Virtual reality is becoming actual reality for the NBA on TNT. Thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between Turner Sports and Intel, NBA fans will be able to watch TNT’s marquee matchups like never before, beginning with the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

The multiyear partnership makes Intel the exclusive provider of virtual reality for the NBA on TNT, using Intel True VR cameras to capture live game footage from multiple angles in order to allow fans to view the game from different locations throughout the arena.

A member of the Intel True VR team sets up a camera pod to capture game footage.

Many fans would never be able to experience sitting courtside at an NBA game. But with this new technology, everyday fans can experience the game like the celebrities sitting courtside with their feet in the hardwood. Fans can choose to view the game from high in the stands to get a bird’s eye view of the action or take the viewpoint of the photographers sitting on the baseline with the players coming right at them.

In addition to allowing fans to choose their own viewing experience, Intel will be able to use its freeD technology to integrate 360-degree volumetric video into the VR experience. This will let fans freeze a moment of game action and view it from the player’s point of view as if they were on the court.

The NBA is a global game and this technological advance will be global as well with Intel becoming an authorized global provider of virtual reality and 360-degree video for all official NBA broadcast partners around the world. This will allow fans in 215 countries and territories to experience the game like never before. How many fans around the world will never have the opportunity to see an NBA game in person? Now, they can experience the game as if they were inside the arena with thousands of fellow fans.

“This is an exciting time to be a basketball fan, and we are thrilled to be working with Intel and Turner Sports to make virtual reality and 360-degree content from the NBA on TNT games available,” said Jeff Marsilio, NBA vice president, Global Media Distribution. “We are committed to bringing the most innovative and immersive experiences possible for our fans.”

Intel True VR's multiple panoramic, stereoscopic camera pods generate up to 1TB of data per hour.

These virtual reality game experiences will be available through the forthcoming NBA on TNT VR app on Samsung GearVR and Google Daydream headsets for download via the Oculus and Google Play stores.