Coco Zurita skates in practice during Summer X Games at The US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on 12 July 2017.
Now you’ll be able to watch Jimmy Wilkins do a flip with his skateboard over your head as you watch from a digital seat atop a ramp at the X Games in Minneapolis.
For the first time, the ESPN’s X Games will stream some of the event in 360-degree virtual-reality video. The event, which begins Thursday, teamed up with Samsung Electronics to provide a new viewing experience for fans.
Three events — Skateboard Vert, featuring Wilkins, on Thursday; BMX Street, featuring Chad Kerley, on Friday; and Skateboard Street Amateurs, featuring Jagger Eaton, on Saturday — will be streamed live to 48 countries on Samsung Gear VR through the Samsung VR app.
All three will be shot on 360-degree camera systems to create a multi-camera, live-streaming experience. ESPN and Samsung have teamed up with Digital Domain, a virtual reality production company, to create fully-produced segments that include real-time graphics, X Games talent and feature segments.
“X Games has always been a laboratory for innovation and progression, both for the world’s top action sports athletes and for ESPN’s production of events and use of technology,” Tim Reed, vice president of ESPN X Games, said in a statement. “We are always pushing to create new and better ways for fans to experience and interact with X Games.”
Virtual reality continues to play an increasing role at professional athletic events across both traditional and non-traditional sports. But the X Games in particular have been a hotbed for technological innovation in recent years, due to the younger demographic it tends to attract.
Ahead of the 2016 Aspen X Games, Intel introduced a motion-tracking technology called Curie that provided real-time feedback about athlete speed, location, g-force and jump heights. The Curie wearables provided athletes with important data about their performance, while offering fans an intimate look at their favorite athletes.
The X Games were also one of the first sporting events to deck all athletes with GoPro cameras, providing fans a point-of-view experience.
