How to Watch Super Bowl Highlights in VR

One of the most exciting aspects about VR technology is how it will affect the sports industry. During this year’s Super Bowl on February 5, viewers were able to watch the highlights on the Fox Sports VR App. During the game, the app showed highlights in VR, nearly in real-time, so that users could experience the game as if they were there. The app put users inside a “private suite” at the stadium so they could look out over the field and watch the highlights from six different available camera angles.

How did they create the VR experience?

To deliver the VR experience for the Super Bowl, LiveLike had six cameras placed around Houston’s NRG Stadium. The cameras were focused on each end zone, one on the 50-yard line, one from the press box, and a few that moved around throughout the game. These cameras provided the shots for the immersive experience on the app that allowed users to switch between the views, even in the middle of one of the highlights. Users also received push notifications when the new highlights were available within the app.

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Fox Sports and LiveLike have partnered many times.

This collaboration between Fox Sports and LiveLike (who powers the app) is not their first collaboration. The duo teamed up and had their first broadcast during a football game between Ohio State and Oklahoma in September 2016, and another during the MSL Cup soccer championship in December. This is the first time, however, that the technology has been used for the Super Bowl.

Here’s how the Fox Sports VR app works.

In order to experience this VR platform through the Fox Sports VR App, users need to sign in to their cable accounts before getting access. The app is compatible with both Samsung’s Gear VR and Google Cardboard. It also has a 360-degree alternative option for those just wanting to test out virtual reality. They can then access the 20 highlights, which is the closest any company has gotten to a live VR option for streaming the big game.

To use the Fox Sports VR app, you don’t need any special equipment. You can watch games from the suite view, like for the Super Bowl, or from multiple positions on the field itself. You also have access to schedules, rosters, and match-ups. If you have access to virtual reality goggles, you can use those as well for an even more immersive experience.