The sports industry has never had a problem to spend on expensive innovations, especially if they make fans happy and more engaged.
That’s how the VR technology found its almost pioneer application in sports. It is present today on the soccer fields and racing tracks around the world, giving fans a sense of personal attendance and enjoyment while having fun at their home. In addition, it allows them to bet on sports and casinos in this way while enjoying this immersive sports experience.
Has Virtual Reality Already Taken Sports?
We could say that we are only a generation away from VR and similar life-changing inventions. It has already been integrated into industries like travel, healthcare, gaming and, of course, sports.
When it comes to soccer, for example, the goal is to get the audience closer to their favorite clubs and athletes and experience the game from their perspective. With headset equipment and live streaming from the sports arenas and stadiums, users receive the live broadcast of the match with the same view as the players on the grass. Besides the real image, the display shows statistics and results, so users can follow every detail of the match.
Certain software also allows you to select different angles, so you can choose to watch the game from the bench, VIP line or directly from the grass.
When Will the VR Experience Become Available to Everyone?
The most famous names in sports and live broadcasting have already provided virtual reality services for their consumers. Fox is one of the first sports channels to provide such a service, and with BBC Sport VR 2018 FIFA World Cup app, the BBC was offering the VR experience of the previous World Cup for the biggest fans.
It is currently available for Premier League fans. They can follow matches and have insight into the statistics of their chosen clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester, or Arsenal.
Horseracing enthusiasts can also enjoy virtual reality from the racetrack across the globe.
NASCAR is perhaps one of the most exciting sports, worth watching through VR glasses.
There are many more examples where new technology has already been put to practice. However, we still cannot say that it is a global phenomenon available to anyone.
Could Sports Soon Be Overcome By VR?
With such sophisticated technologies, everything looks more like a video game than a real sport. From that matter, there is a very reasonable question — will sports be overcome soon?
Can we use the technology to create the stadium, players, or ambiance that will give us the same thrill as a real game, only with significantly lower costs? We doubt it. No matter how exciting virtual reality is, nothing can replace the noise at the stadium and the pure joy of winners.