With the resurgence of sporting events following the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have begun finding new ways to engage with audiences across sports such as football, basketball, and hockey.
The technologies used to connect people across large distances for sporting matches amid national lockdowns have now created fresh opportunities to expand beyond the stadium.
Numerous firms such as Playin Games, Verizon, OKC, Sony, NHL, Roblox, AMD-Xilinx, Canon, and Tobii, among others, have entered the sporting arena. Leveraging their immersive technologies, these companies are reshaping the audience’s connection to their favourite teams.
Recently, OKC partnered with Manchester City in February for an immersive space complete with a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), content, and interactive platforms.
Additionally, Tobii teamed up with the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), providing their hand and eye tracking solutions to recreate first-person performances from sports stars. The NHL and Roblox have also created play-by-play metaverse experiences for fans using animations and motion-capturing (mocap) technologies.
Doing so has led to massive increases in engagement, the distribution of up-to-date information, and the integration of creative, immersive experiences in real-world matches. Fans across all walks of life, affiliations, and brand loyalties have turned to such platforms to experience new levels of participation within the global sports community.
XR Today is pleased to interview the following guests:
- Joseph Toma, Chief Executive, Jugo
- Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer, Arsenal FC
In this interview, the two executives explored the benefits of using immersive technologies to engage audiences. We also discussed why many clubs like Arsenal are turning to XR solutions to build spatial, interactive relationships with football fans across the world.
XR Today: How did Jugo begin collaborating with Arsenal FC, and what was the ultimate goal for doing so?
Joseph Toma: As a leading experiential platform, Jugo recognised an opportunity to transform how football clubs like Arsenal FC engaged and grew with their global fan base. Our collaboration aimed to leverage the power of mixed reality to bring immersive, 24/7 fan experiences to the global football community.
We also aimed to transition from focusing on match-day engagement to fostering everyday interaction that transcends local and international boundaries by providing a platform that would make Arsenal’s fans feel more connected to the club and to each other.
By bridging the physical-digital divide and bringing fans closer, we wanted to demonstrate how immersive technology could unlock innovative digital revenue streams that surpass traditional merchandising and ticket sales. This affirmed the commercial value of mixed reality (MR), immersive experiences in the sports business, and the experience economy.
Arsenal is one of the world’s most popular football clubs, with registered supporters’ groups spanning over 100 countries. This broad audience, while indicative of Arsenal’s success, presented the challenge of maintaining meaningful engagement with these international fans while competing with the vast global followings of other leading clubs.
XR Today: Which technological and customer engagement issues did you target, and how do your solutions achieve this at such a large scale, without traditional immersive devices on the end-user side?
Joseph Toma: We aimed to solve two significant challenges. The first was how to provide real-time, immersive experiences on a large scale to a global fan base without relying on high-end hardware. Secondly, to ensure a high-quality audiovisual experience that can come close to replicating the stadium atmosphere.
We use Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Chime video conferencing technology and proprietary audio technology, integrated with NVIDIA’s Maxine, a platform that uses AI to improve audio and visual quality.
The result is a seamless, engaging, and high-quality experience for users without needing any specialised equipment, accessible even on standard internet connections.
XR Today: Which technological platforms do you leverage, and which ones offer the most engagement for sports fans?
Juliet Slot: Jugo is a global leader in immersive virtual experiences, and we were delighted to launch our partnership with them earlier this year. As our official digital events partner, their innovative technology enables us to engage and connect with our global Arsenal family by offering unparalleled supporter experiences.
With many of our international supporters unable to always attend matches, we are always exploring new ways to come together digitally.
XR Today: What levels of engagement have you recorded from Jugo’s immersive solution?
Joseph Toma: Jugo’s experiential solutions aim to give Arsenal supporters never-before-seen access to the club and players, offering an immersive, near-physical interaction from anywhere in the world.
Our immersive tools are designed to be user-friendly, requiring only a camera for access. This ease of use allows representatives and athletes to connect with fans in this unique, immersive environment – providing opportunities for attendees to access virtual watch parties and Q&A sessions with legends and players.
We want to bring Arsenal supporters closer to the club and allow them to feel like they’re truly part of the Gooner community, no matter where they are in the world. For supporters who can’t be in Emirates stadium and feel the energy, Jugo can offer an experience that goes beyond the traditional stadium visit by creating a unique and interactive environment where supporters engage with the club and each other in a real and tangible way.
Jugo is intuitive and straightforward to use, allowing coaches, legends, and players to ‘present’ at these virtual events in a way that feels authentic to the supporters.
XR Today: Do you believe that these immersive solutions are the future of sports engagement?
Joseph Toma: Absolutely! Immersive solutions are the future of sports engagement. This is the experience economy we are living in. The traditional fan engagement model — which revolved around match day experiences — is no longer sufficient. Fans today want to be a part of the team community 24/7.
They also want to connect with their favourite teams and players in a more direct and personal way, and Jugo makes this possible, opening new possibilities for global engagement and creating memorable experiences that build brand loyalty and fans for life.
XR Today: Anything else you would like to add?
Joseph Toma: The collaboration between Arsenal and Jugo is a landmark moment in the evolution of digital fan engagement. By leveraging technology and digital platforms, we’re able to bring fans closer to the game they love, while also unlocking new revenue streams for clubs.
We believe this is the future of sports — a future where digital and physical experiences blend seamlessly to create a new era of fan engagement, and we’re proud to be leading the way.
