Virtual Reality and the Customer Experience in MLS

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

H. E. James of GoLocalPDX Partner Site Oregon Sports News

A virtual reality headset; via wikimedia commons

Professional sports front offices have a handful of goals each season: procure new talent, hang onto the veteran talent, etc. Two of the most important goals are win and generate a loyal fanbase.

Today's sports franchises are operating as successful marketing businesses as much as they are sports teams, and Major League Soccer’s teams are no different. Because soccer is such a niche sport in the United States, creating unique marketing experiences are great ways to draw in new fans and retain loyal customers.

A New View on the Pitch

The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers are leading the MLS in advanced digital marketing techniques. They are two of many MLS teams that have partnered with IOMEDIA, a marketing company that creates digital media for multiple industries.

Based in New York, the company builds everything from video animations for healthcare companies to user experiences for corporations like Genentech.
The company also creates multiple “Super Fan” experiences for sports franchises, like Sports Reel for teams such as the New York Yankees.

For teams including the Sounders and Timbers, IOMEDIA has also created Virtual Venues. These platforms allow fans a few options for interacting with their favorite pitches. When visiting Portland’s Providence Park, members of the Timbers Army can check out potential seats for the team’s next home match, which is predicated on the results of the Nov. 29 match against FC Dallas.

The Sounders’ Virtual Venue site, and all others, allows fans the chance the see the pitch from the perspective of a favorite player. Click on a highlighted spot on the pitch, and fans are magically transported to that viewpoint.

Want to see CenturykLink Field from Stefan Frei’s perspective in goal? Now it’s possible to click on the penalty area of the pitch and see a 360-degree virtual view of the field from the eye of the goalkeeper.

Bird’s eye views of the stadiums are available as well. Fans can also find those perfect seats and buy tickets directly from the Virtual Venue platform. This kind of real-time customer service experience will only improve customer loyalty for teams.

From Virtual Seats to Virtual Reality

Want a richer virtual experience? That may be closer than any fan thinks. Virtual reality enhancements for sports have been in the works for a long time. VR technology is being used as a training tool in football programs.

Now it’s being harnessed to enhance the fan experience, and soccer is leading the way. NextVR, a California-based company, is leading the charge in VR sports viewing. The charge started all the way back in July with a VR-enhanced viewing of a Manchester United exhibition game in Santa Clara, CA.

The press stunt introduced the company’s plan to offer fans who may not be able to afford touchline seats or who can’t travel to see their favorite teams a more realistic experience. The technology could be available at stadiums during games as well, not just for publicity stunts. Five cameras were used during the Man U match, and offered perspectives such as practically being in the pocket of one of the referees.

On Oct. 18, the Timbers and L.A. Galaxy partnered with NextVR to offer MLS brass a taste of the potential of VR during matches. VR cameras were placed around the StubHub Center: at midfield, behind the net, along the touchline, etc. Their feeds were then broadcast to two different locations: the stadium itself and via cloud-based services in New York.

The closed-circuit demonstration offered NextVR the chance to show MLS what it can do with VR tech, as the league has been playing with idea for quite some time. The Timbers’ Oct. 18 win over the Galaxy will give the league a chance to use VR tech to display both the league and the potential uses for this newest form of digital marketing.

MLS plans to use footage from the VR cameras to create videos for its website. Next season, it may even catch up to the NBA, which just broadcast the first ever live virtual reality sporting event: the opening night game between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans. The game was available only to owners of a Samsung Gear VR headset, but it signals a shift in customer experience for sports fans who want more from sports franchises than just an old-fashioned seat in the stands.

GoLocalPDX partner Oregon Sports News: Since 2011, Oregon Sports News has provided entertaining, hard-hitting local sports news & commentary every weekday. To read more from this author, check out Oregon Sports News by clicking here.

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