Company News

Have you ever wanted to sit courtside at a top Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game but not leave the comfort of your own home? Well, now you can with EuroLeague VR! On Friday, February 24, get even closer to the action by using EuroLeague VR to watch Valencia Basket and Olympiacos Piraeus – two of the hottest teams in the EuroLeague – face off at La Fonteta. A few weeks ago, in Round 21, this season’s first game with VR capability took place, as Real Madrid hosted archrival FC Barcelona at WiZink Center. Getting tickets for El Clásico is often a very difficult task, particularly if you want to sit courtside, but by using VR, fans were able to see the action up close and personal. Thanks to the partnership between Euroleague Basketball and YBVR, a joint venture that first began at the Final Four events in Cologne and Belgrade, fans can enjoy the game from courtside thanks to the 180- and 360-degree cameras placed around the playing floor. What’s more, fans are able to tailor the experience to their own needs and desires because it is possible to seamlessly switch between different camera angles to find the angle that suits them best. Anyone watching on XTADIUM also has the ability to see the statistics in real time – a function that can be toggled on or off – and create private watch parties to take in the game with friends and family. It is possible to watch these selected EuroLeague games in VR as part of the EuroLeague TV subscription package, while fans in the United States can use this technology via XTADIUM, the VR app created by YBVR that is available to download at the Meta Quest Store.

AO Immersive channel unveiled on Xtadium app, available for download in the Meta Quest headsets  AO StartUps has on-boarded YBVR to pilot an AO Immersive channel in Xtadium VR app. YBVR is building the next generation of live immersive video experiences in VR/360, unleashing the potential of immersive broadcasting by providing unparalleled immersive experiences to sports fans connected from anywhere with any device: mobile, web, TV, and, of course, XR devices. YBVR launched the Xtadium app in 2022 with dedicated channels for several leading global sports including UFC, NASCAR & Euroleague basketball.   The launch of AO StartUps is the latest step in Tennis Australia’s innovation program which helps early-stage companies pilot their cutting-edge technology at the Australian Open and other areas of Australian tennis. “We are constantly striving to bring fans closer to the action and as immersive technologies like YBVR continue to advance, there is immense opportunity to innovate the way sport is broadcast and consumed around the globe,” said Tennis Australia Head of Innovation Dr Machar Reid. “With a rapidly developing market, we expect immersive viewing experiences like YBVR can deliver will continue to grow into a bigger market.”   During the pilot, AO fans in the US market can access the Xtadium app on Meta Quest headsets to watch selected archive highlights and full length matches from 12 different camera angles via the Director’s Chair feature. YBVR CEO Hector Prieto said it was exciting to add a global sport such as tennis to the Xtadium sport portfolio. ‘”YBVR is honored to join the AO Start-up program. Immersive Tennis is in our DNA and indeed we have a lot to thank to the AO family”, said Hector Prieto, YBVR CEO. “AO asked YBVR to deploy a trial of a Virtual Ticket VR experience for the AO 2021 finals and this became the trigger for our current partnership for creating the home for sports in the Metaverse, Xtadium; since then, we bring live sports emotions to the fans in multiple sports.” The full cohort of AO StartUp companies will be announced across AO 2023. Visit aostartups.ausopen.com to learn more.  About YBVRYerba Buena VR (YBVR) is the world leader in sports in VR, a Silicon Valley-based technology company whose main purpose is to bring emotions closer to sports fans by providing a unique experience that transports them to their favorite sporting events without leaving their homes. YBVR is a one-stop-shop that has been six years in the market for building the next generation of live immersive video experiences in VR/360, unleashing the potential of immersive broadcasting by providing unparallel immersive experiences to sports fans connected from anywhere with any device: mobile, web, TV, and, of course, XR devices.  About XtadiumXtadium is the Home for Sports in the Metaverse; it is the only VR App where fans can find different sports in branded virtual spaces (Xtadium rooms) with the content of each sports partner. Xtadium gives fans the opportunity of enjoying their favorite sporting events with their friends by introducing the watch party feature, which allows users to invite friends that are hundreds of kilometers away from them and watch different sports together, interacting with each other’s avatars and talking as if they were in the same room. Offering multiple camera angles, including 180°and 360° videos, replays, time-shifts, and real-time statistics, Xtadium is becoming the primary destination for watching live sports in the Metaverse.  About AO StartupsAO StartUps is the latest step in Tennis Australia’s innovation program which helps startup companies pilot their cutting-edge technology at the AO and other areas of Tennis Australia’s business.  Companies participating in AO StartUps will be provided the opportunity to prove their business models in real time and directly access proprietary intel and exposure at one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment events. It’s been designed to extract maximum value for the startup, streamline corporate processes that can often stifle innovating at speed, and provide an opportunity for future investment via Tennis Australia’s venture capital fund, Wildcard Ventures. The creation of AO StartUps follows the launch of Tennis Australia’s Venture Capital fund (Wildcard Ventures) and its multi-year partnership with global accelerator powerhouse, Techstars.

