The adoption of 5G technology inside sports venues will open up new possibilities for sports clubs. One of these is called 360 degree Virtual Reality (VR). In this blogpost I’m going to explain what 360 VR is and why it will disrupt the way we experience sports broadcasting.

In my last blogpost I introduced 5G technology and explained why it is so crucial for stadiums. This time I will write about 360 degree VR as an innovative field of application of 5G inside sports venues. But first of all, what is 360 degree VR?

360 degree Virtual Reality

Virtual reality, VR, 360 degree VR. These are just a few terms to describe a new technology which has the ultimate goal to provide a deeper immersion into the action. There’s a distinction between computer-animated experiences, such as VR games on PlayStation, and events filmed with 360 degree cameras. In this blog, I will only talk about the second one.

360 degree videos are recorded with special camera systems that are capable of filming in all directions simultaneously. These systems usually record 2 to 7 distinct videos, which need to be stitched together with a special software. End users can then enjoy the “assembled” 360 degree video with virtual reality glasses.

VR technology still is a relatively new technology but a lot of industries already discovered its potential and several VR glasses such as: Oculus, Vive or PlayStation VR are already available. However, these glasses still are very expensive and rather considered to be a luxury good, not affordable for everyone.

VR and Sports Broadcasting

Also the sports industry has found ways to apply Virtual Reality. As an example, US telecommunications giant Verizon recorded a basketball game with a courtside 360 degree camera for the first time in November 2018. The signal from the cameras was processed to the 5G cloud, from this cloud it was then delivered to the connected virtual reality goggles of the first test users. Because of the increased capacity and faster response times of 5G, these test users could enjoy all the action with very low latency and the VR experience was comparable to the experience when actually sitting inside the stadium. Watch the following video for an excellent overview.

The Future is VRight

With the application of VR technology in the sports industry the experience of being inside a stadium and cheering for your favourite team will be distributed around the world. For instance, a lifelong NBA fan from India for whom a trip to the USA is too cumbersome, can now enjoy a comparable experience, but sitting at home on his sofa. Furthermore, as the video below shows, there’s even the possibility to interact with other VR glasses users.

Conclusion

At the end of the day VR broadcasting offers the possibility, making a once limited good (the matchday experience of watching a live game inside the stadium) available to everyone. Of course there’s still traditional TV broadcasting, but in my opinion the experience, which fans get from watching sports on their VR glasses will easily outperform TV broadcasting. However, in order that 360 degree VR has a real impact on the sports industry, I see two potential hurdles for VR. First of all, 5G coverage must be well advanced and the VR glasses need to be affordable for the mass audience.

What do you think? Will 360 degree VR really disrupt the way we experience live sports broadcasting? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment below.

Sources

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