Viewers of NBC’s streaming platform Peacock will now be able to watch National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) games through virtual reality (VR) through a partnership with Meta.
Available on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets, NFL and MLB fans will be able to watch multiple screens at once whilst also using the internet and other apps as well as being able to adjust the screen size for a full theatre experience.
This is the first instance of a streaming platform integrating VR into the viewing experience. On top of NFL and MLB fixtures, sports fans can also watch English Premier League and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) content although it is not specified if these are also VR enabled yet.
Other sporting events that are yet to be determined whether they will be able to be watched with VR are the US Open golf tournament, Kentucky Derby, and the Indianapolis 500.
The launch of Peacock on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro is part of a previously announced three-year partnership between NBC and Meta, which will also offer the technology to a plethora of Peacock-exclusive TV shows and movies.
NBC have also announced that there will be a limited-time offer to be eligible for Meta Quest devices for US customers only who don’t have an existing Peacock subscription.
This isn’t Meta’s first foray into the sports world having previously partnered with the NBA and WNBA to become both leagues’ official VR headset providers.
Aiming to ‘bring the excitement of professional basketball in VR to a new level’, the collaboration will provide 52 upcoming games in Xtadium – a VR sports hub app that offers shared watching experiences – and Meta Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest.
