Photo courtesy of Syracuse University
Today’s guest columnist is Rick Burton from Syracuse University.
A few weeks ago I wrote sportico This column addresses the increasing investment in sports technology aimed at improving human performance above and below the neck.Removed old movie names roller ball And my rant ends with a dystopian suggestion that artificial bodies (AB) may emerge in the not-too-distant future of sports.
I believe no one was offended or took me seriously. The reason I wrote this is because I don’t usually hear directly from readers.
However, I do send the odd public link to a smart friend who continues to influence my superficial thinking. Interestingly, one of them shared a comment that she thought was worth revisiting.
Sean Brannagan is a professor of media entrepreneurship at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School. Last time I mentioned his Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest, he replied: “Apple’s products aren’t headsets for what most people know as virtual reality (VR). Yes, we’ll do some AR/VR stuff, but Apple’s main market is for movies and shows. I think it’s going to be streaming. In the race between TV and computers, computers with unlimited screen size will win big.”
Brannagan went on to suggest that the evolving Apple Vision Pro ecosystem will allow consumers to create another room in their home or apartment that becomes a virtual home theater with iMax capabilities. In other words, people can add a room to an existing property for $3,500.
It’s a grand marketing concept. The cost of adding living space is a few pennies in virtual square feet. It would also give Apple an added incentive to acquire Disney, Paramount, or both just to make a profit. Star Wars or other classics in your home theater.
“But don’t forget to add it,” Brannagan replied. “If you use these devices at work or at work, you can also add a home office for $3,500. If the work-from-home battle continues, it’s a huge win for both sides.”
While the world of sports wasn’t part of our initial dueling digital critique, Brannagan followed up a few weeks later with the news that Apple recently released a free, standalone app called Apple Sports, giving sports fans a chance to get their hands on the iPhone. reported providing real-time scores and statistics.
“Thanks to Apple Vision Pro and Apple TV+, this may be a bigger problem than it first appears,” Branagan wrote. “Apple traditionally develops killer apps and typically delivers them with new devices.”
as variety “The app is also designed to direct viewers to the Apple TV app to watch live sports, including all Major League Soccer games available through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.” is part of an exclusive 10-year contract. Partnered with the American Soccer League.
Apple and Meta’s interest in the world of sports means that most teams will soon realize that having spectators purchase courtside seats via VR is one of the most surprising means to understand. The team’s sales staff can sell from any seat in the physical building, over and over again, in the VR world. Or hundreds of thousands of times.
This makes every sporting event a purchasable global ticket, and every VR headset acts as a toll booth for all types of content. Forget about cable and hundreds of streaming platforms. The world of sports, like most markets, loves consolidation.
But let’s seriously think about content distributors. Who owns the rights and economies of scale to bring new shows, movies, and sports to consumers for VR devices? Or, to put it another way, if teams can sell VR seats to games, courtside? Do you need a special media partner to locate your “audience”?
The NBA is already working in this area.
Think of it this way. The Milwaukee Bucks play in his 18,000-seat Fiserv Arena. It’s a fixed number. Their home games will be broadcast on either NBA TV, ABC, TNT or ESPN. The number of people who can watch that television broadcast (or stream) is not infinite, but limited to the number of people who have purchased a particular cable or streaming access.
These viewers watch the games the host network wants them to see and receive commentary from the network-provided live and color commentators. These viewers don’t enjoy the same visual or audio freedom that his 18,000 people in the stadium enjoy. You can watch your friends in the stadium anytime and anywhere while talking to people around you.
There is no voice to explain the game and the first law of sport has always been that watching the game in person is better than watching it via media (radio, television, mobile devices). This law remained unchallenged for more than a century.
But what if the sports experience evolved to mimic some of what’s happening in esports? “Viewers” can choose which player they want to be on the field. This is not about choosing the camera’s angle (the consumer acts as the broadcaster’s director), but about running routes and setting picks at points of contact.
Far-fetched? Not at all. There are microphones in football helmets and cameras in F1 cockpits. Why not equip every player with a camera to provide real-time in-game accessibility? VR headsets will soon provide that ability.
Let consumers decide what they want. Tired of being Travis Kelce? Switch up and become a linebacker to try to stop him.
Yeah, I know it’s crazy…but back then it was roller ball.
Rick Burton is the David B. Falk Professor of Sports Management at Syracuse University and COO of Playbk Sports. He is the co-author of numerous sports business books. NHL-style business, 20 secrets to success for NCAA student-athletes. and Invisible No More (The story of Wilmes Sidat Singh).
