ATP, Sony, and Infosys Bring ATP World Tour Finals VR Experience to PlayStationVR
Story Highlights
At The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this week The O2 in London, ATP, ATP Media, Infosys (the Global Technology Services Partner of the ATP World Tour) and Sony Professional Solutions Europe have partnered on a new virtual reality effort. Visitors to the Fan Zone at The O2 will be able to immerse themselves in matches by stepping into unique interactive pods featuring PlayStationVR where they will find themselves in a virtual tennis world.
Sony Interactive Entertainment launched PlayStationVR for PlayStation4 (PS4) in October this year. The Fan Zone experience is made possible by brand new technologies from ATP Media, Infosys and Sony Professional Solutions Europe matched with the unique capabilities of the PlayStation®VR headset, tracking camera and handheld controller. By pairing PlayStationVR with a brand new technology especially designed to further enhance interactivity whilst viewing sport, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Experience features a combination of real court images, TV match coverage, and virtual environments. Utilizing both headset tracking technology and physical controller interaction, the user is presented with a reactive and customisable environment, making the experience feel very fluid and natural.
Data insights and visualisations from Infosys and Hawk-Eye provide in-depth context as the match unfolds. Social media fans are not forgotten with the inclusion of social media streams from MyATP (now on Vixlet).
“PlayStationVR is an incredible product and we knew it would help us to achieve this goal thanks to its simple to use and intuitive operation,” says Shane Warden, ATP Media Director of Technology and Broadcast. “We wanted to replicate the feeling of being there and create an augmented experience that lets fans engage and interact with the finals on screen in a way they never could before.”
ATP Executive Chairman & President, Chris Kermode, adds: “We look forward to unveiling this pioneering new technology at our season finale at The O2, offering a new and exciting way to experience our sport, as we look to leverage new technologies and engage with the next generation of fans.”
“We are delighted to be demonstrating our continued commitment in advancing media and technology,” said Stuart Watts, ATP Media COO. “We have created not only the potential for an exciting complimentary product for broadcasters but one that can easily be delivered on-venue at fan and sponsor activation sites.”
“Bringing virtual reality to tennis presents an opportunity to amplify human potential, not just in terms of seeing and understanding the game in a new dimension, but also arming players with the insight they need to elevate their performance,” said UB Pravin, Chief Operating Officer at Infosys.
“At Infosys, we are using technology in ways that will reinvent the tennis experience with data, insights, and digital experiences. Integrating analytics from the Stats Leaderboards into immersive virtual reality views of the game is one of the many ways in which we are bringing disruptive technologies together and delivering our promise to help everyone in the world of tennis see more and be more.”
Mark Grinyer from Sony Professional Solutions Europe’s sports team said: “It is great to be working with ATP, ATP Media and Infosys to push the envelope of immersive fan experiences. We have worked hard to create a platform which can deliver the exciting vision of our partners.”
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Experience runs until 20th November. Immerse yourself at the Infosys Fan Zone booth at The O2.
