NBA Announces Partnership with Meta, Including Live-Streamed Games via Virtual Reality Headsets
NBA Announces Partnership with Meta, Including Live-Streamed Games via Virtual Reality Headsets
There will soon be go to NBA games without having to buy a ticket or a parking pass. The NBA has announced a new partnership with Meta, the technology conglomerate formerly known as Facebook.
Included in the new relationship between the NBA and Meta is the ability to watch select NBA games via NBA League Pass on the Meta Quest virtual reality headset. Through Meta Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest, fans will have access to an immersive VR experience.
“Our extended partnership with Meta will provide more immersive and innovative ways to experience the NBA,” said Jennifer Chun, NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Content Partnerships. “Meta’s digital world opens up exciting possibilities for NBA fans to virtually attend our games and to interact with other fans around the world.”
The NBA has offered live games via VR headsets before, allowing users to get a courtside view without having to pay a premium for courtside seats. One important note for NBA fans: games are to be made available via the league’s out-of-market games package NBA League Pass, which requires a separate subscription. If you live in the market where the game is being broadcast on TV, you won’t be able to access the VR experience, even if you’re a League Pass subscriber.
Live WNBA, NBA G League, and NBA 2K League games will also be available via a Meta Quest headset.
“Meta’s immersive VR technology is opening up new opportunities for sports fans to engage and interact with their favorite NBA teams,” said Meta Director of Sports Media and League Partnerships Rob Shaw. “The NBA is always pushing us to innovate and leverage the latest technology to open the door to new fan experiences, and this chapter of our partnership achieves exactly that.”
The NBA and Meta will bring a total of 52 live NBA League Pass games – including five immersive 180-degree monoscopic live VR games in 2880 resolution – in “NBA Arena” in Meta Horizon Worlds. Fans can now visit the NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds to watch NBA content with friends, compete in interactive mini-games and cheer on their favorite teams.
Check out the preliminary game schedule for games in the NBA Arena:
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Jan. 23 | 7 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons |
| Tuesday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 8 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| Friday, Jan. 27 | 8 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Sunday, Jan. 29 | 7 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Tuesday, Jan. 31 | 7 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers |
NBA League Pass
For basketball fans, NBA League Pass offers the opportunity to follow one team or the entire league with every game (blackout restrictions apply). Prices and features vary greatly, depending on what you’d like to watch.