The enhanced solution was implemented just in time for the league’s semi-finals, and will help referees officiate January 29’s championship match, which will decide which squad will take home the 2016 CTT Cup and be crowned Winter Champion.

In the first stage of the e-Liga project, Samsung designed an app for the Galaxy Tab S and Tab S2 tablets that eliminated the need for paper when filing match reports. As of this writing, more than 2,500 referees have utilized the app to streamline reports for some 419 matches.

The e-Liga app for the Gear S3 allows referees to easily report a match’s pertinent data as it unfolds through an intuitive touch interface designed specifically for the project.

Once the final whistle blows, rather than spend upwards of an hour working on completing and faxing paperwork, referees may simply pair their Gear S3 with the Tab S2, transfer and review that match’s data, and wirelessly submit their official match report to Liga Portugal, all in a matter of seconds.

Before e-Liga’s introduction, referees were required to hand-write game reports after each match, in what was quite an anachronistic and time-consuming practice. Samsung Electronics, as an official technological partner of Liga Portugal, accepted the challenge of transforming this reality.

For Frederico Paiva, Director of Samsung Electronics Portugal’s Sales and Marketing Division, this latest digitized mobile app solution is “part of Samsung’s continuous efforts to link our technology with differentiating experiences, bringing football closer to fans of all ages.”

New research released by Samsung Electronics* investigates how changes to ‘the beautiful game’ are influencing TV purchases revealing that almost 1 in 10 (9.17%) adults in Europe are now watching, on average, more than 468 hours of football every year.  This equates to 28,080 minutes or 62.4 working days spent watching the sport.

As players are faster and skills have improved, almost one in two adults in Europe plan on investing in a new TV specifically to watch this summer’s sporting events as their viewing expectations increase.

The top three frustrations of European adults when they tune in to watch at home are; not being able to identify one player from another (28.53%); followed by not being able to see the ball as it passes from daylight into shadow (21.47%) and the screen being too small (9.8%).

Catering for all of those who want to ensure they see players in detail from every angle and never miss a moment, Samsung has introduced the latest range of SUHD TVs that offer unparalleled picture quality with Quantum dot technology, Ultra black TV panel and 1,000 nit HDR brightness.

Michael Zöller, European Head of TV at Samsung Electronics comments: “The Samsung SUHD TV is the perfect screen to watch sport on this summer. Quantum Dot technology offers the best picture quality available to ensure you see everything as if you are in the stadium. The grass will be just as green, the kits just as bright and our curved TVs offer enhanced depth perception. You won’t miss a moment of the beautiful game from the comfort of your own home, no matter how fast the action is.”

Cameraman, Andy Reik who has worked on many high-profile sporting events, comments, “HD creates a more immersive experience so the way we film the game has changed. Cameramen need to ensure they get multiple shots and capture the action from every angle. There are usually more than 40 cameras on the pitch as HD technology has doubled the picture quality.”

As well as influencing people’s viewing habits the improvement in picture quality has also led to footballers sharpening up their image.  More than two thirds (67.78%) agree that footballer’s physical appearance has improved over the past 15 years and almost one in three (32.23%) European men rank footballers as their number one personalities for style inspiration, ahead of actors, musicians and reality TV stars.

* Research conducted by One Poll (from 19th 30th May 2016) with 9,000 adults across 10 European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK)

Football is one of the biggest passions of the Portuguese people. This rings true for people residing in Portugal, but even more so for the ones who live and work abroad, as the sport allows them to remain connected to their beloved country.

The Football Portuguese Federation (FPF) and Samsung Portugal decided to bring them even closer by taking four Portuguese nationals into the pitch during a friendly match of the Portugal national team on March 25, ahead of the UEFA European Football Championship 2016.

All four participants were able to be in the stadium, despite their conflicting work schedules or geographic locations. In fact, some of them were very far from Leiria, where the match took place. One was even in Paris, almost 1,700 kilometres away from all the action.

Samsung Gear VR enabled this entirely new experience, paying great attention to the smallest of details.

