What Happened
Ever wanted a more immersive way to watch the Olympics? Well, you’re in luck. On Thursday, NBC announced that it will broadcast 85 hours of virtual reality video during the upcoming Rio Olympics. The VR content will include the opening and closing ceremonies as well as a variety of games, such as gymnastics, track and field, and fencing. Partnering with Samsung, NBC’s VR coverage will be available to owners of compatible Samsung smartphones and Gear VR headsets. No support for other VR headsets or video platforms were announced at the moment.
What Brands Need To Do
This VR initiative from NBC marks the first large-scale VR content at a global event of this magnitude, albeit with limited availability. Sports are a natural match for VR viewing, and this coverage can entice more mainstream consumers to seek out VR experiences. As more and more media companies start exploring VR and 360-degree video content to attract and engage with the audience, brands should follow the lead and start developing branded VR content.
The Lab currently has four VR headsets — an Oculus Rift, an HTC Vive, and two Samsung Gear VRs — all ready for demo. Virtual reality is something that has to be experienced to be understood, so come by the Lab and ask for a VR demo to get a hands-on experience and find out why consumers would be excited by this technology.
Source: TechCrunch