Broadcast during all four days of The Players Championship starting May 11th, 360 video will be livestreamed from the famous 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass golf course. The collaboration with Intel, Twitter, and the PGA Tour will be viewable on Gear VR headsets or via Twitter and Periscope.
Described as the PGA Tour’s “first live VR production”, the ambitious livestream will feature three simultaneous 360 videos from key vantage points at the 17th hole—the tee, the walkway from tee box to green, and in the water next to the ‘Island Green’—captured using Intel’s True VR cameras.
Since acquiring VR broadcasting company VOKE in November 2016, Intel has been using the stereoscopic True VR technology as part of the Intel Sports Group, aiming to be the leader in VR sports broadcasting.
“The Intel True VR platform will provide golf fans with a new, immersive experience using our end-to-end solution”, said David Aufhauser, managing director, Intel Sports Group. “Working with the PGA Tour, as well as global distribution via Twitter and Periscope, gives us the ability to expand the Intel True VR experience to more fans.”
The broadcast will be available on the Oculus Gear VR store via the PGA Tour VR Live app, which compliments the existing PGA Tour VR app, something the organisation has experimented with since February 2016. Those without a Gear VR headset will be able to watch the standard 360 video output on Twitter or Periscope which also marks the first time Twitter has livestreamed 360 video during a major sports event.
“We tested Intel’s True VR technology on a live basis at the Genesis Open in February, and were very pleased with the quality”, says Rick Anderson, PGA Tour Chief Media Officer. “We decided that executing a live VR experience on one of the most dramatic holes in golf was something that our fans would love, and the fact that we are partnering with Twitter to deliver 360 video will offer tremendous scale.”
Golf fans will be hoping this year’s tournament delivers a few more memorable moments at the iconic 17th.