Genius Sports, a British sports data firm working to boost engagement between enterprises and sportsgoers, has teamed up with Snap for an augmented reality (AR) fan experience.
Leveraging Snapchat Lenses, the two firms will work with National Football League (NFL)’s Official League Data, allowing global fanbases to receive immersive content directly to their phones.
With the @NFL season underway, we’ve partnered with @Snap to power Snapchat Lenses for millions of fans through official data.
Available on @Verizon‘s 5G Network, these Lenses include real-time stats, merch try-on & a 3D map of SoFi Stadium.
Link: https://t.co/LbD9lsJ51H pic.twitter.com/yfSHE4kfjN
— Genius Sports (@GeniusSports) September 13, 2023
Genius Sports will serve as the exclusive distributor for the NFL Official League Data and Next Gen Stats (NGS). To date, they provide key statistics and feeds for global media outlets and betting firms.
Using Snapchat Lens, Genius Sports and Snap will leverage Verizon‘s world-class 5G networks.
Verizon is currently the official 5G network for the NFL and has worked extensively with firms to provide AR experiences for fans. Also, Genius and Verizon will support Verizon’s NFL Lens, which offers sports fans live data visualisations and AR marketplaces.
Sports watchers will have the opportunity to receive the companies’ AR Lens experiences at the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers US football match at SoFi Stadium on 17 September.
While there, people can receive streamed visuals, real-time 3D (RT3D) content, real-time game statistics, visual try-ons (VTOs) for fan merchandise, and maps to navigate the stadium grounds.
Genius Moves on the Verizon
According to Verizon, the experience is exclusive to its 5G customers. The major partnership additionally taps the telecom provider’s 5G Ultra Wideband network for high traffic, high bandwidth, and low latency experiences.
Kris Soumas, Director of Platforms and Partnerships, Verizon Consumer Group, said,
“The new Snapchat Lens at SoFi is yet another illustration of the amazing experiences offered by the combination of augmented reality and 5G. With this cutting-edge technology, we’re able to offer fans experiences they’ve never had before, and we’re grateful for the partnerships that helped bring it all to life.”
Additionally, Anmol Malhotra, Head of Sports Partnerships, Snap, added that over 250 million Snapchatters were “engaging with AR on our platform every day.”
“We’re thrilled for Genius Sports to bring real-time data to our Lenses to make them even more immersive,” Malhotra concluded.
Finally, Matt Ryter, Vice President of Sales, Media & Fan Engagement, Genius Sports, commented,
“Snapchat’s Lens technology is leading the AR revolution across US sports, giving fans new and exciting platforms to put themselves at the center of the live experience. We’re delighted to partner with Snap, helping to enhance Lenses with NFL Official League Data.”
AR Sports Leagues Tackle Fan Engagement
The news comes as multiple platforms aim to connect with fans via strategic extended reality (XR) partnerships.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, sports leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), and others began leveraging immersive technologies to boost their brand outreach.
For example, the cryptocurrency exchange platform OKX collaborated with Manchester City FC to distribute non-fungible tokens (NFTs), real-time 3D (RT3D) content, and boost interactivity. Conversely, Tobii assisted the PGA with hand and eye tracking solutions to replay first-person performances from golfing superstar favourites.
Roblox formed a similar strategy with the NHL, leading to play-by-play reenactments on the Roblox metaverse. The companies saw record engagement among young viewership to reach out to the next generation of sports fans.
Finally, Jugo and Arsenal FC spoke to XR Today about their prolific joint venture for global football fans.
With the platform, people could also receive real-time stats from sports games and interact with their favourite stars using the novel platform.
MTV, Snap Switch Up the Vote
Finally, MTV boosted its crowd engagement in the entertainment arena by joining Snap for this year’s Video Music Awards.
Through the deal, Snap’s AR Camera Kit will inaugurate its solution for millions of fans of the annual programme, allowing viewers to vote on their favourite artists. The television channel recently opened its Best Metaverse Performance category at the VMA’s with several key artists joining the contest.
The new voting tool aims to boost MTV’s viewership, which climbed from 3.7 million to 3.9 million last year.
This kicked off MTV’s immersive journey with the debut of Eminem and Snoop Dogg’s first-ever metaverse performance, using NFT avatars from the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).
