The New York Jets are looking to bring their fans closer to players and the game with help from STRIVR Labs. STRIVR has worked with other NFL teams to use their virtual reality tech to help players train and prepare. Now, the NFL and STRIVR Labs are hoping that the use of virtual reality will go beyond player training and start to also give the fans something new to cheer about.
After striking a deal with STRIVR in the spring of 2015, the Jets immediately began using the company’s technology during training. Filming for the virtual reality videos began during the home preseason games at MetLife Stadium. High-tech cameras captured the game in various spots throughout the stadium to give videos a 360-degree effect.
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“We kind of worked out the kinks using it for football and figuring out what are the best ways to shoot things and cut things and how fast we could turn it around,” explained Tim Tubito, the team’s video director. “And then, it kind of opened up to where are the area where we can use it on game day to really give the fans a different type of experience?”
To experience the virtual reality content Jets fans will wear headphones and Oculus goggles. They will have the option to select six different experiences; running out to the field with the team, participating in the coin toss, being on the field during the national anthem, standing on the sideline during a touchdown catch by Brandon Marshall, taking part in a Flight Crew performance, or being with the other fans during the J-E-T-S chant. The 360-degree affect will make you believe you are right in the heart of the action.
“People’s first reaction is just the coolness factor,” said Seth Rabinowitz, the Jets’ Senior Vice President of Marketing and fan engagement. “We’re still getting a lot of different feedback on what people really want.”
The Jets are still exploring other options of how to most effectively use virtual reality to benefit their fans before officially introducing it. “I think you’ll see this a lot in the mainstream consumer marketplace, like video games and other things. You’re going to start to see it very quickly and, by spring, it’s going to be all the rage,” Rabinowitz added.
STRIVR Labs has already branched out to other sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NHL, and the NCAA. As the company continues to improve their technology, fans can expect that virtual reality videos to emerge more frequently within and beyond the sports world.