The Deutsche Football League has tested what it describes as a “world first” live football match broadcast in a mobile-first 9:16 aspect ratio, allowing fans to watch on a vertical mobile phone screen. The Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and SV Werder Bremen was produced in a 9:16 format in addition to the usual broadcast format. The DFL said it is responding to changing media usage behaviour and the increasing consumption of videos on mobile devices.
   

The 9:16 feed was produced with additional technology independent of the base signal, with five additional cameras used in the stadium for the 9:16 production. They cameras were tilted using special tripods and in a separate control room the monitors were also rotated by 90 degrees.

“We are very satisfied with the test,” said Andreas Heyden, EVP Digital Innovations of the DFL Group. “As always, we develop innovations by adopting the fan’s perspective. We see that vertical videos in social media on mobile devices are better received than ones in horizontal orientation,” he added.

“The successful test in Wolfsburg provides us with a good basis for further considerations as to how we can do even better justice to this usage behaviour in the future.”