Fox Sports Rolls Out Social Virtual Reality for Gold Cup Soccer Tournament

Fox Sports is using next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament to debut its new Social Virtual Reality technology, where up to four users can watch a game in the same “virtual suite” via its free Fox Sports VR app, starting with the USA-Panama match on July 8.

The virtual suite, created in partnership with VR firm LiveLike and presenting sponsor Buffalo Wild Wings, includes multiple live-event, high-resolution camera angles with the ability to toggle between views or choose a “director’s cut,” several pre-produced 360-degree features, and the ability to rewind within the app. Fans wanting to take advantage of its social aspect will be prompted with a “social” tab and “join friends” button that connects them with Facebook friends (after receiving authorization), or they can select viewing partners at random. And to avoid one bad apple ruining the party, those in the room have the ability to kick others out.

The Fox Sports VR app has a 360-degree interactive function for use without special virtual reality equipment, and is also compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR and cardboard headsets for a more immersive experience.

Also Read: Why Mexico Is So Important to Fox Sports' Confederations Cup Coverage

Fox Sports will show three live CONCACAF Gold Cup matches in virtual reality on the app, beginning with the USA-Panama match (which airs on conventional television at 4:30 p.m. ET on the main Fox broadcast network), followed by a match to be determined held on either July 22 or 23, and finishing with the Gold Cup championship, which will be broadcast on Monday, July 26 at 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

“We are thrilled to partner with CONCACAF and Buffalo Wild Wings in one of the most important soccer events of the year,” Michael Davies, Fox Sports’ senior vice president of field and technical operations, said in a statement. “The massive feature set of this application keeps growing, and we think that social is a wildly important and seminal moment in the ongoing evolution of the technology.”

The Gold Cup is just the latest in a string of sports events made available on Fox Sports VR, including this year’s Super Bowl LI, the 2016 and 2017 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournaments, the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, the 2016 U.S. Open Championship, the 2016 MLS Cup, the 2016 Bundesliga season opener, the 2016 Daytona 500 and the 2016 Big Ten Football Championship.

ESPN Stars That Jumped to Fox Sports, From Erin Andrews to Tom Rinaldi (Photos)

ESPN may be synonymous with sports, but plenty of stars have added Fox Sports to their resume. Have a look at some the big names.
Skip Bayless
The outspoken sports columnist and "First Take" analyst still ranks as ESPN's highest-profile defection when he bailed in 2016. He co-hosts "Skip and Shannon" with Shannon Sharpe on Fox Sports 1.
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Chris Broussard
The longtime NBA analyst joined Fox Sports in 2016. He's a regular panelist on "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" and co-hosts "The Odd Couple" with Rob Parker for Fox Sports radio.
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Colin Cowherd
The sports anchor fled ESPN in 2015 and now hosts "The Herd" on FS1. He also co-hosted "Speak for Yourself" alongside Jason Whitlock for a short period.
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Chris Spielman
A former NFL All-Pro, Spielman worked at ESPN for years but now has a gig as a game analyst for Fox NFL.
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Shannon Spake
An experienced sidelines reporter, Spake hustled for ESPN for 10 years but switched to Fox in 2016 where she covers NASCAR, college football and basketball.
Rob Parker
The former member of ESPN's "First Take" followed Bayless to his new show, "Undisputed," where he appears as a regular panelist, along with co-hosting "The Odd Couple" with Broussard.
Emmanuel Acho
After serving as a college football analyst for ESPN's Longhorn Network and ESPN2 for a couple of years, Acho joined FS1 in 2020 to co-host "Speak for Yourself."
Adam Amin
Amin, who moonlights as the Chicago Bulls' play-by-play announcer, left ESPN for Fox Sports in May 2020. Amin will call NFL games with fellow former ESPN-er Mark Schlereth this season.
Erin Andrews
Andrews has been with Fox Sports since 2012, following eight years with ESPN. She often gets the most high-profile sideline reporting gigs, including the Super Bowl and World Series.
Lindsay Czarniak
Czarniak left ESPN in 2017 and resurfaced at Fox two years later, where she hosts studio coverage for NASCAR and does sideline reporting duty for NFL games as part of the Amin-Schlereth broadcast team.
JP Dellacamera
Dellacamera followed soccer when World Cup rights moved from ESPN to Fox starting in 2018.
Mike Hill
Hill left ESPN for Fox in 2013 during the early days of FS1, where he guest-hosted "Fox Sports Live" and "Fox Football Daily." He currently hosts "The Mike and Donny Show" for Fox Soul.
Alexi Lalas
As with Dellacamera, Lalas followed the World Cup from ESPN to Fox.
Rob Stone
Another soccer defector, Stone also hosts college football and Professional Bowlers' Association coverage.
Charissa Thompson
Thompson was among FS1's debut hosts in 2013 with the short-lived "Fox Sports Live." She currently hosts' Fox pre pre-game NFL show "Fox NFL Kickoff."
Sara Walsh
Walsh left ESPN in 2017 and joined Fox a year later, where she serves as an NFL reporter and a studio host for NASCAR coverage.
Kevin Wildes
A longtime producer for ESPN, Wildes stepped in front of the camera when he moved to Fox in early 2020. He appears on FS1's morning show, "First Things First."
Marcellus Wiley
Wiley joined “Speak for Yourself” in September 2018 following years as part of ESPN's NFL coverage.
Joe Davis
Known as "the guy who had to replace Vin Scully" calling Los Angeles Dodgers games, Davis had a brief two-year run with ESPN and now does play-by-play work for MLB and NFL games on Fox.
Mark Schlereth
Schlereth was a mainstay on ESPN's "NFL Live" but will now get to show his broadcasting chops on Fox this season.
Brock Huard
Huard had a variety of TV and radio gigs with ESPN, and joined Fox's College Football team in 2019.
Jonathan Vilma
The former New Orleans Saints linebacker joined Fox in June 2020 to work on its NFL games after a few years as part of ESPN's college football crew.
Cris Carter
Carter first joined Fox Sports in 2016 and had hosted "First Things First," alongside Nick Wright since 2017, but it was a short tenure. He left Fox Sports in late 2019, reportedly after he had an outburst with higher-ups over not being part of the network's "Thursday Night Football" coverage.
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Jamie Horowitz
Initially a splashy hire that might have been responsible for many of these talent defections, his Fox tenure came to an unglamorous end when he was fired in 2017 over claims of sexual harassment. He has since landed at DAZN, which is led by former ESPN boss John Skipper.
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Jason Whitlock
Speaking of Whitlock, the ex-ESPN sportswriter's tenure with FS1 came to end in 2020 when the two couldn't agree on a new contract. He has since resurfaced at Clay Travis' Outkick The Coverage.
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Tom Rinaldi
Tom Rinaldi, who has won 16 Sports Emmy Awards and seven Edward R. Murrow Awards, has covered every major sporting event in his impressive career. Rinaldi is perhaps best known as the storyteller and interviewer at golf major The Masters.
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