NBCUniversal to set VR first for Rio 2016

The NBC Olympics division of US media company NBCUniversal has teamed up with Korean electronics firm Samsung to deliver virtual reality coverage of the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The coverage will be made available through the NBC Sports mobile application on Samsung Galaxy smartphones utilising the Samsung Gear VR headset.

NBC Olympics’ 85 hours of VR footage will feature the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as coverage of men’s basketball, gymnastics, track and field, beach volleyball, diving, boxing and fencing events. Highlights clips will also form part of the package.

The VR coverage, which will be provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, will be delivered on a delayed basis. It will mark the first time an Olympic Games has been covered in VR.

“VR technology carries incredible potential for the sports broadcast industry, offering a truly immersive user experience,” Yiannis Exarchos, OBS chief executive, said. “Our first test in Lillehammer, together with Samsung, for the winter Youth Olympic Games, was highly successful and we look forward to further exploring this exciting technology with NBC in Rio.”

NBCU earlier this week unveiled record coverage plans for Rio 2016, which takes place from August 5-21. In total, the company will show 6,755 hours of action from the Games.