Rio Olympics VR content to be broadcast exclusive to Gear VR

This post was originally published on our sister site, VRSource.com.

NBC have teamed up with Samsung to give owners of the Gear VR and unique perspective of the upcoming Rio Olympic Games by offering access to over 85 hours of VR coverage.

It’ll only be users of the Samsung Gear VR with Galaxy Android devices that will get access to this content, which will feature 360 video coverage of all the sports.

Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics, said Rio will be a showcase for the “cutting-edge” technology.

The VR video itself will be captured by Olympic Broadcasting Services, a unit of the International Olympic Committee that provides video feeds to the international broadcasters. This content will then be distributed via the NBC Sports app to Samsung devices. With Samsung as the official partner for the Rio Olympics, it is of no surprise that the company has managed to secure this exclusive deal.

The content, which will be presented on delay during the games running Aug. 6 to Aug. 22, will include opening and closing ceremonies, men’s basketball, gymnastics, track and field, and other sports. It will be captured by Olympic Broadcasting Services, a unit of the International Olympic committee that provides feeds to international broadcasters. The content will be accessible to Samsung users with compatible devices via the NBC Sports app.

Compatible phones that can be used with the Gear VR include the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.

VR in sports is changing the way in which the content is consumed, with 360 video being the most popular implementation. The technology offers a wide range of viewing angles to give that immersive experience. When coupled with a VR headset, 360 video can really feel like you’re actually experiencing the event first hand, and sports is a brilliant example of this.

It’s great to see Samsung securing these partnerships to raise awareness for VR, albeit its own headset, but showcasing what VR is all about will no doubt create interest in the platform.