YBVR are excited to announce that we have been selected as the runners-up for the ‘Best Startup Tech Company’ at the SportsPro OTT Awards. Our CEO and co-founder, Héctor Prieto, was in Madrid to accept the award. Congratulations to the YBVR team for all their hard work, which resulted in this achievement! Thank you to SportsPro Media for hosting a fantastic awards ceremony.

YBVR are honoured to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Best Start-Up Tech Company’ for this year’s SportsPro’s OTT Awards. This award recognises the most impactful technology company entering the OTT industry. This nomination reinforces our ongoing commitment to innovation and technological development and highlights the outstanding work done by YBVR’s team. Thank you to everyone who was involved in this achievement, your passion and determination are truly transforming the VR world.We look forward to hearing the outcome of the SportPro OTT Awards on Wednesday 30th November! Overall, YBVR has had a fantastic year covering premier events such as Wimbledon 360 Presented by Vodafone, Canadian Premier League, NASCAR and the US Open. Additionally, YBVR partnered with Meta to launch A NEW HOME FOR SPORTS in the Metaverse – XTADIUM. XTADIUM gets you closer to the action than ever before by delivering 180-degree virtual reality (VR) footage in up to 8K video quality. Real-time statistical overlays that you can toggle on or off let you stay on top of the game, and you can choose from up to eight different camera angles to get the best view. You can enjoy the ultimate sports experience by yourself or create a private watch party for your friends to join. What to find out more about our latest product XTADIUM? Follow the link below: https://xtadiumvr.com/

YBVR accelerates deployment of Sports Metaverse with additional funding from TELUS Ventures SAN JOSE, Calif. – July, 2022 – YBVR, the global leader on Immersive Live Sports[1] streaming, announced additional funding from Telus Ventures, to advance the introduction of fully immersive Sports Metaverse services to Canada. The investment provides a boost to scale and deploy the technology across Canada, creating a major milestone for the company. TELUS Ventures’ investment comes to YBVR on top of previous investments from Verizon and Telefonica,[3] reinforcing YBVR’s research and development across 5G/MEC and low latency video technology. “YBVR is looking forward to partnering with TELUS for the next-generation of Live Sports streaming, bringing the tech that will make the Metaverse of Sports a marketplace for fans to enjoy and for the industry to monetize the value created around the sport,” said Hector Prieto, Cofounder and CEO of YBVR. “With TELUS’ 5G/MEC capabilities, we will ensure fans are closer to live sports emotions, whether remote or in-venue, providing immersive experiences with sub-second latencies.” In Canada, YBVR will deploy the next-generation VR technology for streaming live immersive sports and music events with unparalleled quality across devices that is yet to be experienced. “We are excited to be working with YBVR on growing the role of virtual reality experiences in live entertainment and leveraging our world-leading network to connect audiences with interactive and accessible content from around the globe,” said Mario Mele, Vice-president, TELUS Ventures. “At TELUS Ventures we value the role technology plays in our day-to-day lives and are looking forward to working further with this innovative Silicon Valley based startup.” About YBVR YBVR is re-defining the way fans experience live sports. Fans can now experience the magic of ‘being there’ from anywhere. YBVR tech enables a new immersive and interactive dialogue with sport fans, especially the new generations, engaging from home and in-venue. YBVR cloud-based tech empowers sport and music event organizers/right-holders with new assets for engagement and monetization. Fans can decide when, how, what and with whom to enjoy live streaming with premium viewing experiences, in real-time, and across devices. YBVR’s technology provides high-quality 360-degree live streams in 8K with patented Field-of-View optimization that consumes up to 80 per cent less bandwidth. YBVR headquarters are in California, with commercial presence in six markets. YBVR is the leader in immersive sports tech, already trusted by Wimbledon, Australian Open, Real Madrid, Fan Controlled Football, Euroleague Basketball and a number of other relevant players in the sports industry as well as Verizon, TELUS, Singtel and Telefonica. YBVR is embarking on their Series A raise to continue their leadership position in the market and capture the massive Sports Metaverse opportunity while building additional partnerships with major players. About TELUS Ventures As the strategic investment arm of TELUS Corporation (TSX: T, NYSE: TU), TELUS Ventures is one of Canada’s most active corporate venture capital funds. TELUS Ventures invests globally in companies from Seed to Pre-IPO with a focus on innovative technologies such as AgTech, HealthTech, Connected Consumer, IoT, AI, and Security to actively drive new solutions across the TELUS ecosystem. Led by a team of experienced operators, investors and executives, the Ventures team is passionate about creating positive social impact through financial tools and has invested in more than 100 companies since inception. For more information please visit ventures.telus.com.