Soccer fans watching televised action from Germany’s Bundesliga this season will see something different on screen from their German counterparts.

And fans in China, Australia or other parts of the world, watching the same match at the same time, will also have fractionally different viewing experiences.

The Bundesliga, which begins today, has become the first of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues to fully test and approve the latest version of ‘virtual’ advertising – a technology that virtually substitutes the advertising on perimeter boards around the edge of the pitch. For the first time, the technology is available on LED perimeter boards.

While the technology makes no difference to what fans see on the pitch, virtual advertising images digitally inserted on pitchside advertising boards will be unique to their region.

This allows clubs to tailor advertising that is most relevant to the respective international TV audience, whether they are watching from their armchair in Los Angeles, Beijing, Sydney or any other global market.