Monday, 14 March, 2016 – This Sunday’s Scottish League Cup Final, presented by Utilita, between Hibernian and Ross County was not only played out on the pitch but also in virtual reality thanks to San Francisco-headquartered technology company, Virtually Live.
The SPFL has facilitated Virtually Live to test a live football broadcast in virtual reality at Scotland’s National Stadium Hampden Park in Glasgow during the showpiece national cup final. It was the latest in an eight-game trial which will include two more Queens Park F.C. games.
Virtually Live delivers live sporting events in real time, providing fans who can’t attend in person with a new way to experience live events virtually, as if they were physically there. Future sports fans will be able to go anywhere in the virtual match, watch in the middle of the field, in the dugout from the manager’s perspective, or in a VIP suite with embedded television footage, all by using high-end headsets, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR.
Virtually Live CEO, Tom Impallomeni, noted: "We’re excited to be working closely with the SPFL to develop a groundbreaking immersive VR viewing experience and to bring Scottish football to a VR audience. We are convinced that virtual reality is the next frontier for sports fans and are looking forward to providing fans a new way to experience Scottish football.”
An SPFL spokesman added: “This was a groundbreaking and innovative trial, having taken place around the Scottish League Cup Final presented by Utilita. We were excited to see the output from this trial of Virtually Live's innovative technology and will now be looking to discuss together with Virtually Live how in the future we can broadcast Scottish football matches in virtual reality.”
Notes to editors:
● Virtually Live was testing the compatibility with its platform together with STATS SportVU technology.
Media contacts:
Will Winston, will@virtuallylive.com
Farner Consulting
Tel: +41 (0) 44 266 68 41
E-Mail: virtuallylive@farner.ch
About Virtually Live
Virtually Live is a new and interactive way to experience live sports and events through virtual reality technology. The media system is patented in 46 countries and allows fans to never miss out on live events and get into the heart of the action, no matter where they are. Fans can connect with fellow fans around the world and freely explore virtual venues together from the comfort of their homes. Virtually Live’s platform will be available across several new virtual reality headsets, including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Playstation VR. Virtually Live has offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Málaga, London and Zurich.