Live virtual reality is back for NCAA March Madness, but it won’t be free.
A year after providing VR coverage for last season’s Final Four, Turner, the NCAA and Intel True VR announced on Tuesday that it would provide fans with access to virtual paid experiences for all three Final Four games along with some Sweet 16 and Elite 8 matchups from the West Region. Turner president David Levy alluded to the expanded virtual reality offerings two weeks ago in New York as he met with media.
Through the NCAA March Madness Live VR app, which will be available via the Oculus Store, fans will be able to choose from two VR premium ticket options: the first being a Silver option for $1.99 per game or a Gold option for $2.99 per game or $7.99 for six games.
“We used last year as a base line and built an experience that builds off last year,” said David Aufhauser, Managing Director of Strategy and Product for Intel Sports Group. “It’s been an ongoing conversation building off of the relationship and partnership with Turner.”
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The premium option will give fans the chance to either view games via a fully-produced virtual reality package, which will include dedicated VR broadcasters and multiple cameras that fans will be directed toward. Within Gold, fans can also choose to toggle between the arena’s six different cameras.
“We’re testing out both to see what fans want to do but I believe that the video experience is so good at this point, that people will lean back and choose the fully-produced one,” said Hania Poole, General Manager/Vice President, NCAA Digital, Turner Sports.
Poole added that the Gold level will “really make fans feel like they’re in the arena.”
Additionally, the lower-tier virtual ticket will be similar to what fans experienced last year. Through one courtside camera, fans will hear audio and commentary from the linear CBS broadcast. All users of the NCAA March Madness Live VR app will have additional access to highlights from each game, statistics, scoreboards and shot charts, too.
Both Aufhauser and Poole didn’t discuss specifics about how Intel, Turner and the NCAA will expand its virtual reality experiences beyond just March Madness, but did say they would continue to find ways to leverage their multi-year deal.
“The focus right now is March Madness, and will continue to be the cornerstone of the partnership but once we get past March Madness, we’ll start thinking with them about what other experiences we’d like to create in VR for the NCAA and Turner around their championships,” Aufhauser said.
As part of the announcement, Intel will also be deploying its 360 replay technology during the Final Four in Phoenix, similar to what it produced with FOX around the most recent Super Bowl.