THE 2016 MAJOR League Baseball All-Star break has arrived, and tonight is the Home Run Derby. That means it’s time to watch 17 nine-year-olds try to play left field simultaneously. This year, you’ll be able to watch the chaos in VR if you have a Samsung Gear VR headset and a compatible phone.
The VR spectacle won’t be a live broadcast. But MLB Advanced Media and NextVR are teaming up to deliver a delayed 360-degree video of the longball jam 15 minutes after the contest ends. The live broadcast begins airing on ESPN and MLB.com at 8pm ET tonight.
The 360-degree video will be shot from VR camera rigs in six locations across Petco Park in San Diego. There’ll be one rig behind home plate and five scattered throughout the outfield and stands. Viewers won’t be able to jump between camera angles manually; they’ll be selected based on each highlight by the NextVR production team.
To watch it, you’ll need the NextVR app along with the Gear VR hardware and a Galaxy phone. The app is free, and NextVR plans to have more MLB content in VR throughout the season.
Even if you don’t care about sluggers goin’ yard, it’s a great way to get an up-close look at this year’s throwback-Padres-style jerseys, which are objectively gorgeous. Read More…