The Rio Olympics is not very far away and broadcasters are already making a move to bring viewers the world’s greatest sports tournament in virtual reality (VR). It’s a topic we’ve already discussed on VRFocus, although those experiences were based around an American audience. First there was the partnership between Team USA and the Kellogg’s brand, which resulted in a series of 360 degree videos and other additional content.The other was more in relation to watching the Rio Olympics itself, with NBC Olympics has announced it’ll be providing VR coverage through its NBC Sports app on Samsung’s Gear VR.
The latest broadcasting app comes from Spain in the form of a project called Vive Río (Vive as in the Spanish for “to live” in this case), which has been developed by Spanish public television, the RTVE. Coming to iOS and Android, the app is also coming to both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs). Using a variety of different presentation methods the app promises to deliver five different stories featuring Spanish athletes in training for the games. From the worlds of swimming, canoeing, rhythmic gymnastics, horse riding (Classical Dressage) and even Spain’s Women’s Rugby Seven’s team – a sport that makes a return to the Olympics after eighty years. All are striving for a moment of greatness, for some they are entering untested waters, others are trying to recapture old glories and others are simply trying to prove to the world that they are the very best in it at what they do.
Utilizing a number of technologies app users will be able to gain all sorts of statistical and visual information into what they athletes are going through, including overlays within the 360 degree space with traditional factual information.
VRFocus will be bringing you more details about the use of VR in relation to the Olympics as we get it.
