BBC Sport 360 Launches

The BBC has announced the launch of BBC Sport 360 ahead of Rio 2016.

The service will bring the event live and on-demand to UK audiences can experience 360 degree video for the first time. The new perspective will be available on a range of sports throughout the competition, including athletics and boxing, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

The service will commence on Friday 5 August, through a dedicated BBC Sport 360 trial app, however the app is available from today on Android, iOS and Samsung Gear VR. Coverage will also be available online through BBC Taster allowing people to try, rate and give feedback to help the BBC learn from the experimental service.

During the Games, there will be live 360 video footage of an event each day, with around 100 hours in total, plus a choice of up to four different camera angles. There will also be a daily 360 video highlights package.

Justin Barritt, Executive Product Manager, BBC Sport, said: "The BBC delivered the first truly digital Olympics for London 2012 and we've continued to develop and improve our digital service ever since. Now, we're pushing the boundaries once again to bring people closer to the action than ever before. Not everyone can make it to Rio to cheer on Team GB so we're looking forward to giving sport fans the next best thing."

Will Saunders, Editorial Lead, BBC Taster, added: "This is a hugely exciting next step in our 360 and virtual reality experiments. There's huge potential for immersive video in sport coverage, as well as many other genres, and we want to explore that potential directly with audiences. That's why we experiment out in the open, so people can tell us what works, what doesn't and whether there's an appetite for more. We can't wait to hear what people think."

The BBC Sport 360 service can be viewed on devices compatible with Samsung VR headsets or on a low cost mobile VR headset using Android or iOS smartphones. Simply download the BBC Sport 360 trial app and slot the phone into the headset to watch live and on-demand coverage. The 360 video content can also be viewed on your desktop PC on the BBC Taster website without a headset, where you can manually scroll or move your device around the video for a full 360 view.

(JP)