A winner of multiple Emmy Awards for technical achievement, the Virtual Yellow 1st and Ten Line makes use of Sportvision’s patented video overlay technology to create the illusion that a yellow first-down line is painted on the field, allowing players to cross over and stand on it. Invented by Sportvision and first introduced in 1998, 1st and Ten allows viewers to see the necessary distance for a first down as plays progress, making it an integral viewing component and powerful marketing vehicle. Retaining 92 percent viewer approval rating, the 1st and Ten line has become a must have staple of every football telecast.
Recent Sportvision enhancements to the 1st and Ten system include the virtual Down and Distance arrows with team logos, the Red Zone graphic, and Kicker graphics. In the 2003 NFL season, Sportvision unveiled the first system capable of inserting the 1st and Ten line in video from the popular Sky Cam, the mobile camera that provides aerial coverage from directly over the field of play.