BT SPORT’S new Match Day Experience is taking football fans behind the scenes at Premier League clubs – and even Rio Ferdinand is impressed.
The broadcasters are harnessing the power of 5G to deliver augmented reality offerings that puts users right into the heart of areas normally out of bounds for the public.
Users will have a choice of where and how to access, then a portal will appear
Soon you will be in the Man Utd dugout, ready for the big game
Simply lock in on a spot in your living room and suddenly a portal opens letting you walk into the dressing rooms at Elland Road or Old Trafford.
The user is suddenly right there in the inner sanctum of the biggest clubs in England, able to explore and get a genuine feel for what the Premier League stars experience.
Former Manchester United and England captain Ferdinand said: “The dressing room was the place where no-one was able to go so to see inside is amazing.
“Even now, I’m intrigued to look at what the changing rooms are like right now.
“I’ve been in there at Leeds, but I haven’t been in there for 15-18 years, wherever is. So it’s intriguing for me to get that opportunity to go in and have a look.
“I wanted to have it and I think fans will be the same because and even looking at things like the difference in size of the home and away changing rooms.
“There is a massive difference in like luxuriousness of a home changing compared to it away changing rooms.
“Then when you see Old Trafford, they’ve expanded the home dressing room so much and you can see the gadgets that are in there now. For a fan to be able to see in there I think is a great added value.”
Fans can then get to see what the players do on match-days – under current restrictions anyway
Rio Ferdinand is impressed with the BT Sport app offeringCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The app feature, which will start to be available to EE subscribers this month, shows content filmed behind the scenes at all the top flight grounds, including the walk out of the tunnel onto the pitch.
There is also the option to ‘Watch Together’ in a live split-screen experience with friends and families through Augmented Reality.
Fans will also be able to watch the game from any angle – with an incredible new 360-degree camera feature.
But it also involves real time stats and even a split screen function which allows pals to connect during matches while they are sat in separate homes.
The Man Utd trophy room might take a bit of time out of the day
And Ferdinand says the capability to deliver real time stats will allow him to do his job as a pundit for BT Sport more easily.
He added: “There are things that bring a bit of realism to the game, like the speed with which a player runs to get on to a ball.
“You can see someone has scored a goal and then ‘oh, he’s running 21km an hour’.
“All that data I can use as a pundit now as well. Normally we outsource all this data, and you’ll be waiting for it to arrive.
“Now this is live, I get it there and then, there isn’t any waiting about.
“I get it and can put it into what I’m looking to do at half time or full time. It really makes my job a little bit easier as well.”
Match Day Experience on the BT Sport app, the UK’s most immersive sports viewing service, will be inclusive for new customers taking the Full Works iPhone plan with the new 5G iPhone. Visit ee.co.uk for more from October 16.
Football fans are missing out on the matchday experience – but that is about to change
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
