NBA Activates New Mode With Microsoft For Live Games
“This new experience—the first to go live as a result of the NBA / Microsoft partnership — gives participating fans the feeling of sitting next to one another at a live game without leaving the comfort and safety of their homes.”
As the NBA season resumes in Orlando, Microsoft’s new “together mode” that will bring virtual fans to its live games starting July 30. This method looks to address basketball game viewership in the age of COVID.
🏀 Will position cameras closer to players to mimic the vantage point of seats near the court.
🏀 Features up to 31 cameras that are mostly robotically controlled.
🏀 Fans can take part in real time with players being able to hear/see reactions.
🏀 Together Mode will allow more than 300 fans to sit side by side virtually and watch a live feed of the game within Teams.
🏀 NBA set to moderate unruly fan behavior by having employees sit in.
With the pandemic changing the way consumers and brands are interacting with each other, the NBA and Microsoft’s partnership is evolving since it was last reported in April. That multiyear deal was reached on the Azure and Surface end but the details were vague on the greater relationship.