The minute the Portuguese players entered the pitch, all four participants also stepped out onto the grass, getting a better view of the action than any of the football fans at the stadium. Samsung broadcast this moment live, breaking the barriers of time and distance.

The most touching moment came when the participants, along with Cristiano Ronaldo and the other stars of the National Team, sang “A Portuguesa,” the Portuguese National Anthem, side by side.

As official sponsor of the Portuguese Football Federation, Samsung powered this special event, proving that “impossible” is not an option when technology is involved. In doing so, the FPF and Samsung were able to bring 11 million Portuguese people closer to the 11 players that will defend the nation’s colors during the UEFA Euro 2016 in France in June.

The Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) has announced it has teamed up with Samsung Electronics to allow its staff to compile and file official league match reports using Samsung tablets.

Until recently, official league staff had to fill out forms by hand and then fax copies to the league official board, meaning they reached their targets long after matches had ended. And when you consider that there are 42 teams in Portugal’s top two professional leagues, this process entailed a pretty significant amount of paperwork.

As of February this year, all that has changed. Samsung has helped the LPFP to digitize its operations with e-Liga, an electronic system for reporting on matches comprising tablets and a custom-made app.

“This application is a technological leap that helps us to provide better service to all clubs and all their fans. It is a truly innovative system that sets us apart from what we did in the past.” said LPFP President Pedro Proença.

From Left: Samsung Tab S2, Samsung Gear S2, Samsung Galaxy S6, brainBAND

Samsung Electronics Australia has announced the creation of brainBAND, an innovative piece of wearable technology designed to facilitate research into concussion in sports. brainBAND is the work of Dr. Alan Pearce and Braden Wilson.

The prototype has been developed through Samsung’s Launching People program, an initiative that brings together two experts from different backgrounds to demonstrate how technology can investigate and help solve real challenges facing society.

Dr. Alan Pearce, a neuroscientist heavily involved in concussion research and education, and Braden Wilson, an industrial designer, worked with Samsung on the program. Together, they created a wearable technology prototype that can track impacts to the head in contact sports in real-time, with the aim to use this data to better understand concussion in sport and the ongoing impact on the brain.

Concussion is a growing societal issue in Australia with most incidences going unreported as symptoms are hard to see. Unlike traditional head gear designed to protect the head in contact sports, brainBAND is designed to gather information regarding an impact in real-time – a first in Australia.

Philip Newton, CMO, Samsung Electronics Australia commented on the program: “At Samsung, we have a strong belief in pushing the boundaries of technology and challenging the current perception of what is possible through innovation.

“This is why we are extremely proud to have helped facilitate the work of Dr. Alan Pearce and Braden Wilson to create the brainBAND prototype to aid research into concussion in sport.”

How It Works

In the prototype, a specially designed headband houses sensors at the back of the head that measure the force of an impact. This information would then be relayed via an app to medics, referees and coaches, all in real-time through the use of Samsung devices.

A series of LED lights embedded in the headband indicate the level of impact of a hit: yellow, orange and red for high alert, meaning a player should be taken off the field for assessment.

All impact data will be recorded and logged so that, over time, players could obtain a more complete picture of the forces their brain has been put under.

Dr. Alan Pearce, neuroscientist and expert on concussion said: “The ultimate goal is that by understanding the dangers of repeated concussions, brainBAND may help prevent life changing injuries at every level of the game, and protect the next generation of players.”

Released today, the final episode in an eight part content series curated by Leo Burnett highlights the results achieved throughout the initiative by putting the prototype to the test on the sporting field. The video can be viewed here.

Australian football sensation and Samsung brand ambassador, Israel Folau, who was the first to trial the prototype, stated, “I think it’d be great if every player in Australia had access to this kind of technology to make contact sports safer for current and future generations.”

The collaboration with Samsung Australia has inspired Dr. Alan Pearce and Braden Wilson to continue their research and development, utilising the data learned through the Mixed Talents campaign.

Follow the journey of Dr. Alan Pearce and Braden Wilson through concept to prototype, with all eight episodes published via the website (www.samsung.com.au/launchingpeople) and continue the conversation on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #MixedTalents