Man City hunts glory off the pitch with VR fan hub

Manchester City FC might no longer be dominating the Premier League but the club is still looking to give its fans something to crow about with the launch of a 360° virtual reality experience that allows supporters to get closer to the matchday action at the Etihad Stadium.
The immersive video, devised by Jaunt Inc, captures different moments of the matchday experience and displays them in 360° cinematic virtual reality.
Providing exclusive access to the players’ changing room and a first-hand look as the players arrive on the Blue Carpet, the scheme also showcases all the people involved in delivering what it claims will be “unforgettable football moments”. It is not known whether this will include manager Pep Guardiola’s now famous sulky moments.
City Football Group senior vice-president of media and innvation Diego Gigliani said: “There’s nothing that compares with attending a match at the Etihad Stadium, but the emergence of 360° video and virtual reality has allowed us to capture some of that atmosphere and excitement in ways that weren’t possible in the past.
“As our fanbase continues to grow, both within the UK and globally, we want all of our fans to get a taste for what it’s like to be at the Etihad Stadium – from cheering in the stands and watching players line up in the tunnel to welcoming the team off the bus and standing by-side with the stewards ensuring the crowd’s safety.
“We hope this pilot on the Jaunt platform reaches both existing and new fans, and reaffirms our commitment to exploring innovative ways of using VR to enhancing the fan experience to Manchester City fans, near and far.”
The VR experience is available on the Jaunt VR App within the Sky section, and is also accessible across a range of VR platforms, including PlayStation VR, iOS, Android, Gear VR, Google Daydream, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and major desktop browsers.
The 360° experience can also be viewed in 2D without a VR headset by visiting either Manchester City’s Facebook page or the CityTV YouTube channel.