Fox Sports brings social VR experience to college football coverage

Fox Sports will provide a “virtual suite” this weekend as Notre Dame and Michigan State face off through its Fox Sports VR app.

In the virtual reality app, viewers will be able to watch the game from various cameras in the stadium while also interacting with other in-suite avatars. A 360-degree Skycam will also provide a unique angle for users of the on-field action, which will be live-streamed on the app, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

“FOX Sports continues to accelerate the development of virtual reality as a unique complement to our overall package of sports offerings,” said Jeb Terry of Fox Sports. “With the debut of social VR with the Gold Cup in July, and now the addition of the Skycam perspective, we continue to strengthen an already robust offering to both viewers and advertisers.”

Fox Sports has again teamed with LiveLike to present the VR experience.

The “virtual suite” includes:

• Multiple high-resolution camera angles that give users the ability to choose between views or enjoy a director’s cut that automatically selects the best camera angle for live game action; including the introduction of the view from the c360 Skycam
• On-demand, all-access 360 videos leading up to the game
• After the game, VR highlights of the biggest plays from the best angles
• Exclusive look at non-game action, including pre-game, halftime festivities and post-game
• When entering the experience, users are able to select a “Social” tab and a “Join Friends” button that connects the user to Facebook upon authorization. At that point, friends who have done the same will pop up on the user’s friends list, creating the opportunity to view the experience in a social environment. Additionally, the experience can automatically select a viewing partner at random, with viewers having the ability to seamlessly switch Social VR “on” or “off.”

The Fox Sports VR app is available for Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Oculus.