NextVR and NBA Digital announce 2019-20 NBA League Pass Virtual Reality schedule

In Virtual Reality News

September 26, 2019 – NBA Digital, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, and NextVR, an official live VR partner of the NBA, have announced the live VR game schedule for the 2019-20 regular season. Starting on October 26 with the New Orleans Pelicans vs. the Houston Rockets, the schedule will feature a top game each week throughout the NBA regular season, available to NBA League Pass subscribers within the NextVR app.

NextVR and NBA Digital also announced an extension of their partnership, which will feature weekly immersive, stereoscopic 3D game broadcasts, full game replays, highlights and other on-demand content. In addition, all NBA League Pass games will include 2D streaming with NextVR Screening Room, a VR environment in the NextVR app with games appearing on a theater-sized screen.

For the second consecutive season, the parties will distribute NBA League Pass VR within Oculus Venues’ social viewing experience in the US, where fans can connect with friends and share the experience with a community of thousands – all live in real time.

“We are delighted to renew our partnership with the NBA as we continue to evolve our VR broadcast to provide the highest fidelity, most immersive NBA experience in VR,” said David Cole, NextVR co-founder and CEO. “This season comes on the heels of our recent launch on Oculus Quest. By capitalizing on new VR headsets with next-generation optics and highly optimized architecture, we’ll be able to deliver higher-fidelity NBA VR than ever before.”

“NextVR will continue to provide a unique courtside experience,” said Mike Chioditti, NBA Senior Director, New Media Distribution. “We’re also excited to partner with Oculus again to deliver a communal experience for fans to enjoy NBA basketball in VR.”

NextVR live games will be available as part of an NBA League Pass subscription or through a stand-alone VR or Single Game package, which can be purchased directly through the NBA or participating video distributors. The free NextVR app is available for download on every major VR platform: Gear VR, Google Daydream, Microsoft Mixed Reality, PlayStation VR, Oculus Go, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest.

Image credit: NextVR/NBA Digital

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.