Data Over Doubt: How Samsung and Cheil Helped 3x3 Basketball Shoot for Gold

'ShotControl' is an AI-powered sports analytics tool developed for Samsung and the Dutch 3x3 basketball team by Cheil BeneluxIt was built in close collaboration with The Dutch Basketball Federation and technical studio Vonk.

It’s a mobile-based system that transforms player data into tactical insights. Using stereoscopic cameras and a custom Galaxy Fold app, it maps fatigue, positioning and shot accuracy. The insights increase the team’s performance in the final, high-pressure moments of a game.

For a sport once governed by instinct, 'ShotControl' brought intelligence and clarity. It helped the team win gold at the Paris Olympics and raised the profile of 3x3 basketball in the Netherlands.

The Problem

Samsung’s global Olympic presence needed stronger local relevance in the Netherlands. Established sports like swimming and hockey already had major sponsors.

That’s when Samsung identified 3x3 basketball as a growing, urban sport with a strong appeal to younger audiences and no brand affiliation.

After officially partnering Dutch 3x3 basketball, our quest began. The national team, ranked number five in the world, needed to grow in order to pursue their golden dreams.

The pressure was on.

Game analysis showed that most matches are decided in the final 90 seconds, when players are tired and accuracy drops. With no coach courtside, players needed something more than instinct.

Over two years time, ‘ShotControl’ was designed to give them that edge.

Ideation

The team identified a clear opportunity: help players stay accurate when it matters most.

Workshops with players and coaches focused on the late-game crunch. That became the creative and technical brief.

Several directions were explored: manual tools, wearables, coach-focused systems: but none gave athletes what they needed in the moment.

The final concept was a passive tracking and analysis system they could interact with on their own terms.

The challenge was to turn performance data into something players could actually use: insights, not noise.

Prototype & Design

Creating ‘ShotControl’ meant solving a series of technical and UX challenges. Vonk Studio trained the AI to track player movement, posture, shot mechanics and fatigue.

A mobile app was developed for the basketball team, visualising that data through intuitive filters, heatmaps and performance overlays.

The design balanced clarity and detail. It gave players real feedback without overwhelming them. Adjustments were constant, shaped by direct input from the athletes.

Live

Implementation, testing and iteration took a lot of time. The system improved through continuous use and feedback. ‘ShotControl’ adapted to the players, and the players adapted to it.

Then the Olympics began.

In the gold medal game, Worthy de Jong scored the winning buzz beating shot from a spot, identified by ‘ShotControl’ as high-probability. A so-called ‘common spot’.

For René Vlaarderen, spokesperson for the NBB, it was more than a win: “ShotControl wasn’t just a tool. It shows us a glimpse of the future of the sport.’

​Tim de Waard and Daniel Samama, ECDs at Cheil Benelux, reflect: “This wasn’t about building tech for tech’s sake. It was about helping a team win – and delivering on a brand promise in a way that mattered.”

René Vlaardingen adds: “We wanted to put 3x3 basketball on the map. ShotControl gave us the platform to do it – and the story to back it up.”

Impact

• 70M+ media impressions
• Samsung ranked No.1 Olympic sponsor in NL
• +16% brand consideration
• +12% NPS lift
• Samsung mobile market share rose to 50.9%
• 3x3 basketball gained broad public attention in the Netherlands