Sportsnet is partnering with Molson Canadian to offer six upcoming NHL games in live 360 Virtual Reality for the first time.
Specially marked cases of Molson Canadian lager being sold across Canada contain VR headsets designed to offer hockey fans a glimpse into the VR broadcasts. The headsets include pin codes and instructions to access 360 VR content via the Sportsnet app. Smartphones with the app can be held in place by the headsets.
Sportsnet tabbed these six consecutive Saturday night matchups featuring all seven Canadian NHL teams to debut the technology:
- Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks – Feb. 18
- Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Feb. 25
- Detroit Red Wings @ Edmonton Oilers – March 4
- Calgary Flames @ Winnipeg Jets – March 11
- Chicago Blackhawks @ Toronto Maple Leafs – March 18
- Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens – March 25
“We are continually pushing innovation at Sportsnet to give sports fans the best and most immersive experience,” Rob Corte, vice president of production at Sportsnet, said in a statement. “Together with Molson, we are at the forefront of another ‘first’ for hockey fans, and are excited to bring them this unique viewing experience.”
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Sportsnet and Molson Canadian will deploy three different 360 VR cameras at each game to create an immersive center-ice experience for its first VR viewer base. The two companies plan to not only give fans a close up of on-ice action, but also to recreate the electric atmospheres of NHL arenas.
“Molson Canadian is known for bringing epic hockey experiences to the people who love our beer, and we understand that hockey fans across the country may never a get a chance to sit front row during a Saturday night game,” Duncan Fraser, marketing manager at Molson Canadian, said in a statement. “So now we are bringing the front row to you.”
Via the Sportsnet mobile app, fans will also have access to 360 VR on demand highlights and behind the scenes footage from various NHL teams.
Molson’s media agency, MEC, facilitated the partnership. One of Canada’s most beloved lagers emerged as the perfect vehicle for getting new VR technology into the hands of hockey fans, according to a Media in Canada article.
“It dawned on us that we have the NHL rights and Molson Canadian is one of the most readily available products in the country,” said Wes Wolch, VP of content and connection planning at MEC. “So we had the ability to bring the technology to the masses.”
Added Fraser: “We’re so excited to bring the latest in Virtual Reality technology to hockey lovers from coast to coast in a way that only a partnership like Molson Canadian, Sportsnet and the NHL can! We’re creating an experience for Canadians to celebrate their love of the game like never before!”