Showtime Steps Into VR Ring

Showtime is looking to beat some rivals to the punch in the growing virtual reality ring by releasing the recent bout between WBA middleweight champ Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin in its entirety in an immersive, 360-degree format.

The bout, held on Saturday (December 5), didn’t last long – Jacobs won in a first round TKO. But viewers can relive it from a ring-side, 360-degree view on several platforms -- the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, the Showtime Boxing Facebook page,  for Samsung Gear VR via the Milk VR app, and Littlstar’s  VR apps for Samsung Gear VR, iOS and Android.

Showtime is also offering the regular telecast via VOD, the Showtime Anytime app, and via the Showtime OTT subscription service.

DirecTV also punched up its VR game recently with Big Knockout Boxing (BKB), an app that provides immersive ring side access to highlights from the June 27 BKB bout at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay.