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YBVR Launched YB Arena – Split-Second Latency XR Video Streaming Solution

With this solution tailored for immersive in-venue fan experiences, sports fans experienced immersive 360/180 multi-video streaming enabled by 5G and AWS Wavelength mobile edge compute capabilities at the Golden1Center SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — YBVR, has launched their latest product YB Arena to provide immersive live streaming of XR video in real-time with premium user experiences for in-venue entertainment. On December 8th, 2021 at the Golden1Center, for the first time ever, basketball fans could experience 360/180 immersive views while being their own program director, enjoying courtside views of Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic on their mobile device from any seat of the stadium. Running YB Arena on AWS Wavelength at the 5G Edge, enabled the fans to follow the game in real-time. AWS Wavelength brings AWS compute and storage services to the edge of carriers’ wireless networks. The combination minimizes the latency and network hops required to connect from an application hosted on AWS to the end user’s device. Next-gen in-venue fan experience – Immersive multi-cam viewing in real-time streamed from the Edge “We are thrilled to launch immersive real-time services for new fan experiences in stadiums together with AWS. Benefiting from 5G and AWS Wavelength MEC capabilities to break previous limitations for latency and being able to deliver immersive videos in premium 8K quality to fans at the stadium with a split-second low lag is very exciting,” said Hector Prieto, Co-Founder and CEO of YBVR. “This is just the beginning of creating the future of experiencing live sports and entertainment on site.” Sports and music businesses are trying to find new ways to engage with their fans. Especially how to attract younger audiences with new, interactive, cutting-edge technologies in entertainment, and how to get fans into the stadium rather than watching games at home or on the go. Beside the low-lag in-venue focus, YBVR also offers YB One, their OTT product for immersive live streaming to millions of fans at home or on the go. Both products run on a lean footprint and can be operated very efficiently from a single platform. YBVR’s go-to-market solution in the US is enabled through AWS partner network program.

January 16, 2022

Case Studies

NOS gives “5G seat” at Luz Stadium to children from the Benfica Foundation with YBVR technology

5G immersive camera installed in seat 5 of row G of the central stand of the Sport Lisboa e Benfica stadium transmitted the game directly to the children’s VR glasses. Children who had never been to the Sport Lisboa e Benfica stadium saw the Benfica-Marítimo match as if they were really there. Using 5G technology and virtual reality glasses, it was possible to reduce the more than 340 kilometers that separate Paredes from Lisbon, allowing the mini fans to live the 90 minutes fully immersed in the game and interact with reality in the stands. For that, a Panasonic BGH-1 camera was placed in Seat 5, row G of the Stadium, which broadcast the game live to the Oculus Quest 2 used by the children and other fans that were in the Benfica House of Paredes. The ultra-fast speeds of NOS’ 5G, as well as its low latency and the YBVR streaming technology, ensured an immersive experience very close to reality. For Daniel Beato, Director of NOS for the consumer area, “the role of NOS is to bring the benefits of the fifth generation mobile network to all the Portuguese. With this initiative we show the positive impact that 5G can have on the life of all of us, as an enabler of unique experiences, which will remain forever in the memory of those who live them. That’s what we work for every day”. According to Carlos Moia, Executive President of the Benfica Foundation, “for us it is very important to be close to all the fans, especially those who, for various reasons, have not had the opportunity to attend a game of their team in its stadium. The Benfica Foundation develops several Social Responsibility projects in different areas of intervention, namely the “For you if you don’t miss it!”, which aims to empower and combat absenteeism and school dropout, using sports as a tool for inclusion.

