You Can Watch The Super Bowl’s Biggest Plays In VR With LiveLike’s Private Suite

You Can Watch The Super Bowl’s Biggest Plays In VR With LiveLike’s Private Suite

Previously, the NFL’s Media Director William Deng spoke on the league’s virtual and 360-degree ambitions and apprehensions. Although the organization doesn’t think the visual resolution of headsets is high enough for live streaming and directing viewer’s attention is hard enough, Deng and company still believe in the platforms and thinks that any growth in use on their end depends greatly on how the mobile platforms develop. There have been no significant shifts since that discussion, but it looks like the NFL doesn’t want to miss out on a big opportunity as they’re partnering with LiveLike to bring the biggest game of the season to virtual reality: The Super Bowl.

LiveLike is a company that doesn’t just thrust viewers into their favorite sporting events, they’ve developed a virtual suite that serves as the ultimate sports fan’s venue with exciting decor and various broadcasts streaming into the dwelling. While the NFL is still not quite diving into a full live-stream of a football game, they’re going to be showing off the Super Bowl’s most exciting plays in near real-time via perspectives from 6 different cameras in the football stadium. Livelike’s co-founder Miheer Walavalkar believes this will be the first of many Super Bowl games to get the VR treatment and feels the massive event is a great way to introduce millions of people to VR.

Over the course of the game, viewers in the virtual suite will be able to see the four best plays per quarter and curated highlights for both teams pre and post game, totaling out to 20 clips as detailed in the press release for the announcement. Those highlights will be easy to access and viewers have can use a navigable timeline. It’s not entirely clear if the amount of clips is a finite number they can’t exceed, but it’ll like be tough for the broadcast team to keep things that limited with explosive performances expected from both the Patriots and the Falcons in the game on February 5th.

The VR broadcast can be viewed via iOS, Android, and Gear VR via the Fox Sports VR application. In the app, you must log-in using your television provider credentials.

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NFL Director of Media Strategy Says Football in VR Is “Very Reliant On The Mobile Phone Industry”

NFL Director of Media Strategy Says Football in VR Is “Very Reliant On The Mobile Phone Industry”

Sporting events have been some of the highest profile paths into the hands of casual VR and 360-media adopters. As a result, significant partnerships with the NBA, NCAA, NFL, and others have sprouted up from interest in the platforms. While some have leaped in headfirst, the NFL is a bit more hesitant and only has documentary style and highlight packages available in the 360-degree format.

Digital Trends spoke with the NFL’s Director of Media Strategy and Business Development, William Deng, along with representatives for Voke and NextVR, about current pitfalls of live streaming, what we could see in the future, and the hesitation to fully integrate with VR.

While PC-based VR headsets provide the high-quality visual experiences that sporting events need, those options are far from being the most accessible and that’s something the NFL understands. Thus, mobile headsets are the main focus for live-streaming with Deng even going so far as to say NFL’s investment in VR is “heavily reliant on the mobile phone industry”. Unfortunately, the picture these headsets produce is a concern for Deng. “When I’m in the headset and I’m watching content or a highlight on the other side of the field, can I actually see what’s happening? Resolution today limits that ability,” he says. Jayaram of Voke also noted that, while they can capture 4K content, not many smart phones are equipped with 4K displays. When it comes to future improvements, NextVR co-founder Dave Cole points out that new panels and the Snapdragon 835 mobile chipset in Japan would be beneficial. “You won’t be able to build a bad Android VR phone, because all of the components supply will be specific to making a great VR device,” he says.

While the limitations of the mobile platform is an important obstacle, it’s not the only one. In 360-degree video, content creators have found ways to direct the users eyes in the right direction with smart structure and clever design. With live events, producers don’t have that luxury. “What’s the right balance between giving our viewers the flexibility to take advantage of this medium, and be able to access this game from different vantage points, but at the same time making sure the story-line around the game is still coming through,” Deng asks.

