There is potential to create more immersive fan experiences with the introduction
of 360-degree cameras, virtual and augmented reality. Fans can walk the side-line,
see what the goalkeepers are seeing or join the victory celebration in the locker
room – all serving the purpose of bringing fans closer to the action at the venue
from home.
What’s more, the trend of increased solitary viewing due to the development
of personal screens and on-demand viewing could be reversed thanks to the
capabilities and promises of virtual reality (VR). It can provide a way to connect
with friends watching the game at different physical locations, creating a “virtual
bar” for the times you can’t be there in person.
For broadcasters, this will likely see the rise of new VR and augmented reality
media experiences that may test the boundaries of traditional broadcast tech-
nologies. According to Ericsson’s ConsumerLab TV and Media Report, by 2020
a third of consumers will be VR users, and it’s estimated that half of all TV and
video viewing will be done on mobile devices.
VR brings an exciting prospect to the table: the ability to watch 4K/UHD con-
tent without owning a big physical screen and allowing on-demand viewing
to become more of a social activity than it is today. Soon, friends and people
with similar interests will be able to watch content together in a VR living room,
viewers will have the freedom to look anywhere in every scene of a movie and
consumers can experience a football match with other fans in a VR arena, as if
they are actually there.
And for sports fans in areas that don’t have access to fi-
ber coverage, 5G enables fixed wireless access applica-
tions for very high-quality video streaming in 4K video,
360 or AR/VR formats.
At the Stadium
A great experience at the arena is fundamental to enjoying
live sports. Where fans today see broadband connectivity to
their smartphone for social media posts as table stakes, there
is so much more that could be done digitally to connect fans
to the action. This is an area where 5G can improve the overall
experience, compared to standard Wi-Fi solutions.
The introduction of 5G at a stadium also creates a horizon-
tal platform to serve additional applications. Fans would
be able to monitor and track athletes’ performance dur-
ing practice and competition in real time, for example.
For broadcasters, fans, and athletes alike, Ericsson’s leading
technologies enrich the sporting experience, bringing peo-
ple closer to the action, and creating new immersive ways
to showcase the commitment, excitement, and teamwork
of sports. For a team playing before a packed stadium or a
lonesome runner on a forest track, connectivity and mobil-
ity enable new values in an emerging internet of sport.
For broadcasters, fans, and athletes alike, Ericsson’s leading technologies enrich the sporting experience, bringing people closer to the action, and
creating new immersive ways to enjoy the spectacle