The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced a new multi-year partnership with the immersive tech and entertainment startup, Cosm.
Cosm and the NBA will collaborate in what has been called a ‘first-of-its-kind’ cooperation to create realistic 8K feeds on LED-dome systems during NBA games on NBA League Pass at subsequently selected arenas.
In order to generate a ‘stadium-like’ ambience and an engaging fan experience, Cosm will introduce its new ‘Shared Reality’ function. This feature will allow a link between the virtual and real worlds. NBA fans will also have access to high-end food and beverage options, unique products, and cutting-edge visuals, with NBA ID members also receiving extra advantages like ticket savings.
Being the first professional sports organisation to use Cosm’s Shared Reality feature, Teddy Kaplan, the NBA’s Associate VP of New Media Media Partner Management Lead, thinks the agreement will provide a fresh and exciting method to connect fans together.
He said, “We are excited to bring NBA games to Cosm’s innovative venues and further our common goal of enhancing the fan experience. Cosm’s Shared Reality technology offers a new and exciting way to bring fans together in person and closer to the game.”
The statement was made at the most recent NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah when Cosm was on hand to discuss the integration of its 8K feeds into a building for research and development called the ‘Experience Center.’
Jeb Terry, President and CEO of Cosm, said, “This is one of the most transformational deals to hit the sports industry in quite some time. Our team has created an entirely new experience, driven by industry-leading technology, to give fans a new way to watch the game. We have an incredible opportunity to work with a partner as innovative as the NBA, to combine our collective know-how, and to rewrite the playbook on how leagues, broadcasters, and brands can bring fans closer to the action.”
One of Cosm’s earliest historic sports collaborations was integrating their immersive technology at Hollywood Park, which is located next to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.