Basketball In The Digital Era: The Future Of Fan Engagement
This allows fans to relive basketball moments in life-size or any size, on any surface. Users can view games from different angles, control playback, highlight players, and see plays unfold from various perspectives. IBX aims to revolutionize basketball viewing for fans, coaches, and players by leveraging advanced augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology.
Revolutionizing Fan Engagement
The launch of the SportsX program is set to revolutionize how fans engage with sports and will provide other valuable benefits such as giving coaches access to new perspectives and information when assessing player and team performance.
In the first demonstration in 2023, users were invited to wear a headset that took them inside a virtual basketball game on the Toronto Raptors' practice court. The headset employs optical data to create the illusion of an ongoing game, with players passing, dribbling, and shooting on the practice court nets.
The development team sampled a real basketball game, utilizing optical tracking and computer vision to capture body pose data, which was then processed to generate a 3D rendering. This rendering runs at around 60 frames per second or more, ensuring a smooth simulation.
Although the players in the simulation are currently not detailed or identifiable beyond their jersey colors, MLSE suggests that fans may soon be able to use VR to step into a simulated game featuring their favorite NBA teams such as the Celtics.
Digital Technology Is Allowing Fans To Engage With Basketball Like Never Before
SportsX is part of a new phase of immersive technology allowing fans to immerse themselves in the sports they love. However, we’re already seeing how dramatically digital technology is evolving in our homes today. For example, Meta’s Xtadium and Meta Horizon Worlds allow fans to watch live games and highlights for free using the Meta Quest VR headset. Xtadium provides multiple viewing angles and interactive features, while Horizon Worlds includes social experiences and community events related to the NBA.
While traditional video games like NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition are still prevalent, basketball has expanded into new areas. For example, in iGaming, there are an increasing number of popular online slots such as Basketball Star, NBA Gold, Slam Dunk and Money Shot. Driven by the appeal of smartphone and tablet gaming, the availability of special offers including eye-catching 300% fund bonuses at top online casinos, and an increasingly diverse range of games, basketball is reaching fans in new ways.
Similarly, VR games continue to get better. Blacktop Hoops is one of the latest. It is available from Oculus Quest and Steam, offering a variety of gameplay modes and featuring advanced dribbling, shooting, and dunking mechanics. Designed for natural and engaging gameplay, it allows players to execute smooth crossovers, make precise shots, and perform high-flying dunks. Reviewers have called the game the best basketball VR experience yet.
Basketball's Digital Evolution Continues To Captivate
The digital era is dramatically transforming basketball fan engagement through groundbreaking initiatives like Sports X Immersive Basketball (IBX). Moreover, immersive technology is becoming more accessible, with products like Meta’s Xtadium and Horizon Worlds, offering free interactive and social VR experiences. Meanwhile, traditional and VR gaming, such as NBA 2K24 and Blacktop Hoops, continue to evolve, providing diverse and engaging ways for fans to connect with basketball.