December 22, 2021

Case Studies

YBVR provides immersive tech to Bowling for the IBF Super World Championships at Dubai

A live scenario piloting the ‘fan in control’ experience that immerses fans through StrikeCloud took place at the IBF Super World Championships 2021 from Dubai in November, powered by YBVR. SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — YBVR, the leading immersive XR streaming solution that unlocks live event emotions for millions of viewers across devices, today presented the technology pilot conducted in Dubai this November at the IBF Super World Championships from Dubai Expo 2020. Thanks to YBVR immersive tech, bowling fans from around the world have enjoyed a live immersive experience from home and in mobility, from multiple devices – Mobile (Phones/Tablets), Web (PC/MAC) and Oculus VR headsets. Fans from 83 countries took the opportunity to feel as if they were present at the finals of the World Championships. Thousands of beta users have tested the StrikeCloud Immersive concept, with high interest from users in Sweden and USA as both countries medaled. With YBVR patented tech, fans can select the preferred angle with a multi-cam choice and an immediate synchronized camera change. On top of this, they can also select 360-degree views to check out the actions from the lanes, close up! “At the very start of our digital transformation plans, we connected with YBVR to help us discover a new distinctive way to unlock the sport’ said Chris Neilson, Innovation & Business Development Director at IBF”. He continued: “It’s been extremely exciting to see this vision come to life during our IBF Super World Championships at Dubai Expo2020, showcasing the flexible interactively to consume the sport by providing full control to the fan across multiple devices. By immersing fans from anywhere into our outdoor setup ensured we could celebrate with the loyal bowling enthusiasts and welcome the new fans with a well-balanced hybrid experience that will take bowling into the next millennium”. “YBVR is proud in being part of the journey with IBF and the International Bowling community’ said Hector Prieto, YBVR CEO. ‘We will support and be there with key stakeholders of bowling to ensure everyone across the world can enjoy in real-time, the live emotions of sport bowling!” After this validation, the industry has ambitious plans for the full deployment of the YBVR technology across National Federations, broadcasters, academies, and tournament organizers. Very soon, the emerging Virtual Ticket to the Metaverse of Sports will allow passionate bowling fans to feel the sport closer than ever before, regardless of the limitations of space for those that cannot be physically present at a tournament itself. Try out on your device: The immersive bowling experience StrikeCloud 360. About YBVR YBVR is re-defining the way fans experience live sports and entertainment engaging from home, and in-venue. Even without being in-venue, fans can now experience the magic of ‘being there’. YBVR tech enables a new immersive and interactive dialogue with sport fans, especially the new generations. YBVR cloud-based tech empowers sport and music event organizers and 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 headquarters are in California with a development team in Madrid and commercial presence in Japan, Singapore, and Australia. About International Bowling Federation (IBF) The International Bowling Federation represents member federations and bowlers from across the world. At the heart of what we do, uniting us all, is our mission to connect the world with the greatness of bowling. Connecting further, faster, for all. Ninepin, Tenpin, academy, para, male, female, young, old; whoever you are, wherever you come from, our sport crosses cultures. Truly inclusive, united by a passion for bowling, we bring the world closer together by innovating our sport with technology and data. Championing the best of bowling. Guardians of our sport, we show bowling at its best. By removing the complexity and barriers to play, without compromising the integrity of our sport. IBF is the International governing body for the sport of Tenpin, Ninepin and Para Bowling representing five continental zones and 114 member federations. IBF was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1979 as the world governing body for the sport of Bowling and by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2019 for Para Bowling.

December 21, 2021

Industry News

Fan evolution on traditional sports

There is no doubt that technology has a bearing on sports development. During the latest years, the sports industry has gone through many changes, considering both the emergence of new sports and the advances in different types of entertainment. The sports industry is getting more professional and accurate by the hand of technology. Thinking about a combination of sport and technology, who cannot expect innovative sponsorship packages, the possibility of increasing the ticketing offer, revolutionary fan engagement experiences, and the variety of new sports competition? And yet, fans of these sports are getting older on average: According to Sports Business Journal’s data (Table 1), as described in the 3DownNation portal, the average age of fans of several national leagues and international competitions with a huge relevance has been steadily increasing. This trend can negatively affect the future of these sports: younger fans are not feeling the same interest as before. Which are the factors driving these trends? What kind of actions to take as a result? All of these are burning questions for anyone in these sports. On one hand, the world has changed: New device form factors (mobile, tablet…), the rising popularity of short duration highlights versus full games, the emergence of interactive content… these are only some of the changes that no one could expect some years ago. The effect of generational change in the consumption habits of “traditional” sports can be seen in terms of the fan base, engagement, and viewing minutes. Newer generations, attracted by new sports, focused on different preferences and needs, living in an unstable environment, and benefiting from digital tools, seem to be harder for many of these sports to attract and retain. On the side of actions, sports institutions are trying many different solutions: The backwardness of some competition bases: ATP introduced the ATP Next Generation in 2017, a new competition to promote and highlight the young professionals. Broadcasting and its channels: LaLiga has started experimenting with Twitch content and interacting with prominent streamers and casters. Younger fans use different platforms and sports must adapt to them. Fan engagement: Euroleague has shown innovative strategies by promoting the FanXP Challenge: A Challenge to captivate start-ups focused on fan engagement. Embrace new competitions: some traditional clubs, like Real Betis Balompié or Shalke04, introduced an eSports team in their business plan to connect with the new entertainment audience. In fact, it is normal to have a little increase in the average fan’s age due to the huge variety of new entertainment that is competing with the sport. There are fewer possibilities to attach the audience in just one of them as there are more leisure options. It means that fans prefer to diversify their preferences, as it is being more usual to see multi-device consumers. However, traditional sports must be cautious about their fan’s evolution and how this will affect the future of their competitions. YBVR offers a means to rejuvenate the audience of traditional sports with a technology that resonates with newer generations. Sports broadcast from different perspectives, unique experiences from events around the world, total immersive action, and a variety of content options, all these factors combined make an incredible opportunity to connect with the younger audiences.

July 16, 2021

Case Studies

Euroleague Final Four

Fans can get closer than ever to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four with the ground-breaking launch of a unique virtual reality experience for this month’s season finale in Cologne. The Final Four VR Pass will offer unprecedented up-close access to the on-court action, bringing home the emotions of the live event like never before. A digital control room will let fans curate their own viewing experience by choosing among 12 live feeds, including four 180-degree cameras on the backboards and in the area of the courtside seats. Users have the freedom to switch between cameras in real-time to decide which ones they watch and how they watch them. The pass may be bought as a virtual ticket at a base price of 15€ by clicking here. A code can then be redeemed in the EuroLeagueTV VR App, available on Android, iOS and Oculus, giving full VR access to all four games of the Final Four. Due to the inability of fans to attend the Final Four this season due to health and safety protocols surrounding the global pandemic, the Final Four VR Pass is a chance to witness the event in a whole new way. Passes will be limited to the number of regular tickets, 14,210, that would have been sold for the Lanxess Arena under normal circumstances. The VR Pass will be offered to those fans who had bought tickets for the canceled 2020 Final Four and to current EuroLeague TV subscribers with a 50% discount. The Final Four VR Pass is a collaboration between Euroleague Basketball and Yerba Buena VR Inc. (YBVR), a leading developer of end-to-end VR video streaming solutions and services. YBVR has a special focus on premium quality video and easy-to-deploy experiences, using patented immersive technology to offer 8K streaming at 60 frames per second with zero-buffering, instant camera change capability. Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball Marketing and Communication Senior Director, said: “Since the cancellation of last season’s Final Four we have been working hard to bring our fans the best possible experience during their absence from the arenas due to the pandemic. The VR Pass will allow our fans to live the Final Four almost like a player”. Hector Prieto, Co-Founder and CEO of YBVR, said: “It is exciting to work hand-in-hand with Euroleague Basketball in pioneering a Virtual Reality experience. The most rewarding thing is allowing devoted basketball fans to really feel the emotions of the live Final Four, experiencing the action at home as if they were courtside in Cologne.”

