Title: Premier League Celebrates Summer Series with AR Experience
Introduction
The Premier League is once again embracing augmented reality (AR) technology to enhance its sports broadcasting and engage viewers at home. Through a partnership with Doppelgänger, a strategic and creative metaverse agency, the Premier League will introduce immersive AR visualizations to improve viewer engagement and retention. Utilizing a smartphone application, this AR experience will provide users with a unique and interactive way to enjoy the Summer Series matches.
Creating an Engaging AR Experience
To develop the bespoke AR visuals, Doppelgänger collaborated with AR developer Rose Digital, ensuring a captivating and interactive experience for viewers. Leveraging Niantic’s 8thWall AR engine, which has been successful in various mobile immersive experiences and was used for the popular Pokemon Go application, the development team was able to achieve location-accurate visuals.
Max Proctor, Managing Director at Doppelgänger, highlighted how AR activations are revolutionizing brand engagement, stating that “connecting with audiences in new and exciting ways helps build loyalty.” Proctor expressed delight in collaborating with the Premier League to promote the Summer Series, adding that this partnership allows fans in the US to experience the magic of the Premier League like never before.
Immersive Promotional Event
The immersive promotional event is scheduled to take place between July 22-30. Users will have the opportunity to collect up to 20 trophies representing six Premier League clubs participating in the Summer Series: Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham, and Newcastle United. The location-based AR experiences will be available in host cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando, New Jersey, and Maryland.
Reaching New International Audiences
Alexandra Willis, Director of Digital Media and Audience Development at the Premier League, emphasized the significance of this AR experience as the Premier League expands its reach into the USA. It presents an excellent opportunity to connect with a new fanbase and learn how fans want to engage with innovative technologies.
The AR experience incorporates gamification techniques, allowing users to compete for trophies and climb a leaderboard. Participants can explore AR spaces through a navigation map, collecting prizes along the way. The more trophies collected, the higher the chances of winning valuable rewards, including VIP tickets for Premier League Summer Series matches, signed shirts, and merchandise.
Availability and Lite Experience
The AR experience is now live on the Premier League’s website, allowing users to familiarize themselves with the interface before the Summer Series begins. It is exclusively available to viewers in the league’s host cities. Additionally, the Premier League is debuting a lite experience for US customers outside of these cities. Users in other states can place an AR Premier League Trophy in their physical surroundings, offering an immersive opportunity to take selfies with the visualization.
Previous Immersive Broadcasting Initiatives
This is not the Premier League’s first foray into immersive broadcasting. In August 2022, the league collaborated with AR hardware and software partners, including Xreal (then Nreal) and BT Sports, to introduce AR visualizations and 5G connectivity during broadcasts. Viewers wearing Xreal smart glasses experienced live RT3D AR player and game metrics, as well as the ability to navigate immersive streaming applications and interact with AR assets using their smartphones.
Conclusion
The Premier League’s Summer Series will be elevated to new heights with the introduction of an AR experience. Through partnerships with Doppelgänger, Rose Digital, and Niantic’s 8thWall AR engine, the league aims to enhance viewer engagement during broadcasts and extend its connection with fans across the United States. As AR becomes more prevalent in sports entertainment, the Premier League continues to lead the way in innovation and immersive broadcasting.
