For the first time ever, you can now watch this weekend’s NCAA Final Four in all its virtual reality-glory.
The NCAA will offer live game coverage of the semifinals and the national championship game in virtual reality, the association announced on Wednesday. Fans, however, will need to get hold of a Samsung Gear VR to download NCAA March Madness Live app in the Oculus Store. (We’ve found there is an expensive way to get your hands on a complimentary Gear headset.)
Once installed, the app will provide a 180-degree live stream of college basketball’s three most important games, along with a virtual scoreboard with live stats, game commentary and arena sounds.
It’s the second major tie-up between VR and college basketball this year, with Fox Sports and NextVR presenting a handful of Big East tournament games in virtual reality earlier in the month.
Last October, the NBA became the first major sports league to broadcast a live game in VR. With the eagerly-awaited launch of the Oculus Rift headset this week, many expect that live broadcasts of sporting events could become a big part of the platform. A recent study by Piper Jaffray noted that the market for VR content could reach $5.4 billion by 2025, with live sports making up a significant portion of that market size.