May 17, 2021

Partnership Updates

5G set to transform Ford’s factory in Valencia with automotive industrial innovation

– Ford’s Valencia Engine Plant, ASTI Mobile Robotics, Ericsson, Fivecomm, YBVR and INTEL partner for jointly innovating in automotive industrial applications enabled by 5G. – The latest 5G technology and innovations in mobile robotics, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence will be deployed and validated at Ford Motors factory in Valencia with the support of EU H2020 5G-INDUCE project 5G-INDUCE is a new project of the third phase of the H2020 5G Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership (5G-PPP) initiative of the European Commission and European ICT industry to deliver innovative 5G solutions. The project focuses on the Industry 4.0 vertical sector, as one of the fastest growing and most impactful sectors in European economy with high potential for novel virtualized application software developments leveraging 5G architecture. With major European industrial players involved in the project, 5G INDUCE selected Ford factory in Valencia as its base for experimentation in Spain. In addition to Ford and Ericsson, the consortium in charge of 5G-INDUCE pilot in Valencia is formed by high-tech SMEs ASTI Mobile Robotics, Fivecomm, and Yerba Buena Virtual Reality, and it also counts with the support of Intel, Gestoos, University of Burgos, and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia. The 5G-INDUCE project addresses specific needs that have been identified for connectivity and modernization of the Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) fleet that would allow optimizing some of the processes of the logistics distribution chain for items, among and within Ford factory’s warehouses. With that objective, three use cases are going to be implemented and tested at Ford’s factory in Valencia within the scope of the 5G-INDUCE project: autonomous AGV fleet management; smart AGV operation based on human gesture recognition; and Virtual Reality (VR) immersion of AGVs’ control. “New technologies can result in an improvement in production line efficiency, thus increasing innovation capacity. This is essential given today’s competitive environment. 5G is an instrumental tool to help us achieve this objective.” states Alejandro del Portillo, from the Manufacturing Engineering and New Technologies Department at FORD’s Valencia Engine Plant. Ericsson’s Radio Access Network (RAN) and Core solutions for 5G standalone New Radio (NR) will be deployed at Ford’s Valencia Engine Plant factory for supporting the innovation and experimentation activities of all partners involved. The solution leverages and extends the 5G assets of Ericsson at 5TONIC co-creation laboratory, the open research and innovation lab for 5G technologies founded by Telefónica and IMDEA Networks. Intel, also 5TONIC member, will contribute to the project with its edge computing technologies, expertise and innovation ecosystem. “The potential of 5G technology is being unlocked as digitalization of Industries is advancing and as more and more complementary players partner for shaping new innovation ecosystems for delivering complete solutions” says Manuel Lorenzo, Head of Technology and Innovation at Ericsson Spain. “5G-INDUCE ecosystem is a great example of this momentum, gathering world-class innovation in Industry 4.0, robotics, 5G, edge computing, VR and AI, and counting on the support of the EU 5G-PPP program. Ericsson is glad to contribute with our technology and expertise in 5G solutions to the success of this initiative.” Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 45,000 employees at its wholly-owned facilities and consolidated joint ventures and approximately 59,000 people when unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 19 manufacturing facilities (12 wholly-owned facilities and seven unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911. www.ford.es Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com ASTI Mobile Robotics is involved in the engineering and development of made-to-measure solutions for logistics. ASTI activity goes from the project analysis in material handling and internal logistics to the development, manufacture and starting up of the designed solutions, as well as all the maintenance along the installation life. ASTI is the European leader in manufacturing auto‐guided vehicles (AGV). ASTI has developed its own range of AGVs, to transport all kind of loads at various heights, with various guiding systems according to the application to automate and in different environments. www.astimobilerobotics.com FIVECOMM is a Spanish SME based in Valencia, founded in 2019 by 5G experts. The company is oriented to the development and implementation of 5G solutions for Industry 4.0 and other verticals. Their focus is the innovation, design, integration and commercialization of products and services that make use of 5G. FIVECOMM is currently working in the following lines: autonomous and remote driving for robots and vehicles; artificial intelligence; radio planning; edge computing platforms; and 5G modems. www.fivecomm.eu YBVR, based in Silicon Valley and Madrid, is a technology start-up building the next generation VR video distribution platform. The company specializes in providing the best immersion experience for video VR streaming for all devices and is searching for all new possibilities opened by 5G to improve the VR experience. www.ybvr.com Gestoos is a leading provider of activity recognition and spatial interaction software with offices in San Francisco and Barcelona. The company’s core product is a computer vision-based artificial intelligence solution that enables camera (sensor) equipped devices detect, understand and respond to human gestures, movements and activities. Gestoos’ patented technology not only improves intentional interaction but also increases safety through monitoring and anomaly detection. www.gestoos.com Universidad de Burgos (UBU) is a medium-sized Spanish university located in Burgos, Castilla y León (Spain) with over 7,500 students and 83 research groups. According to BBVA´s Foundation U-Ranking 2020, UBU ranks sixth among the 84 Spanish universities for its research and innovation performance indicators. 5G-INDUCE activities

