In L.A., Paresh Dave noted Dodgers Partner and Warriors co-Owner Peter Guber yesterday "announced a multimillion-dollar investment, hoping to steer" California-based NextVR's new live stream virtual reality technology "from testing to profit machine." The NBA in March "gave permission to Guber and NextVR to broadcast a Warriors game." Guber said he was “thoroughly enthralled” with the experience. Unlike a traditional TV broadcast, a virtual-reality viewer "could tilt his or her head to see different scenes at the arena whenever desired." Guber said that this "makes them a participant in the broadcast." Guber: "You can be in Bangor, Maine, and be in Oracle’s best seat. It gave such a great deal of proximity" (LATIMES.com, 5/13).
SAFE SPACE: In Toronto, Jenny Yuen reports the Toronto-based White Ribbon campaign is "in talks with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment about working together to come up with strategies to make sports venues 'a safe place' for working media." Officials from the campaign "approached MLSE Tuesday morning as news spread about CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt confronting a group of male soccer fans she said conspired to interrupt her newscast by saying 'f--- her right in the p----' outside BMO Field Sunday after a Toronto FC game." White Ribbon Exec Dir Todd Minerson yesterday said, "Our immediate concern was they wanted to get some measures in place to make sure the stadium is a safe place for reporters" (TORONTO SUN, 5/14).
WIDE EYES: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Rose & Guthrie noted football "was given significant airtime and major superlatives" during CBS' upfront presentation yesterday, with a "lengthy promotional push for the network's coverage" of February's Super Bowl 50. The net's Jim Nantz and Jim Brown "introduced eight Super Bowl MVPs" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 5/13).
