FOX Sports, NextVR Sign Multi-year Deal To Develop Virtual Reality Offerings
Deal comes in wake of successful live tests of VR broadcasts between FOX Sports and NextVR
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.(17 Feb 2016)
NextVR, the leader in live-action virtual reality broadcast technology, and FOX Sports will begin a five-year partnership offering fans live, virtual reality coverage of the nation's top sporting events.
This partnership to broadcast live sports in virtual reality is the first of its kind and will include a range of top sporting events where FOX Sports holds the broadcast rights. In January, NextVR and FOX Sports showcased the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) matches in virtual reality, and now will focus on Sunday's DAYTONA 500, televised nationally on FOX (1:00 PM ET).
"We have worked with FOX Sports for over a year to test live, virtual reality programming across several sports," said Brad Allen, executive chairman, NextVR. "This wide-ranging agreement is proof that our technology provides an exciting and compelling option to witness great sporting events in virtual reality."
Racing enthusiasts who experience FOX Sports coverage of the DAYTONA 500 in virtual reality will feel as if they are watching the race amongst the fans at the track. The immersive, high-definition virtual reality broadcast will bring fans to the starting line, the middle of the infield and with team racing crews as they change tires on pit row. The live virtual stream includes audio commentary and graphics highlighting the race leaders.
"It's all about delivering something new and exciting for our viewers," said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports president, COO & executive producer. "Virtual reality is the next great frontier in immersive experiences for fans across a wide variety of sports. It's a rapidly changing technology, and this deal with NextVR positions us to be on the front lines for years to come."
FOX Sports and NextVR have tested live virtual reality broadcasts in 2015 at the Auto Club 400 NASCAR race in Fontana, Calif., and the United States Open Golf Championship from Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
Future virtual reality programming on FOX Sports will be announced soon and available on the NextVR portal, including within a dedicated FOX Sports section.
How to watch the FOX Sports DAYTONA 500 experience in virtual reality
FOX Sports' DAYTONA 500 virtual reality broadcast will be available free through the NextVR portal. Samsung Gear VR owners can download the NextVR app on any Gear VR headset compatible phones. For detailed instructions, go to www.nextvr.com/gearvr-live.
About NextVR: NextVR enables the transmission of live, long-form virtual reality content in broadcast quality – leading the way for live and on-demand VR to become a mainstream experience for sporting events, concerts, cinematic productions and more. Launched in 2009, NextVR has more than 26 patents granted or pending for the capture, compression, transmission, and display of virtual reality content. NextVR's platform allows the fully immersive content to be streamed with pristine quality using current home and mobile Internet connections. NextVR was founded by veterans in stereoscopic imaging technology, software development and an award-winning filmmaker. For more information, go to www.nextvr.com.
About FOX Sports: FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1; FS2; Fox's 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.