(MLB.com)
The Red Sox and Dodgers meeting up this October might not be unexpected considering the two teams’ baseball success in recent years. But this year’s World Series is offering fans something new: augmented reality ads.
YouTube TV debuted two AR TV ads during Tuesday night’s Game 1 of the World Series on FOX. Those ads aired once before the start of the game and once more during the middle of the seventh inning as part of YouTube TV’s sponsorship of the 2018 World Series.
Augmented reality was used to show a large virtual video screen above the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park, appearing as if it was a physical part of the ballpark. The video projected onto that screen showed a glimpse of the World Series being streamed through YouTube TV and short slides advertising the company’s service.
YouTube TV was a presenting sponsor for the World Series last year as well, and will also sponsor the 2019 Fall Classic as part of the service’s renewed deal with MLB last March. YouTube is owned by Alphabet Inc.—the parent company of Google. Google has also added its own fan viewing innovation to this year’s MLB playoffs, integrating the Google Assistant inside the broadcast booth.
SportTechie Takeaway
Augmented reality is seen by media companies as a new way to engage with audiences for storytelling and advertisements. YouTube TV was also a presenting sponsor of the 2018 NBA Finals, though it did not included AR ads like Game 1 of the World Series. During last year’s World Series, MLB also partnered with Mastercard to deliver an AR ad featuring shortstop Carlos Correa that was shown inside the MLB Ballpark mobile app.
