Working to boost virtual reality courtside seat offering
Social media giant Facebook, which has worked with the NBA on its “rail-cam” during the bubble, will continue to work behind the scenes to bolster the league’s virtual reality courtside offering.
Even without the invigorating excitement of a normal game setting, the social network can use the content to better authenticate the courtside experience and integrate with its Oculus virtual reality headsets. The expansion of 5G is seen to assist Facebook in the improvement of its courtside presentation.
Rob Shaw, Facebook’s head of Global Sports Media and League Partnerships, said the social network will be incorporating better camera lenses to improve video quality.
“If you’re going to watch a game from the front row, it has to feel like you’re watching it from the front row,” said Shaw. He said NBA teams reached out about adding the VR seats for season-tickets holders, as clubs prepare to begin the season without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“What he must see, what he must hear, to be eye level with the best athletes in the world,” Shaw said. “That experience is something I hope is brought to the platform in three to five years – for people around the world to be able to have the same experience as Spike Lee watching a Knicks game.”
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