The National Hockey League is one of the most historic sporting competitions of all time. With 31 Member Clubs and more than 20 nationalities they are all playing towards one prize – The Stanley Cup.
On average, the NHL engages more than 670 million fans through arenas, TV broadcasts and radio in a single year.
The NHL has a worldwide fanbase, with most games available online in every country usually via an online streaming service.
The Nation Hockey League is committed to fostering exciting and positive communities through the sport and offering unforgettable family experiences.
Although, getting to one of these much anticipated fixtures isn’t accessible to everybody. That’s where modern technology comes in handy. With the increasing popularity of virtual reality, it’s now much easier for Hockey fans to get up close and personal with the ice!
How to watch virtual reality Ice Hockey
Jules Urbach, the CEO of Otoy states that “The NHL has always been incredibly progressive about how it uses technology to give fans access, and we’re excited by the possibilities of harnessing OTOY’s virtual reality technology to help the league get fans even closer to the game they love.”
With that being said, the NHL has teamed up with NextVR to bring fans unique experiences in virtual reality from selected matches throughout the coming season.
This exclusive partnership launched by releasing a virtual reality experience at the 2019 Honda NHL All-star game, back in January, and has since become a phenomenon.
NextVR is set to showcase all highlights of key NHL games from the season in VR. The NextVR app now features a new channel dedicated to NHL, that will store the 3D content. The content includes highlights such as goals, saves and obviously some big hits!
After downloading the app, it will be a free service that allows fans to watch around the world, which is certainly an advantage.
Highlights will be distributed for free through NextVR’s app, which is of no cost. It’s available through all major platforms such as — PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality, and multiple Oculus and HTC Vive devices, to name a few.
Using stereoscopic content, VR footage lets viewers feel like they’re in the arena, and part of the action.
How do I get started?
NextVR is the top virtual reality platform in the world. The main focus of the company is to develop live sport events into a 3D, immersive experience for it’s audiences.
After partnering with a huge variety of the major sports leagues, most fans from all around the world can watch their favorite team in this fascinating technology; making them feel as though they are actually at the live event!
To get involved in this advanced experience, you must first buy a virtual reality headset. Do check NextVR’s website to ensure that your app is compatible with the headset you are looking to buy.
Some popular headsets that are definitely compatible with the NextVR app are :
- Oculus Go
- Oculus Rift
- Gear VR
- Playstation VR
If you are an ice hockey fanatic and you don’t want to miss a minute, your best bet is choosing one of the above headsets for the optimum virtual experience.
All headsets should come with a users manual and a start up guide that should help you set it up accordingly.
Then, you need to head to the App store (or game store) and download the NextVR app.
Once you have connected your device up, you can simply check out the upcoming schedules and start planning what games you want to watch.
How will you watch Ice hockey in virtual reality?
Now that you are all set up and ready to get into the action, there are a couple of ways you can choose to immerse in this 3D experience.
This definitely depends on your personal preference, but some ice hockey fans would prefer to actively concentrate on the game, analyse the tactics and relax whilst watching the game, so having your headset in a solitary setting is the way forward if this is you.
However, if you’re more of a social sports fan, then you can get the beers in, connect up with some friends and turn this event into a frequent social gathering.
Benefits of Virtual reality for Ice hockey fans
- Fans can get a 360 degree view of the game
You won’t have an obstructed view when it comes to VR! With a 360 degree angel, fans have the ability to move their head around and aren’t stuck in the same spot for the whole match. In most cases, a VR headset allows you to tour the stadium to look around for yourself as the action unfolds.
- Experience the atmosphere from your home
With the ever increasing ticket prices, and long distance travel for some fans, it can be hard to actually experience the in-arena atmosphere during a game. But with Virtual reality, fans can become immersed in the pregame excitement and get the amazing stadium experience from wherever you are in the world.
- It can save you money
Although the initial investment in a VR headset may not be cheap, fans will most definitely save money in the long term. Fans will be able to access every NHL match throughout the season via an online streaming platform, without spending a penny on match tickets or travel!
Benefits of virtual reality for Ice Hockey players
- Customisation for players
Using virtual reality is an effective way for Ice hockey players to train and practice certain skills. This advanced technology can be tailored to the needs of each specific player, so that they can focus on areas of their game that they wish to improve.
- Real-life game scenarios
With the ability to create real-life game scenarios against oppositions, players of the sport can use virtual reality to get to know their upcoming opponents and start to plan tactics.
Quick summary
You might be overwhelmed with such a plethora of information and it may all sound like a new language to you, it’s completely understandable as Virtual reality is still a rather new concept.
However, as technology continues to advance, VR is certainly looking likely to be ‘the next big thing’ as they add more sports to their list and engage more fans from around the world.
Virtual reality provides fans with a new, and immersive way to enjoy watching their favourite sports, whether it be alone or with a bunch of friends.
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