At Once Sport, our mission is simple. Provide analysts, coaches, and broadcasters with intuitive, powerful, yet affordable tools that bring tactics to life. When Arena Sport Slovenia, the country’s largest sports television network, came to us in search of a reliable solution for their in-studio analysis, we knew we could offer more than just software. We could offer a long-term collaboration.
We recently visited their studio in Ljubljana. There, we interviewed Aleksander Balkovec, a producer at the network. We also spoke with Denis Šme, a former professional footballer, who is now an analyst and pundit at Arena Sport. He played for two of the biggest Slovenian clubs, Olimpija Ljubljana and Maribor. Check out the interviews in the video.
From a Free Trial to a Trusted Software
Arena Sport Slovenia started where many of our clients do. With a Free Trial! Aleksander Balkovec says it didn’t take long before they recognised the value of Once Sport. Affordability and ease of use were key, but what truly mattered was how great our software fit into their fast-paced television workflow. With our help and support, they began using our products regularly.
Benefits of Using Once Sport Products for TV
Studio analysis needs to be quick, clear, and visually impactful. That’s why Arena Sport integrated Once Sport Analyser and Once Sport Coach Board for their pre-match, half-time, and post-match analysis.
From presenting starting line-ups to visualising tactical shifts, the tools give their team the flexibility to react to changes. For example, when Inter made several changes after a Champions League match, they used the Once Sport Coach Board to show the updated line-up.
Arena Sport Slovenia uses Once Sport to support studio debates. It also assists their analysts and pundits. With various images and graphics, they can easily visualise tactical ideas and line-ups for the viewers. Watch Denis Šme explain how he creates the starting line-up of Real Madrid.
Favourite Once Sport Features
Denis uses all the available analysis features. Player tracking and formations, Vision, arrows for long balls and crosses, and Zoom are just a few. However, he highlighted the “Move a player” feature as a top choice. It allows him to show how a player could have been better positioned in a situation by simply dragging them to another spot. He also believes this feature helps viewers the most to visualise how a situation could have had a different outcome.
One example Denis gave was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defending against Manchester United, showing how his positioning opened up space. A moment that was missed live but spotlighted with Once Sport Analyser.
What makes Once Sport a good fit for TV?
With television primarily being a visual medium, the software they use must be televisual. Meaning that the pitch is a nice green colour, or that the players can be moved around easily. Television analysis must strike a delicate balance. It has to be in-depth enough for experts, yet simple enough for casual viewers. Arena Sport has mastered this balance using Once Sport. Their analyst puts it best:
“The biggest challenge is to create expert analysis that’s not overly complicated. With Once Sport, I can do that.”
Creating an Analysis with Once Sport
The first step of creating an analysis is choosing the actions that they are going to analyse. After choosing the actions, making sure to include both attacking and defensive situations, Denis Šme proceeds to put all the analytical details into Once Sport Analyser.
Every match day at Arena Sport includes a panel of three pundits, often with at least one of them being a coach. Already, while following the match, they look for situations to analyse. During half-time or after the final whistle, they select key scenes, debate the tactics, and use Once Sport to bring their conclusions to life for viewers. Sometimes, there are even two pundits presenting the analysis, giving viewers more than just one tactical view.
Once Sport and Arena Sport Slovenia Working Together
The best product improvements come from real-world use. That’s why our collaboration with Arena Sport has gone beyond technical support. We’ve visited their team in Ljubljana several times to review the workflow, exchange ideas, and improve together.
Over the last year, their feedback has helped shape the Once Sport Coach Board into what it is today: the most visually stunning and user-friendly tactical board on the market. Denis Šme’s words confirm that:
“Now we’re at a point where everything is where we want it to be. The quality of analysis and the televisuality are exactly what we need.”
Today, Arena Sport Slovenia uses Once Sport daily. Preparing for shows, adjusting live broadcasts, and simplifying complex tactics for a broad audience.
And for us, that’s exactly what success looks like.
Improve your Sports Analysis
If you are reading this and you think you could use a better video analysis program, or you haven’t tried video analysis yet, browse around our website www.once.sport.
Try Once Sport Analyser, featuring amazing tagging, animated drawings, and automated tracking; Once Sport Telestrator, separately for quality drawing and tracking; and Once Sport Coach Board for tactics and training creation. For automated recording? Check out Once Sport Autocam, an affordable sports recording solution for clubs at any level.
If you need help, contact our team at [email protected] or +4367764304109 for personalised support.
