NBA and Meta's partnership to stream NBA experiences in virtual reality

While sports fans have had opportunities in the past to watch sports in immersive virtual reality, this will be the first time that fans get an extended chance to do so. With the partnership, fans will be able to watch the NBA, WNBA, G League, and 2K League games on both XTadium and Meta Horizon Worlds.

Also, a part of the partnership between the NBA and Meta is the fact that the Meta Avatars Store will also be able to offer licensed team apparel.

Picture 1 of NBA and Meta's partnership to stream NBA experiences in virtual reality

Don't miss out on the remaining action…

Games that are left on the NBA schedule that can be watched in VR include the Orlando Magic vs Memphis Grizzlies on March 28, the Los Angeles Lakers vs Chicago Bulls on March 29, and March 31 as the Utah Jazz visit the Boston Celtics. Five games will also be available in April starting on the 1st with the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans, April 4 with a matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies, and April 5 matchup between the Grizzlies and Pelicans, April 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings and finally April 9th between the Indianapolis Pacers and New York Knicks.

There will also be two immersive 180-degree experiences left on the schedule. The first will be on April 2 when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers as well as on April 8 when the TrailBlazers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Wizards played two of the 50 games available in VR, their first matchup was against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 16, and on March 2 against the Toronto Raptors. Not only watch the remaining games but also be sure to sign up at BetMGM Maryland with the latest promo codes so you can also get in on the action yourself.

Is VR streaming the future of interactive fan experiences?

Picture 2 of NBA and Meta's partnership to stream NBA experiences in virtual reality

With VR streaming becoming more and more popular in various industries including sports and entertainment, it's easy to wonder if this is the future of interactive fan experiences. At any event, there is only a limited amount of seats available, but the ability to offer virtual reality streaming experiences could be the way of the future in allowing fans the opportunity to experience events as if they were there themselves. Obviously, it comes with its limitations and much work is still needed to perfect the way we stream events in virtual reality but it certainly is an intriguing possibility when it comes to the future of the fan experience.

The ultimate question is though, what will this experience look like for the fan from a monetary perspective? There is of course already an 'entry fee' per se in the fact that users need to be in ownership of a Meta Quest which starts at about $350 per headset. Now on top of this, it's only a matter of time until these fan experiences come with a 'ticket' price of their own as well. How much are leagues and teams willing to charge for these experiences? How much are fans willing to pay? These are all questions that will be crucial in determining the future of streaming sports and entertainment events in virtual reality. Will leagues create streaming alternatives for virtual reality experiences similar to that of their own currently, comparative to those of MLB.TV and NBA.TV? Overall, plenty of questions still remain but the potential of the fan experience with virtual reality capabilities is seemingly unlimited.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 30 March 2023