Playstation VR Partnership Offers New Tennis Experience

All this week tennis fans have the opportunity to experience the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in a new way, following a partnership between ATP, ATP Media, Infosys – the global technology services partner of the ATP World Tour – and Sony Professional Solutions Europe.

As part of an activation at the Fan Zone at The O2, fans will be able to experience the interactive pods, complete with PlayStation VR, to enter a virtual tennis world that combines tennis action from unique views, along with highlights, stats and updates traditionally limited to a second screen.

Since Sony Interactive Entertainment launched PlayStation VR for the PlayStation 4 in October, new technologies from ATP Media, Infosys and Sony Professional Solutions Europe have been incorporated to build a new virtual environment inside The O2.

Utilising both headset tracking technology and physical controller interaction, the user is presented with a reactive and customisable environment, while data insights and visualisations are provided by Infosys and Hawk-Eye. Social media updates are also included with streams from MyATP (now on Vixlet).

Commenting on the activation Shane Warden, ATP Media director of technology and broadcast said: “PlayStation VR is an incredible product and we knew it would help us to achieve this goal thanks to its simple to use and intuitive operation. We wanted to replicate the feeling of being there and create an augmented experience that lets fans engage and interact with the finals on screen in a way they never could before.”

ATP executive chairman & president, Chris Kermode, added: “We look forward to unveiling this pioneering new technology at our season finale at The O2, offering a new and exciting way to experience our sport, as we look to leverage new technologies and engage with the next generation of fans.”

Stuart Watts, ATP Media COO, concluded: “We are delighted to be demonstrating our continued commitment in advancing media and technology.

“We have created not only the potential for an exciting complimentary product for broadcasters but one that can easily be delivered on-venue at fan and sponsor activation sites.”

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Experience runs until the final day of the competition on 20th November.