NBC Olympics has announced today that it's going to provide virtual reality coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympics exclusively to the Samsung Gear VR. This is the first time that Olympics programming will be available in virtual reality, authenticated users of compatible Samsung smartphones in the United States will be able to access it with Gear VR via the NBC Sports app.
The Olympic Broadcasting Services will capture and supply 85 hours of VR programming to NBC Olympics, programming will include the Opening and Closing ceremonies, men's basketball – including the semifinals and finals — gymnastics, beach volleyball, track and field, diving, boxing, and fencing. Highlight packages of these sports will be supplied in VR as well.
All VR programming will be distributed on delay from August 6, the day after the Opening Ceremony through August 22, the day after Rio 2016 ends. The VR content section of the NBC Sports app will only be accessible on Samsung Galaxy smartphones that are compatible with the Gear VR. Compatible handsets include the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, and the Galaxy Note 5.
