Manchester City Football Club has today announced a new project with the world’s most versatile camera manufacturer, GoPro.
The initiative will see the Californian-based company, loved by extreme sports enthusiasts the world over, team up with City to create never-before-seen innovative content.
Using GoPro’s trademark action point-of-view filming, both City and GoPro are now able to put fans firmly at the heart of the action giving them a first-hand insight into what it’s like to train and play like a professional footballer.
Earlier this summer on City’s pre-season tour of New York, the GoPro media team were granted exclusive access to players in order to film the brand’s first ever football feature, shot 100% on GoPro’s new HERO3 cameras.
The lightweight high-resolution cameras were mounted to the Club’s coaches and players during practice sessions, including City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart and French international Samir Nasri.
In addition, GoPros also featured during both of City’s US fixtures at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York and Busch Stadium in St. Louis, capturing the pre-match atmosphere and what players go through before they take to the field of play.
Tom Glick, Chief Commercial and Operating Officer for Manchester City, said: “As a Club we have always been passionate about providing fans with content that is not only immersive and captivating, but a true reflection of what goes on behind-the-scenes on and off the pitch also. From Tunnel Cam to Inside City, we have continually pushed the boundaries to engage fans and bring them closer to the club they love.
“GoPro has enabled us to take that philosophy to the next level, combining both their cutting edge technology and expertise in capturing raw point-of-view sports footage. GoPro is a perfect fit and together with CityTV, we look forward to creating the next evolution in sports content.”
This sentiment was shared by GoPro’s Head of Production, Wil Tidman, who added: “It was an honour for GoPro to work with Manchester City. The experience provided an amazing opportunity to showcase the unique perspectives and competitive edge our camera can offer to one of the most elite football teams in the world.”
GoPro is currently exploring 3D capabilities and how these can be applied to the world of sport.