Paris, France -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/29/2017 --PIQ Sport Intelligence, a leading start-up in IoT for sports, and Canal +, a major European broadcaster, are partnering to create the ultimate broadcasting experience for boxing lovers. For the first time ever, TV viewers will get access to live stats of the fights thanks to sensors to be worn by the boxers.

The PIQ Live technology serving Canal+ subscribers.

Canal + editorial teams, as well as Euromedia-NetcoSports technical teams, and PIQ technological teams have worked together to rethink the boxing event experience and enrich its content. This unique approach will enhance the broadcast of boxing events, offering a more engaging experience for viewers. Viewers will soon have live access to key fighting stats that were previously not available, such as the speed of punches, and the power – measured as a g-force – or the retraction time. These stats will allow viewers a better understanding of the technique and the performance of each boxer.

This data is available in real-time thanks to PIQ's unique expertise and patented technology. This start-up is focusing on IoT (Internet of Things) for sports and has designed a nano-computer that records and understands, thanks to AI, the movements and strokes of sports players by the milliseconds. This motion-capture algorithm is protected by 10 international patents and is now available to revolutionize the broadcasting of sports events.

François-Charles Bideaux, Head of sports production at Canal+ comments: " Thanks to our collective expertise, and most notably, the access to PIQ's technology, CANAL+ subscribers will get access to a unique intimate understanding of boxing for the first time, right there on the ring to understand the true dynamics of a fight. This immersive set-up engages viewers well beyond traditional TV broadcasting. "

A world's first

The sensors are worn by the boxers during the event and data is displayed at key moments of the fights. Viewers are able to see in real-time the speed of punches, the power, and type of punches — as well as many other data points.

The first fight airing PIQ's data has been broadcasted live on June 2nd. The next fights airing PIQ's data will be broadcasted on July 1st 2017 (Diallo v. Donfack & Goulamirian v. Williams)

The PIQ technology and sensors have also been used in the new Canal+ TV show "Invisible", an ambitious project in which a sports movement is broken down and analyzed thanks to an ultra-slow-motion camera.

PIQ Live, a new team dedicated to media and events

PIQ Live is a new product and team dedicated to the growing needs of media outlets to enrich their content and differentiate their viewers' experience during sports events. Thanks to the expertise and the quality of the data gathered by PIQ's sensors, sports broadcasting enters a new era, events are even more exciting, more interactive and each viewer becomes an expert.

The sensors worn by pro athletes during these events are also available to consumers . Each can then measure their performance and compare themselves to the pro athletes they see on TV.

Cédric Mangaud, CEO of PIQ Sport Intelligence states " We are proud to launch this revolution with CANAL+, a network that has continuously innovated in sports broadcasting for the last 30 years. Our ambition is to change how viewers consume sports events by bringing new data, while allowing them to have access to these innovations themselves in their everyday sports sessions, thus creating a community of involved sports players"

About PIQ Sport Intelligence:

PIQ Sport intelligence is a pioneering start-up in the sports wearables field. PIQ has developed PIQ Robot - a powerful nano-computer capable of analyzing more than 195,000 data points per minute in real time – and associated it with GAIA - an autonomous system which, for the very first time in the world, understands and analyzes sport movements. Developed by PIQ Sport Intelligence and adapted to boxing, tennis, skiing, golf, and kitesurfing, the product uses several revolutionary motion-capture algorithms. Thousands of sportsmen and millions of gestures have been studied to develop these algorithms, and the unique technologies, which are protected by 10 international patents, took 3 years of research and development. PIQ Sport Intelligence is a privileged partner of the world's major sport equipment manufacturers (Everlast, Babolat, Rossignol, etc.). Since its inception, PIQ has raised € 16 million from Taiwan's Foxconn (FIH Mobile Ltd), Ginko Ventures, Orkos Capital, Swisscom and Almaz Capital. PIQ currently has 67 employees.

About Canal +
CANAL+ Group is the leading pay-TV group in France, ranking first both for its premium- content networks with the generalist channel CANAL+ and associated channels, and its themed networks. It is also the top multi-channel platform and distributor for pay-TV offerings in France. CANAL+ Group has a high international profile, with a presence in pay-TV in Africa, Poland and Vietnam. Overall, CANAL+ Group has over 14 million subscribers worldwide. A free-to-air TV operator with three national channels, including France fifth highest rating channel, C8, and in-house advertising sales division CANAL+ REGIE, the Group is also a benchmark player in commercial TV. Group CANAL is fully-owned by Vivendi, a global media and content production and distribution group

Through its subsidiary STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+ Group is the European leader in production and distribution of feature films and TV series.

About NetcoSports
NetcoSports is an international company delivering digital and innovative solutions to the sport industry. We work at developing tools and services for leagues, clubs, venues and broadcasters to help them engage their audience and create profitable digital experiences. We are always on the lookout for the last technologies (Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Chatbots, iBeacon, etc.) and integrate them at any step of the value-chain, from video recording to end-users' applications. Thanks to our talented teams, we provide our clients with dedicated support and maximum reactivity all-along their projects and deliver high-quality solutions.

PR Contact PIQ:
Jeff Touzeau – Hummingbird Media, Inc.
914-602-2913
jeff@hummingbirdmedia.com