Viewing live events and sports has gradually become a more and more immersive experience from home. As more camera angles, more dynamic filming techniques, and new data-driven technologies have been introduced, it’s become even more enjoyable to sit back and watch everything unfold.
Of course, it’s taken a tremendous effort to get to where we are for live broadcasts and live streaming. Now, with over 75 percent of fans seeing tech as a sport-viewing enhancer, a new form of live tech has proven itself. We might now be on the verge of the 360-degree, user-controlled viewing experience.
State of Play and Previous Attempts at 360
Live streaming is mostly seen as a passive experience and an online offshoot of live broadcasts. If you have an internet connection, you can tune in, watch in real time, and maybe benefit from extra tools, such as a chat feature. However, some corners of entertainment have put much more control in the hands of viewers.
The online casino at Sky Vegas ranges from casino classics like roulette and blackjack to new game shows, like Crazy Balls and Ice Fishing Live. In them, users can see their betting options on-screen, pick the outcomes they think will happen, see the game play in real time, and collect winnings if they get lucky.
It even works in games where users have options and control. In Live One Blackjack, you can choose to hit, stand, double down, and split as you see fit, and the host will continue to run the game accordingly. It’s the ability for the user to engage in real time that has spurred this relatively new section of online entertainment.
Where live streaming has tried to go another step from here is in virtual reality. Back in the mid-2010s, YouTube tried to host live streams with 3D sound in virtual reality. Meta was also pushing similar experiences until very recently, when the company deserted its designs for the metaverse in favor of artificial intelligence.
Live in 360 Lands Very Well
Source: Pixabay
For the 15th National Games, an event of basketball and badminton, five teams came together to make 360-degree live streams of the sporting event a reality. The setup uses real-time 3D video capture to grab the events. Then, a deep-learning tool acts to complete the full virtual model, mixing the multi-angle video and 3D modeling.
This is then deployed to fans through an easy-to-use interface for the live stream. Users can flow around the court. Using simple swipes and other touch-screen inputs, the 360-degree stream lets people easily move around, switch angles, and pick their preferred zoom for the ultimate immersive live viewing experience.
As Times of India writes, it’s being hailed as a next-level innovation. That said, similar tech has also been deployed before during matches of domestic cricket in the publication’s home country. In this case, however, the smoothness of the live stream while interacting with the views and angles clearly set a new bar for live 360 video.
Applying this technology in even bigger events, powered by much larger broadcasting companies and deals, should be expected. It’s not a coincidence that, in 2025, Insta360 and its 360-degree camera technology won an Emmy Award. We may not be far away from this extremely immersive form of live streaming becoming widespread.
