- The NBA is trying to incorporate virtually reality into the average fans experience. In the present day, the technology does not yet exist for this goal to be reach. There are very few VR devices capable of accomplishing this goal, and they are all far to expensive for the commercial consumer.
The NBA actually began working with Samsung on virtually reality content last February. There were several problems with the tests, including the fact that the fans in the area where fake, digital characters who all made similar gestures.
However, in October, the NBA, partnered with Turner Sports and NextVR, live streamed the Warriors and Pelicans game in virtual reality. It was the first ever NBA game to be streamed in VR.
The biggest problem with VR is the fact that it isolates the fan. The user is alone in the experience because the communal feel associated with going to a basketball game is lost in a virtual reality where the user cannot communicate with anyone else. The NBA would ideally like to allow different people to communicate in the VR through avatars, but that type of technology is years away.
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Digital Media in Sports 