MLB strikes deal with Intel for live VR broadcasts

Take me out to the ballgame, but keep me away from traffic and overcrowded stadium annoyances. With a new partnership between Major League Baseball and Intel, you'll be able to experience what it's like to be sitting up close to the action (or if you prefer, back in the bleachers), no matter where you are.

The partnership involves Intel's True VR app, which is available for the Samsung Gear VR platform, which will broadcast one live MLB game every week for the entirety of the regular 2017 season: beginning next Tuesday, June 6.

Dubbed the Intel True VR Game of the Week, the live broadcast will be streamed over the app, and users will be able to toggle between multiple camera angles. Each broadcast will also include "exclusive in-app commentary," live on-screen statistics, and post-game highlights. For those who can't tune in live, each game will also be available for on-demand viewing.

"We are excited to bring the Intel True VR experience to fans around the country every week. Our partnership with Intel will keep MLB at the forefront of technological innovation for our fans, bringing them closer to the action," says MLB executive vice president Kenny Gersh.

Live broadcast content in virtual reality is a burgeoning market, with only a handful of current offerings. Most of the previous attempts have been one-off proof-of-concept type deals. For example, CNN broadcast one of its Democratic presidential primary debates in VR last year, and NASA live-streamed a 360-degree video of a rocket launch back in April.

Regularly scheduled live broadcasts in VR, though, are just beginning to take off. NextVR, one of the content leaders in virtual reality, struck a deal with the NBA to broadcast one game per week, similar to Intel's MLB partnership. However, those streams are only available to viewers who have a premium NBA League Pass subscription.

The live MLB streams in VR will be free -- for now -- for anyone who downloads the app. The lineup of weekly games for the inaugural month are as follows:

• Cleveland Indians vs. Colorado Rockies on June 6 at 8:40 p.m. ET / 5:40 p.m. PT
• Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants on June 13 at 10:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. PT
• Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners on June 20 at 10:10 p.m. ET / 7:10 p.m. PT
• St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks on June 27 at 9:40 p.m. ET / 6:40 p.m. PT