Advertisement

NBC's Winter Olympics VR streams will work on almost any device

NBC plans to live-stream more than 1,800 hours of content from the Games.

PA Wire/PA Images

The Winter Olympics is getting a virtual reality makeover. NBC will present over 50 hours of VR coverage from the games in South Korea next month, using Intel True VR technology to create 360-degree immersive environments. It's the same style of tech that's been adopted by BT Sport, MLB, UFC, PGA and NBA, and it made an appearance at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, but it's the first time the Winter Games has been given the treatment (they only happen every four years, after all, and VR has only taken flight in recent times).

The VR content will be available on a wide range of devices and platforms (unlike programming for the Summer Games, which was only available on Samsung headsets) and will include the opening and closing ceremonies, behind-the-scenes extras, packaged highlights and a whole host of events including ski jumping, snowboarding and big air, which will make for impressive VR viewing. Programming will span every day of the Games (with the exception of February 18) and is available to pay-TV subscribers with Samsung, Google, Windows, Android and iOS devices in the US through the NBC Sports VR app.