NBA Extends Partnership With Meta to Bring Basketball Games to the Metaverse – Metaverse Bitcoin News

The NBA has extended its current partnership with Meta to broadcast its games to the metaverse. The company announced that 52 games of the league will be available to be enjoyed through VR (virtual reality) technology, using Xtadium, a co-viewing platform. Five of these games will be presented in a more immersive way for Horizon Worlds, Meta’s flagship metaverse program.

NBA To Broadcast 52 Games in the Metaverse

The NBA has sealed a deal to bring some of its games freely to the metaverse. On January 23, the company announced an extension of its current partnership with Meta to broadcast its games using VR (virtual reality) technology. The games will be streamed through Xtadium, a metaverse program that is used to stream immersive sports experiences using Meta’s consumer predictor, the Meta Quest 2.

The league will feature 52 games on Horizon Worlds, Meta’s premier metaverse application, for users to enjoy and watch. Five of these games will be presented in a more immersive way, using 180-degree monoscopic technology. This means that the user will be able to experience the game as if they were sitting close to the court, changing the point of view as the match progresses.

With this move, the league aims to give existing fans a more interactive experience, and bring new fans who are familiar with these new technologies to the sport. About this, Meta director of metaverse media content Sarah Malkin stated:

The superpower of VR allows you to immerse yourself in shared experiences with friends and fans from around the world, and we’re excited to bring these killer features to the NBA Arena and live games.

Avatar Merchandise and More

The NBA and Meta will also offer the opportunity for fans to purchase NBA-licensed apparel in Meta’s Avatars Store. These elements will be available across Meta’s family of owned apps, including Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook. Meta director of sports media and league partnerships Rob Shaw reinforced the significance of bringing new technologies to fans. He explained:

Meta’s immersive VR technology opens up new opportunities for sports fans to participate and interact with their favorite NBA teams. Fans will be able to express their fandom by donning their favorite team’s gear on Avatars and enjoy more live NBA games.

The NBA has been very receptive to using new technologies to expand the reach of its activities. In partnership with Dapper Labs, the company launched NBA Top Shots back in 2020, an NFT video marketplace with moments that are some of the most important games in the league’s history. In September, the league partnered with Sorare, a fantasy game company, to create an NFT (non-fungible token) game.

What do you think about the NBA and its approach to the metaverse? Tell us in the comments section below.

Sergio Goshenko

Sergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price spike occurred during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being affected by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view. about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved.

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