What Virtual Reality in Sports Looks Like Behind the Scenes
Imagine the rumbling roar of the crowd. The thrill of the players exiting the tunnel and bursting onto the field, launching fans into an exhilarating frenzy. The inspiring marching band executing their flawless routine. Palpable excitement and anticipation fills the air.
It’s game day. And experiencing it in person inspires a host of feelings that are impossible to duplicate by simply watching it on TV.
Thankfully, we have a little thing called technology to help us close that “game-day experience” gap between traditional broadcasts of sports events and in-person attendance. Specifically, we have virtual reality (VR).
And with all the talk lately about VR (see Forbes and Time) and its rapid adoption across multiple industries, I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at VR in action in the sports arena.
A Golden Partnership
Recently, my agency (Leverage Sports) partnered with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. (FYI, our partnership was covered in Forbes, SportTechie, and here on LinkedIn.) Head Coach Tracy Claeys wanted to take an innovate approach to recruiting players in a notoriously competitive BIG10 conference. Enter virtual reality.
Through careful planning and absorption of everything UM had to offer in athletics, academics, as well as campus and city life, we crafted an immersive VR experience and companion custom mobile application for UM’s student-athlete recruiting efforts.
Though some colleges have used VR for internal training and player development, it’s only recently that innovative brands have used this tech in a sports marketing context. The technology makes perfect sense for the sports world, since it creates a new and engaging experience for fans who want to see and hear the game, but for whatever reason can’t attend in person.
[You can view a behind-the-scenes video at the end of this post.]
Game Day Ready (from Home)
UM positioned itself to stand apart from the typical paper packets college students receive in the mail from dozens of institutions. Instead, a recruit can don a pair of VR goggles and “see” themselves walking on the TCF Bank Stadium field, standing inside the start-of-the-art training facilities, participating in the rowdy tailgates, and being a part of the big game.
All this from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from right in their own living room, bedroom, dining room — whichever room the recruits are most comfortable in their own home.
And with the rise in VR popularity, the tech investment gives recruits a sense of how UM will support their athletic career.
Beyond the Field
A deliberate strategy went into the filming process months before shooting began in Minneapolis. We first had to grasp what UM could provide to recruits. But we also had to understand what recruits needed in a university. And the VR experience met those needs head on.
Of course we showcased the football program and the facilities. There were also the exciting scenes from game day. However, there was a lot more to UM than its athletics program. After all, recruits wouldn’t be spending all their time on the field.
So, that meant covering the supportive elements of recruits’ attendance to UM: The campus and the city.
Being able to “walk” the campus and see the city from a 360-degree viewpoint provided valuable insights into the complete student-athlete dynamic and life as a Golden Gopher.
A Look at the Tech
None of this happened by accident of course. This project took a tremendous amount of planning, including what tech to use for filming.
Samsung Gear 360-degree cameras were integral to many of the ground shots. Freefly TERO remote-controlled vehicles (with stabilization) provided the needed mobility and combined well with the cameras. For the aerial aspect, we used a custom-built drone to ensure a smooth flight and high-quality imagery.
We even had two paratroopers descend onto the field during the first game of the season to fully utilize the capability of the equipment and VR technology.
Virtual Reality Meets Mobile App
Leverage Sports developed a custom mobile app to house the content. The intention was to provide recruits with context for the immersive VR experience, so that the content was complemented and did not stand alone.
Within the app, users can view information on a multitude of aspects: The coaching staff, Nike uniforms and travel swag, academics, NFL Gophers, and of course, the 360-degree VR video.
Reality in a Virtual World
The main goal of our creation of the VR content and mobile app was to give recruits an experience like none other. With so many colleges to choose from, any edge or differentiating factor can make the difference in which institution a recruit chooses.
Virtual reality technology is definitely that edge. And the VR experience is one as unique as the Golden Gopher football team.
To get the inside on the making of the immersive experience, view a behind-the-scenes spot below.
About the Author
When marketing, sports, and technology collide, you’ll invariably find Ashley DeWalt directing behind the scenes. An entrepreneur and innovator in all of these spaces, Ashley leads Leverage Sports— a team dedicated to creating the most meaningful brand experiences in the sports industry.
Hit me up here if you’re interested in a VR experience for your sports brand.
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