"At the heart of the match": a unique sports experience thanks to virtual reality
Published April 29, 2024
Continuing its constant quest for innovation, Ciril GROUP recently collaborated with Infinity Nine Media, the LDLC ASVEL club and the Centre Léon Bérard, in a partnership that opens up new horizons for hospitalized and confined people. This collaboration offers the chance to experience live basketball through virtual reality, putting participants right at the heart of the action, even at a distance from the stadiums.
This initiative, a European first hailed by Tony Parker at the pre-match press conference, embodies the collective desire to make sport accessible to all, whatever the circumstances. This ambitious project is the result of a combination of shared values and technological challenges.
So, on April 12, 2024, during LDLC ASVEL's final match of the season at the LDLC Arena, an innovative device was deployed to enable Raphaël, a young patient confined to hospital, to experience the intensity of the game as if he were present on the players' bench. Thanks to a virtual reality headset combined with a 3D camera placed in the stadium, he was transported from his sterile hospital room to the vibrant match floor, alongside professional players and LDLC ASVEL staff. As well as being able to see, he was also able to hear what was going on, thanks to headphones integrated into the virtual reality mask. Guided by his passion for sport, Raphaël was immersed in the intensity of the match, feeling every emotion and moment of the encounter. And when LDLC ASVEL won, it was a moment of shared joy, even through pixels.
This ambitious project met several technological challenges. A major constraint was to combine the VR headset, which transmits images in immersive 3D, with a high-quality live feed for a fluid experience. In addition, it was necessary to combine these technologies in a lightweight device that could be easily installed at the edge of the pitch. However, the commitment of the partners overcame these obstacles to deliver an unprecedented experience.
The future of this promising initiative is still full of surprises. The possibilities of transmitting sound in 3D for greater immersion and of moving the camera into the dressing room with the players for a more personalized experience are all being considered. What's more, broadcasting the signal to several people in different locations is now a technical possibility that would enable as many people as possible to take part in this unique experience.
Following its success, the team hopes to repeat the operation as of the playoffs and next season, again in partnership with the Centre Léon Bérard. The presence of a person to animate and complete the immersion experience is also envisaged, thus reinforcing the link between top-level sport and support for those in need. Because beyond entertainment, it's innovation, sharing, solidarity and humanity that are at the heart of this initiative. And it is this conviction that will continue to guide our actions, today and tomorrow.
