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Saturday, 12 March, 2016 – This Sunday’s Scottish League Cup Final, presented by Utilita, between Hibernian and Ross County will not only be played out on the pitch but also in virtual reality, in a first major sporting event test by San Francisco-headquartered technology company, Virtually Live.The SPFL is facilitating Virtually Live to test a live football broadcast in virtual reality at Scotland’s National Stadium Hampden Park in Glasgow when the showpiece national cup final kicks off at 3pm. It is the latest in an eight-game trial which has also included the competition’s semi-finals and Queen’s Park Ladbrokes League 2 matches.
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 with the SPFL to develop a groundbreaking immersive VR viewing experience. Virtual Reality is the next frontier for sports fans, and we’re excited to offer fans around the world a new way to experience Hampden Park.”
An SPFL spokesman added: “This is a groundbreaking and innovative trial, taking place around the Scottish League Cup Final presented by Utilita, and we are excited to see the output from this trial of Virtually Live’s innovative technology.”
Notes to editors:
- Virtually Live is testing the compatibility with its platform together with STATS SportVU technology.
- Media covering Sunday’s final will be able to view Virtually Live’s test footage in the Hampden Park media centre.
Media contacts:
Will Winston, will@virtuallylive.com
Farner Consulting
Tel: +41 (0) 44 266 68 41
E-Mail: virtuallylive@farner.ch
On-site contact for demos:
oliver@virtuallylive.com
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.