He also asks how one would make sure users are focusing in on where the action is happening on the field, which seems like a strange concern when the answer lies right inside football stadiums. While in attendance at a big game, even when sitting a good bit away from the action, fans that want a focused look on the action have massive screens they can look at in addition to the live action. If you want precision of live broadcasts in a live 360-degree stream, why not overlay footage from the static cameras with the free flowing 360 cameras? When it comes to a story-line, fans can enjoy the event and seek out more structured content immediately post-game just like with traditional viewing.

Replicating the ambiance and excitement of live sporting events is another element the NFL, NextVR, and Voke want to perfect and, as the technology grows, end-to-end solutions should become more possible. Despite the setbacks, the NFL seems to be invested.

“I think that we’re seeing the NFL recognizing that VR is going to be a significant part of their digital subscription media strategy,” Cole elaborates. “They’ve basically said that with the tests they’ve done and the work they’ve done with us.” Maybe a major mobile leap in capability happens in 2017 that inspires NFL to  speed up their integration, but we’ll all have to wait and see for now.

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VR Training Might Help Part-Time NFL Referees Get The Calls Right

VR Training Might Help Part-Time NFL Referees Get The Calls Right

If you’re a sports fan, you likely have a special relationship with referees. Typically, when it benefits your team, they’re the most incredible and qualified employees in existence. However, the second that a call is against you, you’re wondering how in the world this person got the job.

If you’re an NFL fan, the last few years have been quite eventful whether the cards fell in your favor or not. Coming off the substitute referee circus of 2012 and a series of rule additions of varying efficacy in subsequent years, the NFL is looking to VR for potential training of our thankless officials.

While it may feel like a full-time headache to audiences, being an NFL referee is not actually a full-time job and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton thinks that fact is madness. He alluded to refs having to split time and attention between officiating NFL games and their full-time jobs often results in the system not improving. Many believe that the NFL should make a change. As it turns out, VR could be the spark the sport needed.

In statements made while interviewing with BizTech, the NFL’s SVP, Chief Information Officer Michelle McKenna-Doyle stated the the league was “in the early phases of developing VR training materials for referees”. The NFL has already fostered a relationship with VR companies via concussion recognition, various film and video series, and post-game coverage, so it makes perfect sense to bring it to officiating as well.

Emulating the angles and slow motion clips that referees get access to during replay review in live games shouldn’t be an issue for virtual reality, but hopefully the VR simulations will be detailed enough that refs can watch plays unfold in natural game speed with enough definition to notice things a bit better. It’s tough to imagine this tech being efficient while officials are still part-time, but hopefully this technology will find a home within the league.

Maybe we’ll be able to find out if Odell Beckham Jr. would be more effective in VR playoffs than he was in real life.

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This Week in VR Sports: NFL Uses VR For Referees, MANDT VR Joins Forces with the Pittsburgh Steelers & NextVR Arrives on Daydream

While the majority of this weeks news has come from CES 2017 in Las Vegas, with plenty of virtual reality (VR) announcements, there’s been very little dedicated to sports. But that doesn’t mean nothings been going on and VRFocus brings the first weekly round up for the new year. This week the NFL has confirmed that referees will use VR for training, MANDT VR joins forces with the Pittsburgh Steelers and NextVR expands its app support to Google Daydream.

NFL Testing VR Simulators For Training Referees

The National Football League (NFL) has been one of the earliest sporting organizations to adopt VR technology. Whether its been for training players or for getting fans closer to the action, VR’s being used in many facets of the sport, and now officials are utilising the tech as well.

Talking to Sport Techie an NFL spokesman commented: “We will be testing new technology for training officials, including virtual reality simulators and POV cameras.”

“VR isn’t just for fan entertainment. Football teams have begun using VR to improve player performance by simulating practice and game situations. The league itself is in the early phases of developing VR training materials for referees,” says NFL CIO Michelle McKenna-Doyle to BizTech Magazine.

NFL Virtual Reality Experience image

MANDT VR Joins Forces With The Pittsburgh Steelers To Deliver Game Day Experiences To Steelers Fans Through Immersive 360-Degree Virtual Reality Video

A collaboration between the Pittsburgh Steelers and leading VR production studio MANDT VR will allow Steelers fans across the globe to experience game day action at Heinz Field like never before.

