NEW YORK – During the 4th Annual ESPN Edge Conference at The Seaport at Pier 17 on Thursday, Kevin LopesESPN’s Vice President of Business Development & Innovation, announced ‘FACTS’, a generative AI avatar developed at the ESPN Edge Innovation Center.

FACTS is still in the research and development phase SEC nationthat tested this innovation. The timing of the integration is still being discussed.

In the test phase with SEC nationFACTS is being trialled for pre-match discussions to promote education and fun around sports analytics.

Front row caught up Baron Molenaarcoordinating producer, SEC Network/ESPN, to tell us more about FACTS.

What primary functions will FACTS serve?
(FACTS will) deliver data and insights from ESPN Analytics in a compelling new way to increase engagement, educate fans about complex sports analytics and provide an opportunity to reach new audiences.

Where does the data for FACTS come from?
FACTS integrates ESPN Analytics data, including the Football Power Index (FPI), player and team statistics and schedules.

On which technology platform was FACTS created?
FACTS is built on NVIDIA Omniverse, using the ACE microservices, and integrates with Azure OpenAI for language processing and ElevenLabs for text-to-speech.

Is FACTS intended to replace journalists/on-air talent?
Absolutely not. FACTS is designed to test innovations in the marketplace and create an outlet for ESPN Analytics data, making it accessible to fans in an engaging and enjoyable segment. It complements our journalists and on-air talent and provides additional insights.