In Broadcast - February 2016 - 56

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 6 - Issue 2 | February 2016

InForm

Surrounded By Sports
Tata Communications Managing Director of F1® Business Mehul Kapadia examines how inclusive,
immersive technology is transforming events...

t's been documented in books, TV
shows, and Hollywood movies, and it
is a prominent aspect of cultures past
and present. Our abundant enthusiasm
for sports is undeniable and continues
to stand the test of time.
As the world of sports matures
and embraces new technologies to
bring the competition closer to the
fans, sports disciplines worldwide
are starting to use heightened
engagement as a tool to captivate fans.
This trend can be attributed in part to
the increasing competition between
sports organisations which are under
constant pressure to entice new
audiences to boost their sponsorship
revenues.
Viewer Experience
The experience associated with
sport is one that unites people and
brings out unprecedented levels of
passion. Whether it's attending games,
playing, watching from a device or
talking about sport, loyal followers
are invested in it. Just like any form
of entertainment, sports have had
to evolve and grow with the desires
of their loyal fans. If sports were
played in the way they once were,
the variations would be a far cry from
what we see today, so it's no surprise
that as an industry it has continued
to evolve, with technology spurring
on many of the changes. Although it

was once a case of sports themselves
maturing in the way they are played
as new resources became available,
it's now about the fans, and the role
of technology to take over and change
the fan experience.
Getting sport that people love
delivered to fans in a way that is
convenient to them and with an
increased level of engagement is
becoming more of a reality for many
sporting mediums, and one that
immediately comes to mind in the US
is Major League Baseball. MLB.tv offers
fans a more economical way of viewing
all major league baseball games, direct
from MLB and without the involvement
of a separate broadcaster. It means
that the games can be watched on
whatever platform the user prefers,
be it mobile, tablet, live or on-demand.
Baseball is one sport that has worked
out what its fans want, and created
packages that give them no lack of
platforms to engage with and keep
updated.
Virtual World
Like it or not, baseball, football and
all kinds of sports are everywhere,
and fans want to watch them, keep
up-to-date or consume related content
anytime, anywhere. While it's generally
accepted that fans will stream highquality content from an array of
devices, the newest innovations in

'Sports have had to evolve and grow...'

enhancing fan experience are taking a
few by surprise, in particular because a
concept that was dreamed up decades
ago is now coming to the fore. The
passive sporting experience is no
longer the only option for fans, as
virtual reality starts to make waves in
the world of sport.
An example of this was recently
demonstrated by O2, the company's
'Wear the Rose' initiative was the first
fully immersive 360-degree virtual
reality sports experience. That might
not mean much on the surface, but
using the Oculus Rift virtual reality
(VR) technology, the company allowed
fans to immerse themselves in what
was described as a multi-sensory
takeover and feel part of the England

Rugby team, even allowing fans to
appear as though they are training
with the team. It took the idea of
bringing fans closer to the action to
a whole new level, and is just one
example of how new technologies such
as virtual reality will open new doors in
amplifying the fan experience.
And it doesn't stop there. In the USA,
NFL and Verizon Wireless have worked
together to create the NFL Virtual
Reality Experience. For the first time
in 50 years, the NFL Draft is being held
in Chicago, an event which is being
marked with new technologies to build
on the experience throughout the
epicentre. At a special venue

http://www.inbroadcast.com https://youtu.be/B3eGLVEhRqU http://www.MLB.tv https://youtu.be/cFXtyu-zuhQ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - February 2016