The market for sports graphics technology is showing no sign of a slow down with Red Bee Media announcing two separate contracts with broadcasters RTE (Ireland) and C More Entertainment (Sweden) to supply them with Piero 3D graphics technology.

RTE will use Piero on GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) games, the English Premier League matches, UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Championship League games as well as certain rugby leagues. This is the first time Red Bee Media has supplied Piero for the analysis of Gaelic football and Hurling.

C More Entertainment will use Piero to enhance their coverage of the Swedish domestic league (Allsvenskan) and the Barclays Premier League.

Piero is used by broadcasters to illustrate critical moments from football and rugby matches using 3D graphics and replay them in a virtual stadium from angles that can not be captured by conventional cameras.

The Piero technology is continuously under development resulting in new functionalities. The most recent development introduces fully flexible 3D players, enabling the 3D models' heads and limbs to be adjusted in order to mimic real life play more closely and enhance story telling capabilities.

In February the ‘moveable player' feature was introduced, allowing presenters to move players with their finger on the touch-screen from one area of the pitch to another.

Karl Stone, head of business development for Piero at Red Bee Media, said: "I am delighted with Piero's progress so far this year, in terms of both technological advances and market expansion. We are able to offer RTE and C More Entertainment our most sophisticated range of functionality yet and are excited about Piero's increasing global reach."

www.redbeemedia.com