NBC Brings Olympics To VR

The Summer Olympics are nearly upon us and NBC will be providing coverage in VR for the first time in the events history.  The network plans on having 85 hours of content compatible with the Samsung Gear VR headset.

All content will be shot in 360-degree video covering various events giving people at home the experience of actually being there without traveling all the way to Rio.  The goal is to show off the networks’ cutting edge technology and take advantage of the growing number of virtual reality users.

Disappointingly the content will not be compatible with devices such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.  Samsung is an official sponsor of the Olympics so exclusivity of certain types of content was to be expected.

This will be the biggest event ever filmed for virtual reality by NBC, but not the only one.  It also recently filmed the Kentucky Derby for VR and Fox Sports filmed the U.S. Open Golf championship.  Keen observers of tennis will also have noticed various VR cameras at the Wimbledon centre court a few weeks ago although we’re not sure if NBC was behind this too.

The Olympic VR coverage will include the opening and closing ceremonies, basketball, diving.  The event is running from Aug. 5th to the 21st although the VR content is expected to be available one day later than the events themselves, so from Aug 6th to the 22nd.