It's hard being a soccer fan in the United States. You have to be content with watching your favorite teams on television while quietly scrounging up pennies for that pilgrimage to the promised land. In fact, 53,000 American 'soccer tourists' made the trek to Britain in 2014, and soccer tourism in general contributed 684 million pounds to the British economy that year. But a tech startup named LiveLike has come up with an idea that may give you that matchday feeling from the comfort of your own home.
The premise is pretty simple: LiveLike uses virtual reality with broadcast systems that are already in place to create an immersive experience for fans. Using an app, you would plug your smartphone into a VR headset and be placed in a virtual room that is essentially an executive box. There, you can chat with friends in the virtual space, look up stats, watch replays and highlights, shop for gear and, of course, watch the game.
The LiveLike demo at TechCrunch impressed many. Photo: @TechCrunch | Twitter
You can watch the match from any camera angle available in the stadium, but the focus is definitely on the lounge area. There you have the normal T.V. feed, a large-scale tactical view, a screen with stats, and your virtual pals chilling on the coach next to you. Words don't really do it justice though. Check out the LiveLike demo at TechCrunch, where they won best app in the "Bringing Home the Game" category.
Exciting right? The awesome thing about this is not necessarily the VR, but the diversity of things available to you. The app is less about replicating reality, and more about creating a new, dynamic way to view sports. Now, if they can just replicate the feeling of sweaty pits being shoved in your face, and the sticky sensation of warm beer being poured over you, they've got a winner. Perhaps they can add an interactive sing-along component as well. You can check out more about the company right here.
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