O2 UK showcased the world’s first live TV advert, powered by 5G, and aired live on ITV during the England match last Saturday.
Footage of the matchday atmosphere was captured across the UK and sent back to ITN studios in London via O2’s 5G network. From there, it was broadcasted as a live advert on ITV, showcasing the real time support of fans up and down the country.
The advert collated footage of fans during the match from four different locations across the country using 5G ‘bonded’* cameras. To transfer such a high volume of data in broadcast quality, ITN relied on 5G’s capability to provide high-speed, high quality, always-on connectivity.
The live TV advertising partnership with ITV comes ahead of O2’s 5G network switch-on in October across key areas of Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds. O2’s 5G rollout will be targeted where customers need it most, including at major entertainment and sports venues such as The O2 and Twickenham Stadium.
Nina Bibby, CMO, O2
Using next-generation technology, we will unite rugby fans across the country in real-time, inspiring the nation to come together in support of the team.
Kelly Williams, MD, Commercial, ITV
The power of live TV to bring people together is unparallelled in the advertising industry and we are really excited about this O2 5G live ad, which amplifies both the incredible emotion that a major live event on ITV can generate and the new technology opportunities around TV advertising.
