Sports Illustrated is one of the traditional print publications which has most eagerly embraced immersive technology such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This commitment has now been recognised with Sports Illustrated and the LIFE VR app receiving a Sports Emmy Award for Capturing Everest.
Capturing Everest was released in May 2017 on the LIFE VR app and on a Sports Illustrated micro-site. The episodic VR film followed the journey of a group of climbers including amputee Jeff Glasbrenner and breast cancer survivor Lisa Thompson as they attempt to climb the world’s highest mountain.
The VR film was not only given its own micro-site, but was also featured as an AR cover feature in the Sports Illustrated print edition. Capturing Everest received the Sports Emmy award in the Outstanding Digital Innovation category.
Sports Illustrated was one of the first print publications to introduce AR, bringing AR features to selected issues of its print magazine to allow readers to immerse themselves in the content. Since then, SI has integrated VR and AR into its website and social media presence.
LIFE VR has been responsible for a number of recognised VR productions, with Capturing Everest being only one. LIFE VR has also been responsible for letting viewers ride the world’s longest wave alongside surfer Laird Hamilton in Take Every Wave: Laird in VR and has shot up into space with famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin in Buzz Aldrin: Cycling Pathways to Mars.
The Sports Illustrated magazine was founded in 1954 and is still the most-read sports magazine, but has also added other strings to its bow, such as a digital network of websites and apps, Sportsperson of the Year, Sports Illustrated Films and its SVOD service Sports Illustrated TV.
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