Sky has entered the world of 360-degree videos with a free new Sky VR app for Android, iOS and Oculus VR headsets, pushing content from sports, films, racing, music and news.
With the establishment of a dedicated 360-degree content house, Sky VR Studio, the UK broadcaster becomes one of the first mainstream media companies to start creating high-quality, big budget content for the new viewing platforms.
The Sky VR app launches with 20 different pieces of content related to Star Wars and other bits of Disney, including the Jungle Book. There are also pieces linked to the films The Martian and Suicide Squad. For sports fans there is content from the Williams F1 team, cyclists from Team Sky, boxer Anthony Joshua and several pieces from David Beckham.
Perhaps the most interesting pieces, however, will be Sky’s use of 360-degree videos in news, including a documentary on the refugee crisis called Calais: The Jungle, and coverage of the US elections and a piece called Tutankhamun’s Tomb – The Search for Nefertiti. Sky will also put out a re-imagining of English National Ballet’s production of Giselle for VR and a piece featuring Paul McCartney guiding viewers through the creation of his song Dance Tonight and its music video.
Gary Davey, managing director for content at Sky, said: “Interest in VR content is building, generating more excitement every day. We are just at the beginning of our VR journey at Sky, launching Sky VR studios earlier this year and we are already breaking new ground. Now comes the creative challenge of deploying this immersive experience with engaging story-telling.”
The app will be available on most mid-range and higher-end smartphones through Google’s Cardboard and Samsung’s Gear VR, as well as through dedicated VR headsets from Facebook’s Oculus. It will also be viewable in 2D without a headset.
Sky is not the only company producing 360-degree content. Facebook, Google and others are also pushing the new form of immersive content, but the UK broadcaster has one crucial edge for mainstream viewers: its content partnerships with big-name and popular brands, shows and sports.
Interest in VR following the launch of headsets from HTC and Oculus, Samsung and Google’s Cardboard has increased, but the available content for mainstream viewers beyond games has been minimal, with only a few pieces primarily centred around promotion of products or movies being widely available.
As with 3D, Sky has been an early adopter of new content technologies, and as with 3D, a broadcaster the size of Sky jumping on board feels like a turning point.
Whether 360-degree and VR video is the new big thing, or just another fad like 3D remains to be seen, however. The barriers to entry – having to have a headset or smartphone strapped to your face – are high, meaning only content that grabs viewers’ imagination will likely convert an early adopter fad into a mainstream trend.
