SMT - Key Persons
SMT founder and CEO Gerard J. Hall develops the first real-time scoring and wireless data delivery system for the PGA Tour, replacing walkie-talkie communication. Using personal computers, he interfaced real-time scoring with TV production workflows to provide NBC Sports with the technology for its PGA Tour broadcasts from 1988 to 1991.
It all started with a challenge, a visionary graduate student and his audacious ideas. In 1988, while the PGA Tour relied on walkie-talkies for scorekeeping, Gerard J. Hall pondered: What if I could create a wireless scoring system?
With that, it was game on. Gerard pioneered the first real-time leaderboard graphic for PGA Tour broadcasts on NBC. Following that success, Gerard introduced the first live, on-air graphic scoreboards, famously known as ‘score bugs,' a milestone in sports television. Next up, he spearheaded the launch of SMT's virtual insertion technology, then the OASIS data and video management platform, and player- and object-tracking software, propelling SMT to its current status as an industry leader in sports technology.
Gerard is a Harvard University graduate, a St. Andrew's scholar at the University of Edinburgh, and formerly a graduate fellow in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida.
It all started with a challenge, a visionary graduate student and his audacious ideas. In 1988, while the PGA Tour relied on walkie-talkies for scorekeeping, Gerard J. Hall pondered: What if I could create a wireless scoring system?
With that, it was game on. Gerard pioneered the first real-time leaderboard graphic for PGA Tour broadcasts on NBC. Following that success, Gerard introduced the first live, on-air graphic scoreboards, famously known as ‘score bugs,' a milestone in sports television. Next up, he spearheaded the launch of SMT's virtual insertion technology, then the OASIS data and video management platform, and player- and object-tracking software, propelling SMT to its current status as an industry leader in sports technology.
Gerard is a Harvard University graduate, a St. Andrew's scholar at the University of Edinburgh, and formerly a graduate fellow in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida.
CEO Gerard J. Hall shares his unique insights into the history of classic innovations that have become broadcast staples, from the first score bug to the iconic yellow first down line. SMT takes pride in being recognized by NFL Media as sports tech pioneers in its documentary, "NFL EXPLAINED: Broadcast Innovations."
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Broadcasting