Kansas City-based EON Sports VR, which specializes in virtual reality sports training applications, has teamed up with the University of Miami to launch a dedicated virtual reality channel for the university’s Hurricanes athletics.
It’s believed to be the first dedicated VR outlet for a college team, with EON planning more. The channel is set to go live in October.
The channel will be accessible via a $30, University of Miami-branded VR headset, with the university uploading 360-degree content at its leisure. Initial programming will include practice footage, scrimmages, and interviews.
"We're thrilled to partner with the University of Miami and commend them for taking a bold step in utilizing virtual reality to improve the fan experience," said Brendan Reilly, CEO and founder of EON Sports VR, in a statement. "Professional and student athletes have used our technology to improve their performance on the field and we are excited to bring that same mindset to fans. I dreamed of experiences like these growing up and I cannot wait to experience what the U's athletes are doing in practice."
Jason Layton, Miami senior associate athletic director for communications and sales, added: "We're incredibly excited to be working with EON Sports to put this virtual reality channel together. At the University of Miami, we strive to be on the cutting edge of digital, video, social, and web technologies and EON and their team have helped immensely in that endeavor.
“After an investment in broadcast and video production, we wanted to expand into other ventures, including 360-degree video and we're able to do that with this immersive product. As we look forward to an October launch, we're excited to show off what our team has been working on in conjunction with EON Sports."
