World’s First Live Ultra-High-Resolution Immersive Horse Racing Experience Debuts at Ascot

Ascot, Racetech, Ateme, Focal Point VR and Bluebell collaborate to deliver a groundbreaking live immersive video stream for horse racing

Ascot, UK – January 20, 2026 – Live sports broadcasting reached a new milestone last Saturday at the prestigious Ascot Racecourse with the debut of the world’s first live ultra-high-resolution immersive broadcast of a horse racing event, delivered in real time with unprecedented depth, clarity, and realism.

The Ascot showcase demonstrates how live sport can be experienced with a heightened sense of presence, bringing audiences closer to the action through workflows designed specifically for next-generation immersive video. It was made possible through a close collaboration between Ascot, Racetech, Ateme, Focal Point VR Ltd, and Bluebell Opticom across capture, encoding, connectivity, and on-site deployment:

• Focal Point VR deployed its multi-8K sensor immersive camera system, delivering stereoscopic depth and clarity with an extraordinary 37 pixels-per-degree fidelity.
• Bluebell Opticom provided its flexible fiber connectivity solution to link Focal Point VR’s camera system and processing engine.
• Ateme’s TITAN encoder processed the ultra-high-resolution content in real time, encoding directly into Apple’s MV-HEVC immersive format for seamless playback on Apple Vision Pro.
• Racetech and Ascot Racecourse supported the live racing environment and operational integration for the demonstration.

This collaboration sets a new reference point for live immersive sports broadcasting, demonstrated through a real-time experience delivered to selected VIP guests at Ascot on race day.

Graham Badger, Head of Media and Broadcast, Ascot Racecourse, said: “This demonstration at Ascot showed the power of collaboration across the industry. Together we have pushed the boundaries of what fans can experience in real time, bringing people closer to the heart of the race and making them feel as though they’re truly there. We see this as a major step forward for the future of sport, and we’re excited by the opportunities it will creates for audiences”

James Gray, Commercial Director, RaceTech, said: “With innovation being so important to RaceTech, the team are delighted to be involved in the delivery of this live immersive experience. Ascot Racecourse is a world-renowned venue of sporting excellence, so is a fitting place to demonstrate this technology. The immersive experience really makes it feel like you have been transported into the parade ring.

I am confident this demonstration will provide innovative opportunities for RaceTech’s existing customer base and a multitude of other applications in live events.”

“This exclusive “Focal Point VR and Ateme” pipeline sets a new standard for live immersive broadcasting” said Mickael Raulet, CTO at Ateme. “It demonstrates how ultra-high- resolution immersive video can be delivered live, bringing audiences closer to the action and enhancing the sense of presence at major sporting events.”

Jonathan Newth, CEO Focal Point VR said: “Live immersive broadcast has long been discussed as the next frontier for sports but delivering it at true broadcast quality and in real time has remained a significant technical challenge.

This demonstration at Ascot shows that ultra-high-fidelity immersive experiences can now be delivered live, reliably, and at scale. Working alongside RaceTech, Ateme, Bluebell and the Ascot team, we’ve proven that immersive video can be integrated into real-world broadcast environments without compromise, opening the door to entirely new ways for audiences to experience live sport.”

For immersive production to operate reliably in real world environments, the transport layer must deliver uncompromising performance,” said Anil Parmar, Sales and Marketing Director at Bluebell Opticom. “This deployment demonstrates that uncompressed 8K video and control signals can be carried over fibre infrastructure with the performance and confidence required for next generation immersive workflows.

About Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, who identified the land as being ideal for horseracing when riding out from Windsor Castle. The first four-day meeting at Ascot took place in 1768 and at some point in time, the race programme started being referred to as Royal Ascot.

The two tracks, Flat and Jumps, now provide racing all year round and Ascot hosts 26 days of racing each year, including the five days of Royal Ascot. It is Europe’s premier Flat racing meeting, featuring eight Group 1 races and 19 Group races in total. Around 300,000 racegoers attend across the five days while the event is broadcast in more than 180 territories with a reach of 650 million households.

As well as world-class racing, Ascot Racecourse is also used as a film and TV filming location and as a venue for conferences, banquets, exhibitions, product launches and weddings, with 300 non-racing events annually. The land on which Ascot Racecourse sits is leased from the Crown Estate, adjacent to Windsor Great Park, covering 179 acres.

For more information please visit www.ascot.com

About RaceTech

RaceTech is the dedicated technical facilities provider that has maintained British racing at the forefront of global broadcast technology for 80 years.

Originated as the Race Finish Recording Company in 1946 its portfolio of innovation includes the pioneering development of horseracing’s first photo-finish system and the introduction of full high-definition broadcast and state-of-the-art racecourse AV installations.

About Ateme

Ateme is a global leader of video compression and delivery solutions, helping tier-one content providers, service providers and streaming platforms boost their viewership and subscriber numbers.

Leveraging an R&D task force that is unique in the video industry, Ateme’s solutions power sustainable TV services, improve end-users’ quality of experience, optimize the total cost of ownership of TV/VOD services, and generate new revenue streams based on personalization and ad insertion. Beyond offering technological agility, Ateme partners with its customers, offering flexible business models that match their financial priorities.

Find out more: www.ateme.com

About Bluebell Opticom

Bluebell Opticom designs and manufactures fibre optic links for the broadcast, telecommunications and professional AV industries. With more than 30 years of engineering experience and a Technical Emmy Award recognised in 2017, the company has played a key role in advancing fibre based transport of video, audio and data.

Bluebell supports a global customer base, supplying broadcasters, systems integrators and network operators across Europe, North America and Asia. Its solutions are widely used in studios, outside broadcast, live events and other mission critical environments. All products are designed and manufactured in house in the United Kingdom, ensuring quality, consistency and long term support.

About Focal Point VR

Focal Point VR Ltd is a UK-based immersive video technology company specialising in live ultra-high-resolution stereoscopic capture and delivery.

The company designs and deploys end-to-end immersive broadcast systems combining advanced multi-sensor camera hardware, real-time processing, and high-efficiency encoding to deliver exceptional depth, clarity and realism.

Focal Point VR works with broadcasters, technology partners and rights holders to enable live immersive experiences across sport, music and premium events, bringing audiences closer to the action while integrating seamlessly into existing broadcast workflows.

For more information about Focal Point VR’s Live Spatial Computing solutions, contact us at hello@focalpoinvr.com