Sports leagues have been dipping their toes into disruptive trends and technologies such as NFTs for months — the NBA set off the craze with its Top Shot digital collectibles last year, and the NFL will soon be launching its NFL All Day NFT marketplace.
In another example of teams adapting to the times, the NBA has now taken a bigger step to join the metaverse through the Brooklyn Nets’ new “Netaverse” experience. The Nets are the first pro sports team in the US to debut this kind of technology, and for now, Barclays Center is the only arena to have the necessary hardware installed, but it’s only the beginning of sports teams exploring the possibilities of and experimenting with these types of immersive experiences for fans.
The Netaverse debuted on the YES Network over MLK weekend, with sports announcer Michael Grady explaining that the Netaverse “is an innovative video system made possible by over 100 high-resolution cameras surrounding the court, which then feed into Canon’s free viewpoint video system that quickly generates incredible, lifelike 3D renderings in a matter of seconds.”
He continued, “The Netaverse will bring viewers to places on the court never seen before — a video game come to life in a volumetric space that provides a true, 360-degree experience.” The graphics are indeed impressive and will allow fans to watch games in real-time in the virtual world with access to angles that they wouldn’t get just by watching the game on TV. Further details on how to access the Netaverse or potential future applications have yet to be released.
However, the team is certainly intent on capitalizing on this new experience, as trademark attorney Josh Gerben announced yesterday that the Nets have filed three trademarks related to the name “Netaverse” around clothing and merch, electronic wallets, concierge services in the metaverse, and virtual broadcasts. Nets fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months as new updates are announced.