When the Sacramento Kings hosted the Los Angeles Lakers last Saturday, 20 lucky fans experienced the game as if they had been courtside, thanks to Verizon. The event marked the first time a U.S. professional sports team used 5G to deliver a live, in-game 360 VR experience to fans.
A group of young fans were selected from local educational organizations—the Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academy, and College Track Sacramento—and invited to the Kings’ esports training facility at Golden 1 Center arena. Verizon set up a courtside camera at the scorer’s table to capture the game and stream live footage over a 5G connection, giving the fans wearing VR headsets an experience that made some of them try to wave to players on the court.
“We’re giving fans a sneak peek at how 5G will ultimately change the way spectators experience live games, whether inside or outside of the arena, at home or on the go,” said Brian Mecum, VP of Network Engineering at Verizon, in a press release. “As 5G evolves, it will change the stadium experience offering real-time information on how to best get to your seats, wait-times at concession stands and restrooms, and customized content like exclusive perspectives from coaches and players before, during and after the game.
“It will also give access to a whole new audience of people who previously may never have had the opportunity to watch championship games live from the front row.”
Verizon launched its 5G Home broadband internet service last month, claiming the world’s first commercial 5G service. That service is currently only available to customers in Sacramento, Houston, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis.
SportTechie Takeaway
The introduction of 5G technology will accelerate the rising integration of virtual reality and augmented reality in sports. The NBA has been leading the way though the league’s partnership with NextVR to provide virtual reality content for NBA League Pass subscribers. Virtual reality is not only evolving the fan viewing experience, but the technology could also benefit athletes while they are training, according to a study that shows VR can reduce exercise-induced pain.