The world will be looking towards Rio in the month of august as the mega games event, Olympics 2016, will be held there from august 5th. Most of the athletes around the world dream of winning the golden medal at the games event but Samsung is having a dream of different sorts.
The NBC has announced that it is partnering with Samsung to provided what it calls as the first Olympics in virtual reality and it is targeting to provide at least 85 hours of the games event in virtual. Even the Olympic broadcasting services seem to have given the nod to bring the 360-degree content to life so that the games can be enjoyed in a different and realistic environment.
The catch though is that this content will only be available in Samsung phones for 360-degree content and on Gear VR for the virtual reality content.
Included in the hours is the opening as well as the closing ceremony. Popular games such as men’s basketball, gymnastics, track and field, beach volleyball, diving, boxing, fencing are included. What’s more, Samsung is also offering the highlights of the entire event.
“The world’s greatest sporting event is always a showcase for cutting edge technology, and we’re thrilled to partner with Samsung and OBS to bring our viewers even closer to compelling Olympic action with virtual reality,” NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel said, “Olympic fans can be transported to iconic venues such as Maracanã Stadium for an unprecedented view of the Opening Ceremony, and Copacabana Beach for an immersive beach volleyball experience in the sport’s ultimate setting.”
Virtual reality is becoming the next big evolution in the tech industry as every major tech company is after it. Facebook has oculus rift, Sony has the PSVR, HTC has the vive and google is coming up with daydream VR technology in its phones.
“Fans of the Olympics will now get to experience the world’s best athletes as they compete in some of the most popular events of Rio 2016 in a whole new way: through virtual reality,” Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Electronics America Marc Mathieu said, “We are thrilled to work with NBC and OBS on this first-of-its-kind endeavor, connecting fans right to the action in Rio, powered by 360-degree storytelling, virtual reality, and our Galaxy phones.”
Samsung is one of the official sponsors of the Olympics and is releasing a special edition S7 edge to honor the games.