Through 360-degree VR videos, viewers will see stories and traditions that provide an all-access pass to game day experiences in the NFL.

“For many sports enthusiasts, myself included, watching a game on television pales in comparison to experiencing it in person – absorbing the energy and atmosphere of a stadium full of fans,” said Neil Mandt, founder and CEO of MANDT VR. “We’re thrilled to work with the Steelers to deliver a virtual experience that immerses viewers in the action, no matter where they are.”

“We are always looking for new ways to engage with our fans,” said Ryan Huzjak, Steelers Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Allowing Steelers fans to experience game day at Heinz Field through virtual reality is something we are excited about.”

MANDT VR videos can be found across various apps and platforms including Littlstar, YouTube, and Facebook.

MandtVR

NextVR Now Available on Google Daydream

And just in case you missed it, NextVR one of the most prolific virtual reality (VR) producers of sporting content revealed it had expanded support for its app. NextVR’s app, was up until this week, only available for Samsung Gear VR, but now Google Daydream owners also get to view the company’s varied array of immersive events, such as NBA games, ICC soccer matches, the Kentucky Derby, the US Open, the Daytona 500 and concerts from the band Coldplay.

Daydream View Headset

Check back with VRFocus at the same time next Saturday for another sporting roundup.

This Week In VR Sport: Jets & Ravens, Business & Pleasure

We might be but a day away from Christmas, and indeed just over a week away from bidding adieu to 2016 and greeting 2017 but, as we so often say, virtual reality (VR) continues to develop and no more than in the world of sport.

NFL

New York Jets President Lauds VR

Our first story comes from the world of the NFL, an area we’ve touched on frequently this last year. Neil Glat, the President of the New York Jets recently undertook an interview with Sportechie.com in which he described the efforts being undertaken by the franchise to utilise technology – including VR.

Later describing VR as a “key initiative” going forward into 2017, when first asked about what tech had blown him away in recent times. VR was the first thing mentioned.

“We are very excited about what is going on in virtual reality and digital ticketing. We believe strongly in both and have robust initiatives for each.” He explained. “Through our partnership with STRIVR Labs, our football operations staff uses the technology for player development and on the fan engagement side we have utilized it to enhance our game day experience. Specifically, through our VR Lounge, we have created an immersion zone that has enabled our fans to experience such things as running out of the tunnel with the team, standing in the center of the locker room and witnessing up-close, in-game action. It has become one of the most popular pre-game destinations, consistently serving hundreds of fans every Sunday.”

It’s A Time For Giving In Baltimore

Meanwhile, if you can’t get a head-mounted display this Christmas and you live in Baltimore, you may have to look to your own American Football team for the cause. ABC News reported the unusual story that the Raven’s quarterback Joe Flacco gave the teams offensive linemen all VR headsets for Christmas.

That’s 14 systems for the squad – can anyone have spent more on VR systems this Christmas?

VRFocus will return with another look at how VR is impacting sport next week.

This Week In VR Sport: More NFL With VOKE

We’ve only a singular item on the rundown for this Saturday’s look into the combined worlds of sport and technology, but we are at least back in the realm of virtual reality (VR) this week after our sidestep into augmented reality seven days ago. Much as then the topic is the NFL, although this time we aren’t looking at a specific team, but rather the culmination of recent work by VOKE.

VOKE

VOKE themselves have already had a very interesting last couple of months, having announced in November that they had been acquired by the Intel Corporation. This time though they have announced a collaboration with the NFL to produce immersive highlights experiences of four games for fans around the globe. This is an additional announcement following a previous agreement over fan engagement. The packages will feature teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New Orleans Saints, the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos (the same team featured last week). The first highlights package is already available from VOKE, created with their TrueVR™ technology.

“We are committed to building unprecedented user experiences and completely changing the way fans engage around live events,” explains VOKE co-founder Sankar Jayaram. “The popularity and passion for the NFL is global and fans want to be a part of it. Through the power of our technology we are able to provide fans with the most personalized, immersive experiences from anywhere in the world.”