February 18, 2021

Partnership Updates

YBVR secures $1.5M in financing from Verizon Ventures, TCA and Wayra (Telefonica)

XR video platform to accelerate deployment of 360-degree immersive video streaming with 5G and edge compute capabilities SAN JOSE, Calif. – February 17, 2021 – YBVR, a next-generation XR video distribution platform, today announced a $1.5 million Pre-Series A funding round with participation from Verizon Ventures, Telefonica’s Wayra and Tech Coast Angels. The funding will be used to advance the company’s technology, build its team and further key partnerships. With 360-degree streaming, YBVR’s video platform significantly enhances the virtual viewing experience. The investment marks a significant inflection point for the company, as it will be able to live stream 8K ultra-high-definition video with next-generation technologies for a premium experience across devices with a sub-second latency. “We are grateful to our investors for boosting YBVR’s growth and scale,” said Hector Prieto, Co-founder and CEO of YBVR. “We are committed to our customers and partners, with a focus on monetizing experiential immersive sports and music events to create transformative value and sustainability in society.” Currently used to broadcast events such as Australian Open 2021 in Melbourne, Fan Controlled Football Season 2021 in Atlanta, and Euroleague Basketball F4 in Cologne, Germany, YBVR provides a fully immersive viewing experience for sports fans and concert goers across the world using any connected device. Ultra-low latency allows for viewers to simultaneously select from various camera angles for a personalized spectator experience. YBVR is able to provide instantaneous streaming through deployment on a previously announced AWS Wavelength with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. Mobile edge compute provides the bandwidth needed for wireless data transfer from 360-degree cameras to consumer devices, in real time. “YBVR’s immersive streaming platform offers an unparalleled experience to viewers who cannot be present in-person, allowing anyone to access a game or concert in a very real way,” said Kristina Serafim, Managing Director at Verizon Ventures. “Verizon Ventures is excited to help support YBVR’s growth. With 5G and mobile edge compute, immersive streaming has the potential to transform the sports and entertainment industries.” “New video formats such 8K, VR and 360-degree video are becoming a reality. Telefonica wants to be at the forefront of such technology, which means not only developing new services and video content but also being prepared to invest in startups such as YBVR, with whom we have already produced the first 360-degree immersive musical experience with edge computing technology,” said Paloma Castellano, Managing Director of Wayra in Madrid. During 2021, YBVR will stream more than 300 hours of live international bowling content in partnership with the International Bowling Federation (IBF), allowing millions of fans to actively participate in multiple major bowling events throughout the year, regardless of COVID-related distance and mobility restrictions. About YBVR YBVR is re-defining the way fans experience live sports and engage at home, in mobility and in stadium. Even without being in-venue, fans now can experience the magic of ‘being there’. YBVR tech enables a new immersive & interactive dialogue with sport fans, especially the new generations. YBVR cloud-based tech empowers sport and music event organizers and right holders with new assets for monetization. Fans can decide when, how, what and with whom to enjoy live streams with premium viewing experience on mobile and other XR devices in real-time. Multi-camera viewing, zero-buffering camera changes, immersive replay and co-viewing are just a few features fans will never want to miss again. YBVR headquarters are in California with development team in Madrid and commercial presence in Japan and Australia. About Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control. About Wayra (Telefonica) Wayra is the most global, technological and connected open innovation hub in the world. Wayra is present in 7 innovation hubs in Europe and Latin America with a clear objective: to help startups grow on a global scale. Wayra has a portfolio of more than 400 startups and more than 100 are already working to provide disruptive solutions to Telefónica and its global network of 350 million customers. About TCA Tech Coast Angels (TCA) is one of the largest angel investor groups in the U.S, with over 450 active members, with the Los Angeles network (TCA:LA) boasting over 100 members. Tech Coast Angels actively seeks great startups to fund and for members to join our prolific network.

