The 2016 NBA Finals were one for the ages, with Lebron James intrepidly leading his Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit to topple the reigning champion and regular season record-holding Golden State Warriors, and the NBA's new 'Follow My Lead: The Story of the 2016 NBA Finals' is a documentary that enshrines that series.
While the NBA releases short documentaries after each of its seasons, Follow My Lead is original in that it is a VR experience released in partnership with Oculus. Of all the North American professional sports leagues, the NBA is perhaps most engaged with VR, having filmed dozens of games in VR since the 2015 season. Since the league shot the entire Finals series in VR, it was common sense to release its annual doc using the technology.
The VR documentary is narrated by Michael B. Jordan -- not the great basketball player, but the actor famous for The Wire, Friday Night Lights and Creed.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- VR Sports Documentaries
- Opportunity for the creation of more virtual reality documentaries in sports to expand viewer experiences.
- VR Partnership with Entertainment Industry
- VR technology can be integrated into entertainment to create unique, rich and interactive experiences for its audiences.
- VR Collaborations with Branding
- Brands can greatly benefit from collaborating with VR technology to create immersive experiences that appeal to consumers.
Where This Applies
- Sports
- There is potential for professionals in the sports industry to leverage virtual reality technology to create new and innovative sporting experiences for viewers.
- Entertainment
- The entertainment industry can utilize virtual reality technology to create immersive shows and experiences for their audiences.
- Marketing
- Marketers can use virtual reality technology to create new and captivating experiences that allow consumers to experience their products or services in a whole new way.
