Meta joins ESPN Edge Innovation Center for ESPN-branded VR sports experiences

ESPN has onboarded Meta as the fourth member of its Edge Innovation Center, with a primary goal of developing ESPN-branded virtual reality experiences for Meta Quest. The first activation is the inclusion of immersive VR highlights in the free Xtadium app, with 180-degree video capture. College football and basketball clips will be included as well as shoulder programming from studio shows, interviews, the ESPYs red carpet and more. Later this summer, ESPN will unveil its own space in Meta’s Horizon Worlds.

ESPN previously produced VR content for the original Meta-owned Oculus VR headset. The first three members of the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, which was founded in Sept. 2021, are Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon.

For more on the sporting implications of virtual reality experiences, be sure to check out next week's edition of SBJ for a feature story from the SBJ Tech team.