It seems that virtual reality will be heading to the Euro 2016 finals as the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) has revealed that they will be filming certain matches in virtual reality.
According to The Daily Mirror, UEFA’s chiefs have given the greenlight for dozens of Nokia OZO cameras to record 360-degree footage in various positions such as the inside of the stadium, inside the players’ tunnel, dressing rooms and even managerial press conferences.
UEFA hasn’t officially announced which matches will filmed in VR, but reports are saying the England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland matches will be given the VR treatment. We can also safely assume that the semi-finals and finals of the Euro 2016 tournament will be filmed in VR as well.
While UEFA will be filming the tournament in VR, it does not mean that the Euro 2016 will be broadcasted in VR. Right now, UEFA is considering launching a specialist YouTube channel where they will upload the footage they’ve captured during the event itself. However, nothing has been set in stone as of yet, so plans may change as the date of the tournament draws closer.
“These demonstrations continue to put us at the forefront of broadcast technological innovation. It’s UEFA’s goal that one day the watching fan will be able to watch a match through immersive virtual reality. They will experience the game if they are there in the stadium. This demonstration represents the first step towards completing the goal,” says Bernard Ross, head of UEFA TV.
Source: The Daily Mirror