The most immersive TV experience yet.
With the Premier League set to return in the coming weeks, Sky has plenty in store for football fans with 43 more matches than last year (159 overall with Irish customers getting 33 more than the UK), but the big draw will be the ability to watch matches in Ultra HD.
We already told you about some of its capabilities (the addition of split-screen and an improved Match Facts window are coming soon) but the broadcaster is also innovating in different fields with new Virtual Reality and Football Centre apps being launched.
Let’s talk about the Football Centre app first. The biggest draw is that you’ll now be able to get the goals and highlights as they happen for every Premier League game (except Saturday 3pm kick-offs) and a 3 minute highlights package for each match, shortly after they have finished.
All Sky Sports customers with a Sky ID will be able to get the full package of goals as they happen, in-game highlights and a 3 min game highlights package at no extra cost.
If you’re not a Sky customer then you’ll still be able to get the highlights package at 10pm on matchday via the Football Score Centre.
The new layout of the app will also make it easier to follow your favourite teams and instantly receive instant updates, videos and news.
The big news though is Sky’s plans to launch a virtual reality app that’s set to launch later this summer, bringing fans up-close to the action in an incredibly immersive experience.
While Sky has not released the exact list of content that will be available through the app, they did announce that a promo virtual reality video featuring David Beckham will be the first piece presented. JOE was invited to experience Sky VR at first-hand and we’re delighted to say that it’s going to add a new dimension for sports fans.
We got to see two clips (Anthony Joshua’s latest fight and Leicester City lifting the Premier League) and while it’s almost impossible to describe the experience, we’ll give it a try. For the Joshua fight, you almost feel like you’re part of his entourage as he walks out into the ring. Look left or right and you’ll see hordes of fans cheering, look down and you’ll almost see the beer stains on the floor.
All of this pales in comparison though to the actual fight experience because the camera is resting in Joshua’s corner as the fight unfolds.
Every punch, drop of sweat and piece of footwork is as clear as the computer screen that’s in front of you right now, it’s remarkable. The good news for TV fans is that the virtual reality app will be available on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard headsets.
Even better news is that the app will not solely focus on sports because Sky are hoping to air a number of original dramas in virtual reality also.
Imagine watching the fight sequences from Game of Thrones but from the viewpoint of a character that’s actually involved in the Battle of the Bastards? The future of TV is incredibly exciting.
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