February 17, 2021

Partnership Updates

YBVR, Verizon, and AWS

Businesses and developers can build and deploy applications with AWS Wavelength Companies as YBVR are already testing their edge solutions in AWS Wavelength zones at the edge of Verizon’s 5G network in multiple locations. Businesses and developers can build and deploy applications with AWS Wavelength at Verizon’s 5G Edge in three new locations: Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC. Verizon and AWS launched the mobile edge computing (MEC) platform last month in Boston and the Bay Area and plan to add five more cities by year end. Mobile edge computing moves the data and processing done by the applications and services we use closer to the end user at the edge of the network. This shortens the roundtrip data needs to travel, reducing lag time, or latency. By moving AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, innovators can develop applications with ultra-low latencies that will support next-generation use cases ranging from self-driving cars to autonomous industrial equipment. Customers are already testing their edge solutions in AWS Wavelength zones at the edge of Verizon’s 5G network in multiple locations. YBVR is building a next-generation VR video platform and is testing how they can utilize 5G and Wavelength to stream live 8K Ultra HD (UHD) video to sports fans and concertgoers, allowing simultaneous users to choose various camera views with ultra-low latency. “Leveraging the powerful combination of Verizon 5G and AWS Wavelength will enable us to put the ‘fan in control’,” said Sebastian Amengual, YBVR co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “With 5G and MEC, fans should be able to enjoy 8K live streams on mobile and XR devices in real-time and have their own, personalized watching experience which was not feasible before.” Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network will enable throughput at least 10 times faster than 4G; deliver ultra-low latency and offer very high bandwidth. Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is expected to eventually enable 100 times larger data volumes than 4G; and the ability to connect more than a million devices per kilometer. “Watching businesses build transformational applications on the world’s first 5G mobile edge computing platform with AWS Wavelength shows how our 5G Ultra Wideband network matters to customers TODAY and is already impacting how businesses operate and consumers live, work and play,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “When it comes to innovating on 5G and MEC, we’re only scratching the surface.” Learn more information about Verizon 5G Edge and Verizon’s 5G technology. For more information for developers, visit here.

November 19, 2020

Case Studies

World Bowling

World Bowling and YBVR, the Silicon Valley immersive technology company, have announced a three-year partnership that will allow millions of fans to experience bowling like never before. YBVR, who has showcased its VR live streaming technology in top sports events like The Australian Open, will work with bowling’s international governing body to deliver the next generation of immersive technology in a multidevice strategy. “We are very excited with this opportunity to take the world of bowling to the next level, and attract new audiences around the world,” said Hector Prieto, YBVR CEO. The partnership will create vibrant and immersive experiences for bowling fans, bringing a new degree of engagement through virtual reality and interactive features. Together, World Bowling and YBVR will work to deliver new content and engage fans with a variety of Apps, software, and innovative solutions that allow for a personalized experience for every user. YBVR technology deploys 8K VR quality streaming and instant camera change in its broadcastings, allowing viewers to catch every second of the action from multiple points of view. Athletes, Coaches and fans will experience a 360 degree vision of the action, along integrated social and interactive capabilities that will connect them in ways until now impossible. “YBVR is an essential piece of the jigsaw in our “Bowling Evolved” strategy, providing multiple ways for our athletes and fans to experience, consume and engage with our elite, para bowling and academy content,” said Chris Neilson, Innovation & Business Development Director, World Bowling. Under the agreement, World Bowling and YBVR will develop a new future for VR coaching and education with further enhancements and integration into the global application for gamification and tournament data tracking. Neilson continues: “Users will be able to consume content via a multi-cam mobile experience in 2D, 180 and 360 with supportive features, real-time statistics and scoreboards for the complete XR experience”. About YBVR – Based in Silicon Valley and Madrid, YBVR is a technology start-up building the next generation VR video distribution platform. The company specializes in providing the best immersion for VR streaming for all devices, all with a single platform. Its technology has already delivered immersive experience to audiences of greatest tennis events, including Australian Open, Laver Cup and Davis Cup. About World Bowling – World Bowling is the International governing body for the sport of Tenpin, Ninepin and the newly formed ParaBowling representing five continental zones and 114 member federations. World Bowling was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1979 as the world governing body for the sport of Bowling and by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2019 for ParaBowling. For more information and interviews, please contact: Media Contacts: YBVR ybvr@ybvr.com World Bowling Media Department media@worldbowling.org

