Manchester United and FC Barcelona are playing against each other in a sold-out International Champions Cup match on July 25 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and NextVR will broadcast it live in virtual reality. Cameras will capture the game from five vantage points on the field and then live stream the footage to fans, press, and VIPs in the stadium, along with select locations worldwide.
“We are excited to partner with RSE Ventures and the International Champions Cup on this incredible tournament,” said Brad Allen, executive chairman of NextVR. “We are putting fans in places where they would never be able to access in a stadium seat – a groundbreaking event for the world of soccer.”
Unlike conventional broadcast platforms, NextVR says virtual reality transports fans to the field where they can follow the action up close. The virtual environment allows viewers the freedom to look around the stadium in any direction at any time.
“Virtual reality will give fans the opportunity to experience live sports like never before,” said Matt Higgins, co-founder and CEO of RSE Ventures. “The International Champions Cup live-stream of the Barcelona vs. Manchester United match will provide a glimpse of what is in store.”
NextVR previously used its delivery platform with the NBA, NHL, MLB, U.S. Open, and partnered with FOX Sports earlier this year to broadcast the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in California.
Highlights from the soccer game, will be available soon on NextVR’s portal for use with any virtual reality device, including Oculus Rift, Sony Morpheus, Samsung GearVR, and HTC Vive.
(h/t: Gary Singh. Image: Levi’s Stadium)
