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How sports will evolve and direct consumers in a virtual world

When I decided to write on this topic there were two things that influenced my thinking. The first was Michael Crichton’s book “Disclosure” and the film of the same name. The other was an article, “From Here to 2000,” written by William O. Johnson in Sports Illustrated, Dec. 23, 1974. While the images presented by Crichton are just recently coming into play, many of the visions that Johnson laid out 41 years ago are a reality in some form or another today and include:

Drugs will be sold openly at concession stands (in the form of marijuana-enhanced food products)
Athletes will compete much longer
Sensors will take subjectivity out of officiating (perhaps we should say “can” because while the technology exists it has been limited to instant replay)
Scientific management with specialization and expertise (analytics)
Majority of U.S. workers will be brain workers
Cable and pay television dominate the landscape
Bill Veeck prediction of legalized gambling in all sports
Betting on live games on television
Coast-to-coast super-conferences in collegiate sports
Techno sport, computerization and probability tables (analytics)
Feel closer to the game
Listen to play calls

Virtual reality experiences could transform sports for athletes and fans alike.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
A recent Time magazine article on the subject of virtual reality cited a very practical application where therapists are using it to simulate an experience like flying to help a client overcome a fear. Such an application could be used to combat a variety of fears as well as creating confidence in public speaking and selling by creating virtual environments to simulate audiences and customers. Many of the coaching and on-field uses of VR also speak to the benefits of simulation for training and preparing players for game-day situations. Training quarterbacks to avoid the blitz and recognize defenses is already becoming more and more common with elite teams and trainers working with elite prospects.

Where I would like to focus, however, is the fan experience. As headsets for VR become more affordable, they are also more likely to become less cumbersome and easier to use. Perhaps the tipping point for VR glasses is when they become more like sunglasses or perhaps the overhyped Google Glass.

In my view of virtual reality, I see VR as a combination of fans controlling their environment in terms of safety and the viewing experience. Any doubts that a terror attack could happen at a sporting event were sadly wiped away in Paris. This could have the impact on live attendance similar to what has happened at movie theaters. Thus, the importance of the home viewing experience would become more important and would have to evolve to something more than it is.

I also see globalization and interest in American sports driving the sale of virtual season tickets in a variety of locations around the globe. This would play perfectly with the strategies of recruiting talent to play in the U.S., televising games abroad and playing meaningful games outside the U.S. The difference being that through VR, everyone could be a courtside seat holder if they chose, or they could elect to have the view of a player, coach or perhaps a fan. I am sure there are a number of Americans who also would relish the opportunity to view an EPL game sitting with the supporters of that particular team or watching from the goalkeepers’ viewpoint. Conversely, global fans could follow the exploits of their countrymen playing in the MLS to see how they are faring. There are purported to be 659 million Manchester United fans globally; how many of them will ever get to see the team in person? VR solves that issue and probably quite lucratively.

VR also can be a premium experience, viewing from the best vantage points or those offering the most interesting experiences. In “From Here to 2000,” Johnson also described something he called, “Feel-A-Vision,” virtual reality where you feel the pain and the emotion of the athlete through some sensory linkage, which would be an interesting addition. While this may be less desirable for some, feeling the impact of a tackle in an NFL game might be a thrill for some others.

But there are a variety of less intense (and pain-free) options that could become available through VR. Sitting atop the Green Monster at Fenway Park, watching the approach shots from a perch in Amen Corner at the Masters, crossing the finish line atop the winner of the Kentucky Derby, running with the bulls in Spain — could all be provided, for a cost, through the magic of VR. What about some of the unique food offerings found in particular markets or sport venues like Pittsburgh’s Primanti Brothers sandwich, Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef or San Francisco’s garlic fries? Providers such as Goldbely can make those available to you in the comfort of your home to add a little reality to your virtual reality experience.

An unintended consequence of what I have described might mean that fewer fans decide to attend the event in person, preferring to attend via VR. Financially having 250,000 global VR season subscribers could offset this. Estimates of a $4 billion VR TV market are circulating. But what would it mean for the atmospherics? Would we pay people to come and perform as the audience? Would games be played on stages and sets rather than in arenas? Would we artificially produce sounds such as crowd noises and amplify them to simulate a large participatory crowd?

Brad Allen, executive chairman of NextVR, believes that “nothing can replace being there. VR will not only enhance that feeling but could make people want to go more often.” According to Allen, “VR makes me a participant, setting me up as the director of my own personalized viewing experience. We [the viewer] are now in control.”

All that remains is affordability and scale. Look for significant advances in the next 24 months with your 4K smartphones at the center of it all. And e-gamers, the day may not be too far off when you, as portrayed in “Tron,” are in the center of the game you are playing.

Bill Sutton (wsutton1@usf.edu) is the founding director of the sport and entertainment business management MBA at the University of South Florida and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates. Follow him on Twitter @Sutton_ImpactU.

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