The 80th Edition of The Masters to be streamed LIVE via Virtual Reality (VR) 360 Video.
March 30, 2016: The Augusta National Golf Club announced their partnership with NextVR to bring golf lovers a 360 view of live action at The Masters between April 4-10, 2016. Fans can watch live VR video on holes 6 and 16 where cameras will be placed at tee-boxes and greens. Additionally, Masters Amen Corner in 4K will be available for select DirectTV subscribers and internet-connected Sony and Samsung 4k TVs. Broadcasting is limited to holes 11, 12 and 13 (Amen Corner) on Thursday and Friday from 10:45 am to 6:00 pm EDT and 11:45 am to 6:00 pm EDT on Saturday and Sunday.
Live streaming will cover the practice rounds and the Par-3 Contest, which Rory McIlroy will reportedly skip, before the main event on April 7th.
Fans need to download the NextVR app for the Samsung Gear VR in the Oculus Home app store. For more details and live event times head over to NextVR.com
This news comes a day after the NCAA announced their plans to stream live VR video of the Final Four Semifinals and the National Championship game. Marketers clearly see VR video as an opportunity to bring in new viewers and bring new life to long-standing traditions – an upcycling of sorts for broadcasting.
If you’re digitally savvy, I’m sure you can find the app package somewhere and give it a go on your non-Samsung VR viewer. Let me know if this works for you.
