Live VR broadcasts from the world’s biggest sporting leagues are steadily becoming easier to find. A major new three year partnership between Intel and MLB, America’s leading baseball league, will bring weekly live baseball games streamed in VR for free to Gear VR via Intel’s ‘True VR’ tech.
Hot off the heels of a deal to stream several golf rounds of the PGA Tour in VR, Intel has now announced a whopping three year partnership with MLB surrounding live streaming baseball games and highlights in VR.
Free Games Broadcast in VR, Weekly
The start of the partnership will see Intel VR livestreaming one game every Tuesday during the 2017 MLB regular season for free. Each of those VR broadcasts will also be available for on-demand replays and post-game highlights delivered in VR. In the following seasons during the three year deal, we expect to see ramped up game coverage along with the introduction of paid packages.
The VR broadcasting is done via Intel’s ‘True VR’ platform which is currently only available on Samsung’s Gear VR headset. True VR employs panoramic stereoscopic cameras derived from Intel’s 2016 acquisition of VR broadcasting company Voke. The cameras offer a panoramic (but not completely 360) 3D view of the baseball stadium.
For the MLB games streamed during the 2017 season, Intel says there will be up to four camera angles available per game, which users can freely swap between, or choose to watch a produced version which can also include standard broadcast camera views embedded into the virtual view. The virtual view will also offer “up-to-the-moment player and team statistics throughout the game, including pitcher and batter data, and […] exclusive in-app commentary.”
“We are excited to bring the Intel True VR experience to fans around the country every week,” said Kenny Gersh, EVP, Business, MLBAM, in a joint press release. “Our partnership with Intel will keep MLB at the forefront of technological innovation for our fans, bringing them closer to the action.”
June Schedule
The schedule of June’s so-called ‘Intel True VR Game of the Week’ follows:
- Cleveland Indians vs. Colorado Rockies
- June 6 at 8:40PM ET / 5:40PM PT
- Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants
- June 13 at 10:15PM ET / 7:15PM PT
- Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners
- June 20 at 10:10PM ET / 7:10PM PT
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
- June 27 at 9:40PM ET / 6:40PM PT