Aspen Winter X Games to be filmed using drones
Sports broadcaster ESPN said it will use drones for the first time to help with its Winter X Games coverage this week in Aspen.
It has announced plans to fly camera-carrying drones for the snowboard cross and snowmobiling events.
"It’s always been an event that has, in many aspects, been a working laboratory for technical innovation," said Rich Feinberg, vice president of production for ESPN.
"They’re all about progression and we want the coverage to progress as well."
ESPN has had to apply for approvals from several different agencies to operate the drones, including the Federal Aviation Administration.
The network has to operate drones within a "closed-set environment" away from nearby Aspen airport and cannot fly directly over spectators.
Drones were used for the first time last year at the Sochi Olympics, filming snowboard and ski jumping events.
"I’m as excited as anyone to see what this looks like," Feinberg said.
"We want the viewer to hopefully feel like he or she is seeing something he’s never seen before. If it gets them to watch a little longer, then we’ve achieved our goal."
ESPN’s coverage of the X Games begins tomorrow through Sunday.
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