Fox Sports, LiveLike To Present Super Bowl in Virtual Reality for First Time
The Super Bowl LI VR experience will feature six viewing angles and be available via the Fox Sports VR app
Story Highlights
For the first time ever, the Super Bowl will be presented in virtual reality via the Fox Sports VR app, with Fox Sports and LiveLike teaming up to produce the coverage. This Sunday’s Atlanta Falcons-New England Patriots matchup will be viewable in VR from a selection of six cameras placed throughout the stadium, allowing fans to choose their viewpoint. In addition to the game’s top plays and most exciting highlights in near real time will be available on the Fox Sports VR App during the game.
Inside the Virtual Suite experience created by LiveLIke for Fox’s Super Bowl LI coverage
The immersive VR experience will be based in a “Virtual Suite” in the stadium. Users can choose their vantage point from six cameras spread across Houston’s NRG Stadium, including on-field perspectives that put viewers right on top of the action. In addition, the 20 most exciting Super Bowl highlights will be uploaded in near real time, showcasing the four most important plays per quarter and including prepared highlights for pre/postgame. LiveLike will also provide an easily navigable timeline for fans to choose among the game’s top plays.
Inside the Virtual Suite
The Fox Sports VR App can be enjoyed without any special VR equipment through the interactive, 360-degree viewing experience built specifically for mobile devices or with a Gear VR or cardboard headset. Fans can access this first-ever Super Bowl VR experience by downloading and installing the Fox Sports VR app and signing in with their television-provider credentials.
Inside the Virtual Suite
“I believe this will be the first of many Super Bowls broadcast in VR, making Feb. 5 a historic day for LiveLike and for the larger VR industry as a whole,” says Miheer Walavalkar, co-founder/chief business officer, LiveLike. “I can’t imagine a better way for us to potentially introduce millions of people to VR than literally the biggest entertainment event on the planet.”
Super Bowl LI will be the latest chapter in LiveLike and Fox Sports’ VR-production efforts, which have included live VR broadcasts of college football’s Oklahoma-Ohio State game last September, Texas-Oklahoma in October, and, more recently, the Big Ten Championship game. LiveLike also powered the MLS Cup VR experience in December.
