New international research from Lenovo reveals that technological advancements are fundamentally changing how fans experience the FIFA World Cup 2026, making viewers feel closer to the action than ever before.

According to a survey of football fans across Australia, Canada, India, the U.K., U.S., 87 per cent say technology is improving their viewing experience, and 84 per cent report the close-to-action camera perspectives help them feel like they're right there on the pitch.

Accelerating this unprecedented view of the game is Referee View, powered by Lenovo AI, which gives viewers a first-person look at the match from the referee’s point of view.

The research further found:

Over three-quarters (76 per cent) of FIFA World Cup viewers have seen or heard about Referee View, and 91 per cent say the close-to-action perspective is appealing.

88 per cent say that smooth, stable footage is an important part of viewing sports footage, and nearly all fans (98 per cent) say clear picture quality has been important when watching this FIFA World Cup.

Fans are highly interested in the future of close-to-the-action viewing, with 91 per cent interested in seeing more technology that creates immersive or close-to-action live sports experiences.

“The introduction of Referee View with Lenovo AI image stabilisation has further improved the broadcast experience. Getting a steady, first-person view of critical field decisions brings an incredible level of drama and transparency to the screen,” said a Female, Gen X survey respondent based in India.