July 31, 2020

Technology Updates

VR Control Room: enhancing traditional broadcast with the immersion and interactivity of VR

Some Broadcasters are reluctant to test VR as a new format for their productions due to the effort it would suppose taking them to produce VR video content for every event they are covering. It is indeed a fair concern: current TV productions are already fairly complex: fixed cameras, moving cameras, drones, spider cams, analytics, dynamic graphics, multiple audios, subtitles, closed captions… in this a big and complex environment, adding the sophisticated VR production equipment for what (let’s face it) is still a “marginal” audience does not seem all that worth it to many. The benefit, at least in the short term, does not always compensate the enormous effort and cost in complexity, the entry barrier is simply too steep. In addition to this, regular broadcast has gone through many decades of refinement, and although 360 and 180 video do provide (when delivered properly) a unique novelty of immersion and sense of presence, immersive production practices and techniques are still in the early days, and are not in the same level of refinement and sophistication. This is why, to many broadcasters, doing immersive-only productions doesn’t seem appealing. And yet, the days in which a single produced TV feed was enough seem to be over: we have reached such level of refinement and sophistication in TV that we can barely enjoy it for more than a few seconds. Think of a racing event: with so many things happening at once, so many stats, rich visualizations, in-car cameras, interviews, reverse angles, overtake attempts, accidents, etc. , the produced TV feed can barely scratch the surface of the overall event. The way we experience these events needs to evolve beyond its current form while still enjoying the benefits it has already achieved. With these concerns in mind, YBVR has developed the VR Control Room: a solution to gather all these existing regular video feeds to build an amazing VR experience. This solution puts the user into the TV director’s chair, showing the feeds available to choose. Users can select what feed they prefer at any time, without any interruption in the watching and keeping all the feeds at the sight, all synchronized. Additionally, there is a lot of space around the viewer to include additional elements: match analytics, players bio, competition results, sponsors advertising… using the huge visual real state VR brings to keep users engaged with relevant and interactive content. YBVR’s VR Control Room lowers the barrier of entry to produce compelling immersive experiences: TV producers can offer a compelling VR experience taking advantage of all existing TV content without having to add the complexity of 180 or 360 productions from the beginning. Evolving this experience to increase its immersive appeal is a natural step with built-in support in YBVR platform, since immersive video feeds (up to 8K60FPS 360 video) can easily be added to the experience at any point. This means that broadcasters can include VR video content gradually, as users demand and production resources evolve. VR Control Room is available for Live and also for VoD productions, where users can watch a production again and again, choosing different views every time. YBVR has already applied this technology in the real world. You can find all these concepts applied in the Laver Cup VR App, available for OculusGo (here) and HTC Vive Focus (here), selecting Director’s chair in the Highlights and “Match points” videos. Feel free to share, in the comments of this post, what has been your experience. Don’t miss it!

February 13, 2020

news

YBVR Launched YB Arena – Split-Second Latency XR Video Streaming Solution

NOS gives “5G seat” at Luz Stadium to children from the Benfica Foundation with YBVR technology

YBVR provides immersive tech to Bowling for the IBF Super World Championships at Dubai

Fan evolution on traditional sports

Euroleague Final Four

5G set to transform Ford’s factory in Valencia with automotive industrial innovation

YBVR secures $1.5M in financing from Verizon Ventures, TCA and Wayra (Telefonica)

YBVR, Verizon, and AWS

World Bowling

VR Control Room: enhancing traditional broadcast with the immersion and interactivity of VR

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