The Brooklyn Nets are bringing fans a 360 virtual reality-like experience the likes of which they’ve never seen before at the Barclays Center.
According to a tweet published to the verified YES Network Twitter account on Saturday, Jan. 15, basketball fans—specifically those eager to follow everything Nets—are in for a special treat later tonight. Thanks to dozens of high-powered cameras positioned all over the court at the Barclays Center, fans will be able to enjoy their game from wherever they’d like on the court.
If the short explanatory clip is anything to go on then, yes, we do mean anywhere.
“Welcome to the Netaverse!” The YES Network wrote.
Welcome to the Netaverse! @Grady details a historic debut. #netaverse pic.twitter.com/dmrtn09xd6
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 16, 2022
“Tonight the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets, and the YES Network are proud to introduce a brand new technology here at Barclays Center,” NBA announcer Micheal Grady said, “We are calling this new view ‘The Netaverse’ and tonight is the worldwide premiere.”
Grady goes on to explain that the experience has been ”made possible by over 100 high-resolution cameras” that surround the court. These feed directly into Canon’s Free Viewpoint system that generates realtime, detailed, 3D models and images of every player in the game.
Fans could then use this combination to position themselves virtually anywhere along the sides, behind the nets, or smack in the middle of the Jan. 15 game against the Pelicans. Several have called the process “cool” and “wild” while others compared it to playing a round of the latest NBA 2K game.
With such detailed renderings and free controls, it certainly feels like a game not dissimilar to NBA 2K. Time will tell if basketball fans and gamers see more of an overlap between communities in the future.
