Apple Vision Pro to Offer 8K, 3D Video Recap of 2023 MLS Playoffs; Is This the Future of Sports on Apple?
The new mixed reality headset from Apple could offer exciting new possibilities for sports streaming in the future.
The Apple Vision Pro headset is available now, and while the mixed reality device’s $3,499 price tag likely keeps it out of the reach of many consumers, there’s no denying its potential to impact the way that consumers experience entertainment in the future. Apple is teasing a taste of that potential this week, with the opening of the 2024 MLS season on MLS Season Pass that it will release a video recap of the 2023 MLS playoffs in stunning 8K resolution.
- The MLS playoffs video on Apple Vision Pro headsets will also be presented in 3D, allowing fans to see a 180-degree view of the field.
- Apple will present every MLS game of this season on its streamer MLS Season Pass, but there are currently no plans to offer live games in 8K or 3D.
- Nevertheless, the Apple Vision Pro offers a tantalizing picture of the future of sports on Apple.
The 2024 MLS Season kicked off on Wednesday, Feb. 21 with the rest of the slate opening in earnest on Saturday, Feb. 24, and while Apple has not announced the release date of its new 8K film from last year’s MLS playoffs, it likely will be available soon. Apple is billing the forthcoming video as the “first-ever sports film captured in Apple Immersive Video.”
That format is only supported by the Apple Vision Pro headset at the moment and will allow viewers to completely immerse themselves in the video. Not only will it be in 8K, but the movie will also be in 3D and will allow the viewer to turn their head a full 180 degrees, giving them access to every angle and vantage point on the field for a highly innovative watching experience.
Is Apple Vision Pro the Future of Sports for Apple?
This 8K film looking back at the 2023 playoffs is a fascinating glimpse into what Apple might be able to do with live sports in the future. At the moment, Apple’s sports inventory is somewhat narrow; apart from MLS games on MLS Season Pass, the company’s sports lineup is limited to a weekly MLB doubleheader on Friday nights during that league’s regular season.
If Apple finds a way to use its Immersive Video to offer a live-streamed event, then it could forever change the way that fans watch live sports. Imagine being able to stream an NFL game from the field level, and having the ability to see every play from any angle you choose just by turning your head. Nothing like this level of immersion has ever been available while watching a live TV broadcast before, let alone a sporting event.
To be clear, this ability is not coming from Apple any time soon; most TV broadcasters are still struggling to adopt technology that allows them to broadcast live events in 4K resolution. Doubling the number of pixels from a 4K broadcast would entail a whole new set of challenges, and the technology needed to allow audiences a 180-degree view while watching a live event may not even exist yet.
Still, it’s clear that Apple should be thinking of new ways to offer live sports with its Vision Pro headset. A survey from 2023 found that 56% of sports fans think streaming is a better way to watch sports because of the increased options and interactivity offered by that medium. When combined with the power of Apple’s Vision Pro streaming device, the potential for that kind of interactivity is increased by an order of magnitude.
Apple’s new mixed reality headset can already immerse its users in digital environments from partners like Disney and Max, but the headset’s potential has just barely begun to be explored. It could transform the way people watch live sporting events, as its upcoming 2023 MLS Playoffs film will demonstrate.
MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is a video streaming service that offers every match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts. It offers both English and Spanish announcers. MLS Season Pass also offers pre-match coverage, post-match analysis, highlights, player profiles, interviews, club content, match replays, live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, and more.