The NFL also expressed their excitement in the agreement through William Deng, the Director, of Media Strategy and Business Development. Who added, “Virtual reality has the potential to bring a unique perspective to our fans to complement the different ways they currently enjoy the game today. We look forward to working with VOKE as we continue to experiment and create new experiences in this emerging medium.”

Tomorrow’s set of highlights will feature the New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which will be found as part of the VOKE VR app. VRFocus will be back next week for more VR sport.

This Week In VR Sport: The Denver Broncos Get Augmented

We’ve one piece of sporting news to share with you today as we take our customary Saturday glance into how virtual reality (VR) is merging with all aspects of the industry. Except on this occasion we’re actually discussing augmented reality (AR) and not its VR counterpart.

We’re back with our old friends in the NFL again. As I’m sure you’re aware by now the NFL has been something of a hotbed of sporting VR news over the last year and this time we’re off to the AFC West and the Denver Broncos. At the time of writing the ‘Orange Crush’ have a 7-4 record this season and trail both the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs in their division.

The Broncos have teamed up with partners Bud Light and Coca-Cola for a new application Orange Herd which is available on both Android and iOS. The application is designed to increase loyalty and interactivity between fans and the Broncos brand. One aspect of this is AR experiences which can be viewed by activing the app and putting a branded beverage cup or similar in front. The AR will then activate showing a small video clip. You can see this in action via the video in the tweet below.

VRFocus will keep up to date on what will come of these ventures by NFL teams. Until then, check back for all the news, updates, and features in the world of VR.

This Week in VR Sports: The SuperBowl Goes Orbital & PlayStation VR Teams With The ATP

The weekend has always been about sport, at least in the UK. The BBC is well known for it’s sports programme coverage be it on football with Match of the Day or winter sports with Ski Sunday – a programme that has been going since 1978 on its own. It was always something of a tradition for the nation years back, with either BBC 1 or BBC 2 full of sports all corralled as part of BBC’s Grandstand. As such sport on a Saturday afternoon is an oddly appropriate, so let get on with this week’s offerings that combine the fields of sport and virtual reality (VR).

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Experience Welcomes PSVR Tie-In

First up we’re off the the world of tennis, with the ATP and ATP Media announcing yesterday that this weekend tennis fans enjoying the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be able to try out a special PlayStation VR experience at The O2 Fan Zone. A creation by way of a partnership with existing technology partner Infosys and part of Sony’s organisation (Sony Professional Solutions Europe) the immerses fans into the world of tennis.

Mixing virtual environments with court images and television footage and taking in tracking information from both the head-mounted display (HMD) and the controller and even taking in streams from social media the court environment adapts and evolves giving those able to try it a new insight into the match and current in-use technology such as the Hawk-Eye system.

Day 2: Wawrinka v Nishikori_20161115072637

ATP Media’s Chief Operating Officer Stuart Watts said on the experience that “We are delighted to be demonstrating our continued commitment in advancing media and technology. 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,” added UB Pravin, Chief Operating Officer at Infosys.

Super Bowl LIVE Fan Festival Receives One-of-a-kind VR Ride

Elsewhere, a 90-foot drop tower that shares a dynamic journey into deep space is the one-of-a-kind experience visitors to the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee’s Super Bowl LIVE Fan Festival. A free event to be held in the downtown area of Houston the week of Super Bowl LI. Fans can expect to try out it out after it was revealed earlier in the week as part of the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition – aka SpaceCom.

Called Future Flight, the two minute experience of heading out into the solar system to Mars and back again uses footage from Mars accumulated by NASA. In keeping with the theme of ride’s location once you reach the pinnacle of your trip you fall 90-feet. Literally back down to Earth and into the NRG Stadium pumped up and ready to go with Super Bowl LI.

“The Host Committee has declared Super Bowl LI as the Super Bowl of the future in the City of the Future,” said Sallie Sargent, president and CEO of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. “Nothing says future more than deep space travel. The Host Committee is thrilled to partner with NASA and the leading space industry companies to create the Future Flight Experience for people to enjoy during Super Bowl LIVE.”

Future Flight opens on January 28th next year until February 5th 2017. VRFocus will be back next Saturday with more sport-related stories.

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