Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to news
news
Innovation
Racing
Tech
Team Sky - coming to a Virtual Reality device near youteam sky aero testing 2.png

Team Sky - coming to a Virtual Reality device near you

Sky to record and broadcast 360 degree "immersive" footage of Team Sky in its Tour de France preparations, as well as Formula 1, boxing and entertainment...
by Laura Laker
Sun, Mar 20, 2016 13:40
4

Sky will bring Virtual Reality to cycle racing, following Team Sky as they set their sights on retaining the  Maillot Jaune at this year's Tour de France, it has been revealed.

As part of plans to make in-roads in the VR market Sky is setting up a dedicated studio to create “immersive” experiences in Formula 1, cycling and boxing, as well as entertainment.

The TV giant invested in a Silicon Valley VR start up, Jaunt, last year with an eye on a market predicted to be worth $70bn by 2020. In the coming months, it says, Sky VR Studio will create VR content “across all genres”.

10 Top Tech Trends from the 2015 Tour de France

Gary Davey, Managing Director, Content at Sky, commented: “The Sky VR Studio allows us to add a new dimension to storytelling, taking viewers to extraordinary places and offering a unique perspective on a whole host of events.

“The development of VR technology is moving at an incredible pace and excitement is building about its potential. Our expertise across a wide range of video content, from original drama to live sport, gives us a unique ability to bring VR to life for customers. This is just the start and we’re looking forward to creating more amazing VR content and exploring the possibilities with our tech and content partners.”

The first two pieces of “fully immersive content” produced by Sky VR Studio, will be released on Friday of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona, including pit lane, team garages and track footage. Sky News last year produced 360 videos with footage of the refugee crises from Lesbos, and Calais.

Sky says the full VR experience will also be available on the Oculus platform, and viewable on the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift headsets. Later in the year, Sky will look to distribute content through a dedicated Sky VR app.

 

Team Sky
Sky Sports
Laura Laker

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
riotgibbon | 8 years ago
1 like

and if you're not lucky enough to live near good cycling roads?  What if you only have 30 minutes or so - for lots of people thats a few stop starts on traffic lights, then straight back without even getting into the big ring. I only realised recently how lucky I am where I live, I can get straight out onto reasonable roads without too much hassle and get a cheeky ride in, not everyone has such an easy time

in those situations, Zwift is fantastic, jump on and away you go (in cyberspace). Also, the way my life works, there's no way I could get away on a Sunday morning for a club-ride, let alone any kind of race programme. The really marvellous thing about new things like Strava and Zwift is that they let more people get involved in having fun and riding their bikes, with a little bit of competition thrown in - but not have to listen to the people who make that sort of activity an absolute misery, by telling you how you are doing it all wrong.

those people - in this case, I don't think you know who you are. If you did, they you may or may not stop being so annoying, but I doubt it. Either way, Strava and Zwift are just fun, and probably not going away either, so an absolute blessing for those of us who have neither the time or inclination to spend our precious leisure hours being lectured at, but just want to crack on

 

room for everyone

 

 

Avatar
Yogic Cyclist | 8 years ago
0 likes

How about, go see a bike race,( it's not all about the TdF) and experience actual reality. And why I am at it... Bin  zwift if you have it!!!! Ride your bike, the UK weather is never bad enough now days not to. 

Avatar
peted76 replied to Yogic Cyclist | 8 years ago
0 likes

Yogic Cyclist wrote:

How about, go see a bike race,( it's not all about the TdF) and experience actual reality. 

To be fair, there's not much to see at a road race really though is there... an hour of waiting about for about 5 seconds of excitement as they go zooming past... (or 30 seconds of excitement on a hill)...  then jump in the car and try and get to the next spot for another glimpse.. or roll the dice and set up camp at the finish line, but go armed with a chair and some surly mates to keep your place, because woe betide you if you need a wee....

 

Saying that, the Womens tour does come through my stomping ground this year, so I will be stood on a hill cheering on the Brits at some point this year... just the once mind you! 

Avatar
zanf replied to peted76 | 8 years ago
0 likes

peted76 wrote:

but go armed with a chair and some surly mates to keep your place, because woe betide you if you need a wee....

Some? But *all* my friends are curmudgeons!

Latest Comments