What does the swing, the sight and the sound of a 430-foot towering home run look like? Some of the MLB’s biggest sluggers, Todd Frazier and Giancarlo Stanton, are familiar with the process.
So what if I told you that you could be placed right in the action, dropped into the moments before and after the perfect swing? Well rest easy, thanks to last night’s 2016 T-Mobile Home Run Derby, you can be.
NextVR, one of virtual reality’s original pioneers, delivered on demand VR that immersed viewers into the sky-rocketing homers of yesterday’s Derby winning swings of Giancarlo Stanton, as well as the other participating sluggers. Partnering with MLBAM, fans were dropped onto the diamond and enjoyed a unique perspective of the MLB’s biggest stars in San Diego’s Petco Park.
NextVR executive chairman, Brad Allen, knew the importance of teaming up with MLBAM from the start. “MLBAM is a known innovator in sports technology and we are honored to work together as we continue to provide premier entertainment and sporting events in virtual reality,” said Allen.
So how does NextVR work? You have to first acquire a Samsung Gear VR headset and then download the NextVR app onto your device. After inserting your phone into the Gear VR, the app will list options of what to view. Pretty sweet, huh?
The Home Run Derby was captured using several virtual reality cameras that provided field-level shots of soaring home runs ripping past the outfield camera as it captured fans’ reactions. The footage included live audio commentary by MLB.com analyst, Mike Petriello, relayed back to the NextVR app and was also available for on-demand purchase.
T-Mobile also teamed up with the Home Run Derby, and released an interactive experience as fans virtually competed in the Derby, stepping into the shoes of the 2015 champion, Todd Frazier. Fans were able to share their game scores on social media and even competed against their friends.
“We’re taking the Derby out of the ballpark and letting fans step up to the pate with 2015 Champion Todd Frazier in a first of its kind VR experience for the Home Run Derby,” said John Legere president and CEO of T-Mobile.
For NextVR, the Home Run Derby was just another stop on its journey after securing a $20 million investment from the Chinese Investment group, CITIC Guoan earlier this month. Next VR is working on raising $80 million for a Series B round, and parted with 2.3% of their company’s total equity in order to get the ball rolling with CITIC Guoan.
NextVR’s $800 million valuation (according to Variety) is a leap in the right direction and was fueled by earlier live and on-demand virtual reality experiences across other professional leagues.
Among those events, NextVR partnered with Golden Boy Promotions, and brought a VR experience to WBC, Ring Magazine, and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez’s training sessions. In addition, NextVR also provided VR broadcasting for the PGA Tour’s U.S. Open.
Last night’s Home Run Derby was a check mark on virtual reality’s list in reaching more sporting events. Whether it is NextVR, or another VR company, virtual reality is swinging for the fences and hitting a home run.