Burnley Football Club, who were promoted to English football’s top flight last season, have announced “a pioneering virtual reality matchday collaboration with Rezzil, the global leading platform in VR sports technology, marking a major step forward in how fans experience football.”
Rezzil has previously been used to develop athletes through rehabilitation, virtual cognitive training and performance analysis. They’ve been at the forefront of the sports/VR technology space for a long time, and work with teams, franchises and businesses all around the world.
Last year, the organization – based in Manchester, England – partnered with the Premier League to launch Premier League Player, the official VR video game of the competition. The game features multiplayer modes and training drills, as well as the power to recreate some of the most famous moments in footballing history.
Going back further – back in 2021, we reported that Rezzil added US football to its popular fitness training app, PLAYER 22, on the now legacy headset, Oculus Quest.
On the latest news, Andy Etches, Rezzil co-founder, said:
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Burnley FC and the Premier League Player to bring fans a truly next-generation football experience.”
“Our technology has long been trusted by elite athletes to sharpen performance, and now we’re using that same technology to bring it to supporters. It’s a new way to watch football; it’s like having a seat in the stands.”
Reflecting on their collaboration, Burnley FC’s Chairman Alan Pace added:
“This partnership with Rezzil and Premier League Player allows us to share the magic of Turf Moor in a truly immersive way.”
“It reflects our forward-thinking approach to fan engagement and our commitment to global supporters. Our mission is to provide the best experiences to fans, and by entering into the world of Virtual Reality, they can get closer to the game than ever before.”
Over the years, the Premier League has grown from strength to strength, attracting a global audience like no other. Last year, they reported a staggering 1.87bn people follow the Premier League worldwide, interacting at least weekly through official media.
English football has an ever-growing global audience of fans who engage with content from all 20 of the clubs in the top flight – meaning, now more than ever, they will need alternative, pioneering ways to watch their teams play.
Of course, international audiences do still have more traditional alternatives to watch their Premier League cub play, with live television and streaming coverage available through a variety of platforms.
One of the largest concerns for initiatives like live VR streaming, is hardware accessibility. Most people do not own mixed reality devices like the Meta Quest 3. However, offering this solution for those who do, remains a fantastic way to elevate the sports viewing experience.
Burnley Football Club have placed themselves right at the front of digital innovation in the global sporting space, allowing their fans to experience their matches through emerging technologies.
Through attending next week’s stream, you’ll be able to experience live match commentary and real-time visuals as Burnley and Lazio go head-to-head. Fans will even be able to choose their own ‘seat’ at the Turf Moor stadium before kick-off.
For organizations looking to engage their global audience, without the limitations of in-person events, Rezzil’s solution could be the start of a major shift towards unified content consumption.
What It Means for Sports & Entertainment Brands
We’ve touched on how this will impact fans abroad, but how could this kind of initiative help organizations?
As well as innovation kudos and brand reach, businesses using this kind of innovative technology could increase customer retention through multi-channel accessibility.
For the sports industry, well, the possibilities are immense:
- Unlock new monetization paths for live content
- Set a precedent for XR content licensing in elite sports
- Demonstrate real-time engagement at scale in immersive environments
- Potential for NFT-backed seats for season ticket holders to retain their seat, or loyalty rewards for virtual attendees
So what’s next? Well, as organizations across other industries plan to globalize their own products and services, we’re entering an exciting time for the XR space.
Initiatives like the Rezzil/Burnley partnership could be hugely transferable, offering technology solutions for anyone looking to put themselves in front of people on the other side of the planet.
From product demonstrations, live event attendance, and immersive training sessions, real-time XR streaming could be the solution for a wide range of businesses.
How to Get Involved
To watch the game, you’ll need to have the Premier League player app downloaded on a Meta Quest headset.
The stream is free to access, and will be made available on Saturday, August 9, when fans can immerse themselves as the East Lancashire club play Italian side Lazio in a friendly game.
