The NBA returned to action on Thursday and brought along virtual fans in an experience powered by Microsoft Teams. Some fans who missed that the tech-enabled future had arrived early thanks to coronavirus were left wondering how to get into the digital seats. The NBA is inviting around 320 fans per game to fill the virtual stands — which are 17-foot-tall video boards that ring the court. It’s up to each team to decide how to select those fans for games played in NBA’s “bubble” in Orlando, Fla. According to The Wall Street Journal, designated home teams get to choose… Read More
Courtside seats at a Lakers game used to be such a prestigious thing. But 2020 is a different NBA fan experience thanks to the pandemic, and it doesn’t look like Jack Nicholson made it into a test of video technology at a recent practice. As part of its partnership with Microsoft, the NBA is ringing the court with 17-foot video boards to allow a select number of fans to experience upcoming games via Microsoft Teams “Together” mode. A clip of the video collaboration software being put to the test showed up on Twitter over the weekend as Lakers players participated… Read More
The NBA is getting help from Microsoft to improve the fan experience as the league embarks on an unprecedented shortened season amid the pandemic. The two organizations, which announced a multiyear cloud partnership in April, will debut virtual viewing technology powered by Microsoft’s Teams collaboration software when the season begins July 30 near Orlando, Fla. The NBA is installing 17-foot video boards surrounding the courts where games will be held with no fans due to COVID-19. More than 300 fans for each game will appear on the boards and interact with each other using the new Microsoft Teams “Together” mode,… Read More
Seattle’s professional hockey team finally has a name — and it’s time to get Kraken. In a much-hyped branding reveal on Thursday morning from the construction site where a new Seattle arena is being built, the Seattle Kraken team name, logo and colors were unveiled in a live video announcement. The logo, with two shades of blue inspired by Puget Sound, was built in close partnership with Adidas and features a giant S with a tentacle running through it and a red eye at the top. Get ready, Seattle. It's real. https://t.co/FHP7UB3E95 — NHL Seattle (@NHLSeattle_) July 23, 2020 NHL… Read More
Seattle Mariners majority owner and chairman John Stanton thinks the country could really use some baseball right about now to help heal some of its ailments. To get there, his team and the rest of Major League Baseball are instituting measures for dealing with coronavirus which could serve as lessons for other businesses. “Baseball really does represent an important part of the national psyche,” Stanton said during a virtual fireside chat with Madrona Venture Group last week. “I believe that in my soul, and and for us to get back on the field is vitally important and it is something… Read More
