Muybridge‘s ‘Weightless’ Cameras Are Rewriting the Rules of Live Sports Broadcasting
A revolutionary camera system developed by Norwegian startup Muybridge is poised to fundamentally change how live sports are captured adn experienced,offering viewers perspectives previously unimaginable – and doing so without the need for drones,robotic arms,or human operators.
During the men’s final of the 2025 Madrid Open, tennis fans witnessed a glimpse of the future.Viewers were treated to remarkable camera angles, following players’ movements from just behind the baseline, capturing every shot wiht perfect clarity. “I loved the cameraman’s footwork,” one YouTube commenter remarked, a sentiment that has since become a key element in Muybridge’s investor presentations.
From Oil Rigs to Revolutionizing Sports Coverage
Founded in 2020 by Håkon espeland and Anders Tomren, Muybridge spent nearly five years developing its real-time computer vision technology. The core innovation is a “weightless” camera – a system with no moving parts – capable of capturing the speed and dynamism of live sports in a way that surpasses human perception. The company draws inspiration from the pioneering work of Eadweard Muybridge, the 19th-century photographer famed for his sequential images of motion, particularly his iconic study of a galloping horse.
“Four hundred years of camera history are coming to an end here,” explains Espeland, standing alongside a portrait of his namesake at Muybridge headquarters in Oslo. “I see a lot of similarities with what he did with sequential triggers to really create movement,” he says, noting the parallel between Muybridge’s line of triggered cameras and the company’s distributed sensor approach. “It’s a similar way of th
Real-Time Processing and the Future of Immersive Viewing
To meet the demands of live streaming, Muybridge has developed a unique approach to 3D image reconstruction.While others invest heavily in computing power to fill in gaps in image data, Muybridge focuses on real-time processing, capable of running on a laptop, in the cloud, or even on a cell phone. “We have more pixels, more angles, more overlap,” Espeland explains.”This allows us to have a more precise mathematical approach to determine the exact color, perspective and all those details. Everything is based on pixel data – we don’t make any approximations.”
The technology has already been deployed at major sporting events, including the Miami Open, the Madrid Open, and the US Open. Muybridge has secured an exclusive partnership with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations to provide technology for all ATP Masters tournaments beginning in March 2026 with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. “I think I can say that we will be present at almost all tennis tournaments again,” a company representative stated.
Beyond Tennis: Expanding into New Sports and applications
Muybridge is now targeting other sports, seeking to identify unique perspectives that enhance the viewing experience. Recent tests include a behind-the-goal view for football broadcasts on Sky Sports in Germany, and explorations of surrounding entire race tracks with sensors for NASCAR and formula 1. Potential applications also extend to baseball (dugout views) and hockey, where cameras could be installed on sideboards to create a “virtual drone” effect.
However, sports are just the beginning. Muybridge is currently piloting a program installing its cameras in ambulances, allowing remote physicians to virtually assess patients using virtual reality headsets. Security and surveillance represent further potential applications, envisioning an “IRL version of the metaverse.” The company is also exploring applications in news broadcasts and live studio productions, having conducted a test with CBS Morning Show in december 2025.
Espeland’s vision for the future is one of seamless integration.”We have the core technology and we are looking for partners who can represent the next strategic product and bring it to market,” he says, echoing the “Intel inside” model. Muybridge’s innovation isn’t just about capturing images; it’s about redefining how we experience the world around us.
