared in India for cricket, while others, such as this writer, said this would be perfect for hockey, MMA, football, or any sport where alternate angles change how fans experience the action.
There’s no confirmation yet on whether this technology will expand outside China, but the reaction makes one thing clear: fully controllable sports streams may be the next major evolution in live broadcasting.
