Jim Courier, Commentator and USA Davis Cup Captain
Hawk-Eye is one of the leading vision processing companies in sports. First used as a broadcast tool to analyse decisions in Cricket, Hawk-Eye has since revolutionised sports broadcasting, officiating and coaching across a variety of sports including Tennis, Snooker and Gaelic Hurling.
Situated at Sony Europe's offices in Basingstoke, one hour outside of London, the company is proud to be an integral part of many of the world's premier sporting events. Hawk-Eye has an annual involvement in over one hundred events including The Wimbledon Championships, The Cricket World Cup, Davis and Federation Cups, World Championships snooker and the Indian Premier League cricket.
Hawk-Eye’s success has been recognised through several honours including two BAFTAS, one Emmy, one Logie, three Royal Television Society Awards and recognition as Best Technology by the British Computer Society.
The company continues to grow, develop, and innovate across sports, to stay one step ahead of the evolving demands from officials, athletes, coaches and fans alike.
History
The timeline below outline some of the significant moments in Hawk-Eye’s history, and demonstrates just how quickly the company has grown, creating a brand that is instantly recognisable across sports around the globe.
Hawk-Eye gains official authorisation from FIFA to install their goal-line technology systems worldwide.
July 2012
Two tennis line calling systems used at the London 2012 Olympic Games
July 2012
The football system qualifies as an official licensee of goal line technology.
May 2012
The football simulator makes it's debut at the Champions League Final, Munich.
March 2012
Tennis player and ball tracking data is used as a coaching aid at the Miami Masters 1000 and The SAP Open events. For the first time, players were able to immediately access data from their matches, including new innovations such as spin and distance covered by each player. With elite performance decided by fine margins, this new data source has been well received by tennis experts, and fits well with the new Hawk-Eye coaching academy systems that are being installed across the world.
January 2012
Hawk-Eye is one of only 2 companies to successfully pass Phase 1 of the FIFA approval process for Goal Line Technology (GLT) in football. The IFAB approved Hawk-Eye to take part in Phase 2 testing, which will further assess the reliability and accuracy of the system under more realistic game conditions, and is due to take place in between March and June 2012.
The Australian Open Tennis extend the use of Hawk-Eye onto 3 of it main match courts.
August 2011
The US Open provide the electronic line calling system across 4 courts.
June 2011
The All England Championships,Wimbledon become the first Grand Slam to use the electronic line calling system across 4 courts.
March 2011
Sony acquires Hawk-Eye as a flagship brand within its sports business.
The Indian Wells Masters 1000 series event in California become the first event to boast Hawk-Eye on all 8 match courts.
February 2011
The cricket system is used for Decision Review System during the Cricket World Cup in India, the third occasion that Hawk-Eye have featured at this level of competition.
A permanent installation of cricket tracking cameras and HD video cameras are installed at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, Dubai, for year round use by onsite elite players and coaches.
November 2010
Fox Sports Australia utilise Hawk-Eye tracking technology for their domestic cricket coverage.
February 2010
The Hong Kong Cricket Club finalise installation of a tracking and HD video system across 3 coaching lanes.
August 2008
Hawk-Eye became involved in the Olympic movement for the very first time, with the tennis systems used on the two show courts at the Beijing Games.
Hawk-Eye's sister company, Pulse makes its debut at the 2008 US Open. Pulse provides fans with a live and truly interactive experience of the tournament by giving users the opportunity to express their opinion, track player and tournament progress, improve their tennis knowledge and best of all predict the game-by-game outcome of the match.
October 2007
The MCC World Cricket Committee announces that Hawk-Eye will be used in trials to determine a new Decision Review System in Test Cricket.
September 2007
Hawk-Eye sends three units to the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Championships in South Africa.
August 2007
Hawk-Eye's football goal-line technology passes the first stage of testing by the FA Premier League at Reading FC's training ground.
July 2007
Following the sale of Cricinfo to ESPN by the Wisden Group, Hawk-Eye is demerged from Wisden to become an independent company under Mark Getty’s and the Hawk-Eye management’s direct ownership. This sets up Hawk-Eye to be developed over the long term as a focused sports technology services and sports content provider.
June 2007
Hawk-Eye is used officially at the Wimbledon Championships, the third Grand Slam event to implement the technology. Players on Centre Court and Court Number One are allowed three incorrect challenges per set, with an additional challenge if the set goes to a tie break.
February 2007
The IFAB (International Football Association Board) gives its approval for Hawk-Eye's football development work.
January 2007
The Rod Laver Arena boasts new video boards as Hawk-Eye is used officially at the Australian Open. Players are allowed two incorrect challenges per set, with the benefit of an additional challenge if the set goes to a tie-break.
Hawk-Eye agrees a contract with the English Premier League to develop goal-line technology for football (soccer).
Summer 2006
Hawk-Eye is used officially at the 10 US Open Series events and at World Team Tennis throughout the United States. The company’s four units culminate in the first Official Challenge system to be used at a grand slam tennis event at The US Open.
June 2006
Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. becomes part of the Wisden Group.
March 2006
Hawk-Eye is used officially at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami, the first Tour event to adopt the system.
December 2005
The Hawk-Eye Official Review Tennis system makes its debut in the Champions Tour at the Royal Albert Hall.
October 2005
Hawk-Eye passes stringent ITF electronic line calling testing, at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. This enabled Tour events to utilise the officiating aid for the very first time.
November 2004
Hawk-Eye wins The BCS Technology Award for Enhancement to Television Production.
September 2004
Jennifer Capriati's 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Serena Williams at the U.S. Open thrusts tennis line-calling into the media spotlight.
September 2003
Hawk-Eye wins an Emmy for Outstanding Innovative Technical Achievement.
January 2003
Hawk-Eye makes its Grand Slam television debut at the Australian Open.
February 2002
Hawk-Eye is first used in tennis as part of the BBC’s Davis Cup coverage.
September 2001
Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. is launched as a separate company. The tennis system receives a new impetus of development expertise.
Spring 2001
After eighteen months of development, Channel 4 use Hawk-Eye in their coverage of the Ashes, winning a BAFTA for Sports Innovation.
Hawk-Eye wins the Royal Television Society Award for Technical Innovation.
Early 1999
Research begins at Roke Manor Research Ltd., a company with over thirty years of vision processing expertise. Led by Dr. Paul Hawkins and funded by The Television Corporation, the concept of ''Hawk-Eye'' is born.