It has been a year since ESPN’s President Jimmy Pitaro announced in an interview with the Wall Street Journal:
“We’ve been leaders in the virtual reality [VR] and augmented reality [AR] space for a long time now… we do not believe that AR and VR is a fad. ”
However, while more and more teams and stadiums are incorporating AR and VR into their fan experience to increase revenue, Allan Cook, head of Deloitte’s digital reality business, noted that:
“…with fewer people going to games, there is a general fear about adopting AR and VR and justifying the expense…”
Nonetheless, an increasing number of proven AR/VR use cases have emerged aimed at helping sports-related businesses grow sales and customer engagements. Here’s how AR and VR are shaping the world of sports:
1. At-Home Experience
Augmented reality is shaping the way in which fans enjoy sports from the comfort of their home. For fans watching from home, AR provides an immersive experience, as sports channels can utilize 3D graphics to overlay replays and live gameplay, opening up multiple possibilities. Sports broadcasters can overlay replays to provide in-depth analysis, and go over potential plays. This provides audiences a better understanding of the game, as well as a better overall experience. Many sports channels are already experimenting with this technology, including ESPN and Fox Sports, and are incorporating AR as part of their broadcasting and play-by-play analysis to highlighted information about the game in real-time.
1. What can Vuzix Smart glasses mean for the current Android Developers?
2. How To Use the ARLOOPA App: A Step-by-Step Guide (2020)
3. Augmented reality for maintenance and repair
4. Top 10 Movies that Got Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Righ
2. In-Stadium Experience
Augmented reality can also improve sports for fans that prefer the in-person experience. In-stadium experiences lack visual content. Currently, if audiences want statistics, they must look it up online themselves. Half-time shows can also be improved by AR. By integrating AR into the in-stadium experience, audiences can definitely enjoy a more immersive experience, and in lat last year, Nexus Studios did exactly that by transforming the AT&T Stadium in Dallas into a massive stage for location-based AR visualizations.
3. Team Spirit
For teams, AR represents an opportunity to create original content that strengthens the team brand and fan support. Already in 2019, after the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, the hockey team partnered with Bud Light to create an AR-based experience for fans, commemorating the Stanley Cup champions at there favorite bar. Fans were able to visit bars around St. Louis, filled with different AR effects including face filters, individual player effects, and Bud Light branded elements. The Washington Capitals also partnered with Bud Light to provide its fans AR games using coasters in local bars located near the Capital One Arena. The San Francisco 49ers and the Sacramento Kings also published AR experiences in the past aimed at team spirit.
In a post COVID-19 world, the Minnesota Vikings are offering a Vikings VR experience available on the Oculus store for fans to roam around the Vikings’ stadium and view 360-degree videos and photos from Vikings games and events. Once reopened, the Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium also offers an onsite interactive “Vikings Voyage” VR experience for die-hart fans.
