NBA has expanded their current partnership with meta to share their games at metaverse. The society has announced that 52 games of the league will be available to be appreciated using vr (virtual reality) technology, using xtadium, a platform of co-viewing. Five of these games will be more immersive for Horizon Worlds, the flagship metaverse app from Meta.
The NBA will release 52 matches in the Metaverse.
The NBA has entered into an agreement to bring some of its games free to the metaverse. On Jan. 23, the company announced an extension of its current partnership with Meta to broadcast its games using VR (virtual reality) technology. The games will be streamed using Xtadium, a metaverse application that is used to deliver immersive sports experiences using the Meta Quest 2 consumer headset.
The league will feature 52 games in Horizon Worlds, the flagship application of Meta metaverse, so users can enjoy and watch them. Five of the games will be presented more immersively, using 180-degree monoscopic technology. This means that the user can experience the game as if they were sitting near the field, changing their perspective as the game progresses.
With this movement, the league targets for existing fans to have a more interactive experience, and bring new fans who are familiar with these new technologies for the sport. Commenting on this, Sarah Malkin, Head of Meta Verse Media Content, said:
The superpower of VR allows you to delve into shared experiences with friends and fans from all over the world, and we are delighted to bring these deadly characteristics to the NBA arena and live games.
Avatar Merchandise and More
The NBA and Meta will also offer the opportunity for fans to purchase NBA-licensed apparel in Meta’s Avatars Store. Such items will be available in all applications owned by meta, including whatsapp, instagram and facebook. Meta director of sports media and league associations rob shaw has strengthened the importance of bringing new technologies to fans. He explained:
Meta’s immersive VR technology is opening up new opportunities for sports fans to engage and interact with their favorite NBA teams. Fans will be able to express their fandom by putting their favorite team's equipment onto the avatars and enjoy more NBA games live.
NBA has been very responsive to the use of new technologies to broaden the scope of its operations. In partnership with Dapper Labs, the company launched NBA Top Shots back in 2020, an NFT video marketplace featuring moments, which are some of the most important plays in the story of the league. In September, the league with sorare, a society of fancy games, in order to create an nft game (non-fungible token).
How do you like the NBA and its metaverse approach? Tell us about it in the comments below.