If you caught the Ohio State vs Michigan basketball game last week you might have noticed something different about the view on your screen. ESPN used this game to experiment with camera angles, choosing to show the entirety of the game from an angle called “Floor Seats.” This camera angle replicates the viewing experience of sitting in the front row at mid-court in an attempt to give the home-viewer an at-the-game experience.
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The reactions on Twitter were less than stellar with many people complaining about being unable to see much of the action or not being able to follow the game very well. These complaints are not unfounded, as part of the appeal of seeing a game in TV is watching plays develop. How many times have you seen the open man before the guy with the ball does? Part of the fun of viewing from a normal angle is being able to see the entire floor. Your sense of anticipation and excitement is prompted by visuals and ability to see the whole court. You can watch your team’s high flyer running down the wing to catch and alley oop and you can yell through the screen at your point guard to “throw the dang ball!”
Some of this is lost when viewing from the Floor Seats angle. If the action is taking place on the opposite side of the court from you, all you see is a ball pop out of a pile of bodies and fly at the hoop. You miss how that player got their shot off or who is in position to grab the rebound. You lose a little bit of your awareness which feels a tad uncomfortable.
A lot of the fallout is likely because people are just not used to this type of angle. Despite the reactions being almost universally negative, ESPN is likely to roll this out again for other marquee games. This begs the question: why would ESPN push this in the face of overwhelming criticism? The short answer is: Virtual Reality.
Virtual Reality (VR) viewing is poised to take a huge step into the sports market. At CES this year, we got the chance to watch a live NBA game in VR. The experience could only be described as immersive even though the technology is just barely scratching the surface of what it can do. Imagine if Steph Curry had a VR camera attached to the collar of his jersey? You would be able to see exactly what he sees in real-time during a NBA broadcast. The technology isn’t quite there yet, but right now, a camera at center court allows users a 180 degree view from that point. It covers the entire court and allows the user to look in any direction they like. The whole experience adds a sense of intimacy that the television cannot provide.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of the Floor Angle is it gives you the courtside view, but without any of the intimacy or atmosphere that comes with actually sitting courtside. This is the gamble ESPN appears to be taking and the Floor Angle is just a first step. With increasing popularity, marketability, and lowering price points of VR devices, don’t be surprised if you see “Also Available in VR” at the bottom of your screen when watching sports on ESPN in the near future.
Thanks to some key investors, like Golden State Warriors’ owner Peter Gruber, the NBA is the current leader in utilizing VR. The Warriors season opener and Christmas Day game against the Cavaliers were both broadcast in virtual reality by NextVR. With this in mind, College Basketball seems like the next logical place to roll-out the technology. There are only so many seats in a stadium and who doesn’t want to sit courtside?
Whether you loved ESPN’s Floor Seats Angle or hated it (and most of you hated it), it is probably here to stay in one form or another. How soon VR is available to the masses is not clear yet and the current trend seems to be giving fans options. Take, for example, the NCAA tournament last year where multiple versions of the broadcast were available on different channels. ESPN could use Floor Seats as a viewing option that’s accessible from your remote. Along with other views like a bird’s eye, or under the rim, the fan at home could watch the game or replays from whatever angle they please.
Imagine being one step ahead of the referees while they review a call, or being able to watch a violent Russell Westbrook dunk from any angle on demand? So, be patient with ESPN and their experimental viewing angles, they are just the first small step on the path to complete viewing freedom. Eventually that path leads to the complete virtual reality experience where fans can be immersed in the game without having to be present at the arena.