July 22, 2019 – NextVR, in partnership with Liverpool FC, will be broadcasting the team’s pre-season friendly against Sporting Clube de Portugal (Sporting CP) in virtual reality this week, on Wednesday July 24 at 20:00 EST at the Yankee Stadium in New York, USA.
A total of eight VR cameras will be positioned along the pitch and throughout Yankee stadium to virtually transport US fans into the matches. The fully produced live VR broadcasts will include dedicated announcers for pre-game, play-by-play, halftime analysis, and match recap. Fans will also have the opportunity to experience the live match in real time with friends via the Venues app by Oculus.
“Virtual Reality in technology is advancing at a very fast pace and transforming how sports fans consume content. Fans always want to be as close to the action as possible and now, with NextVR technology, they get to live the most exciting moments of this live football game to their fullest” said David Cramer, NextVR COO. “Innovating with the best sports teams and leagues in the world is always exciting and we’re thrilled to continue NextVR’s momentum in this space with Liverpool FC and Sporting CP”
Billy Hogan, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer at Liverpool FC, who are the current UEFA Champions League winners, said: “It’s been a huge season for Liverpool FC and our fans are a vital part of our success. We want to constantly reward them and innovate to create the best possible ways for them to stay engaged with the team. We believe that live Virtual Reality experiences are going to be an important way for fans to enjoy our games and we are extremely excited to be innovating with NextVR and Oculus Venues for the first time.”
The match will mark Liverpool FC’s second appearance at the current Yankee Stadium, having defeated Manchester City in a penalty shootout on July 30, 2014. This will be Sporting CP’s first appearance at Yankee Stadium.
The event will be exclusively available in the USA to NextVR users on Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Go, as well as all Oculus Venues users.
Image credit: NextVR
About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.