The Pro League Committee, organising body of the Arabian Gulf League, the top tier of club football in the United Arab Emirates, has partnered with telco Etisalat and the Mediapro agency to deliver live virtual reality coverage of matches.
Etisalat’s E-Vision division and Mediapro will hold exclusive VR broadcast rights to Arabian Gulf League matches, with league sponsor Etisalat to be granted rights to the content.
The AGLeague VR Seat Experience app will be available to download on iOS and Android devices. The app will be equipped with a replay function to allow fans to watch incidents from different angles. Stats and league information will also be provided through the app.
PLC chief executive Waleed Al Hosani said: “This is the first time anywhere in the world that a full football match is broadcast using this technology. There have been experiments with highlights and recording, but live broadcast of a full football match has never been done.
“Launching this technology is part of our 2017-2020 strategic plan in the area of boosting sports innovation culture and increasing adoption of technology and apps as the PLC looks to develop the level of services offered to football fans.”