CBC Plans Virtual Reality Coverage of 2016 Olympics

TORONTO—CBC is gearing up for its coverage of the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. As part of that the Canadian broadcaster has announced that it will offer for the first time virtual reality and 360 video programming coverage of the games.

In partnership with Visa and the International Olympics Committee, CBC Virtual Reality will provide both a 360-degree-motion-sensitive stream and an immersive virtual reality stream that can be viewed through compatible headset technology. CBC is planning to offer more than 100 hours of coverage through VR.

According to CBC, it will provide more than 850 combined hours of English language television and more than 4,000 live streaming hours. Live and on-demand content will be available through social media platforms and up to 23 live streaming channels will be available at cbc.ca/olympics, as well as through a dedicated Rio 2016 app for iOS and Android devices.

The 2016 Olympics Games are set to take place from Aug. 5-21.

Read more about how broadcasters are covering the Rio Games at our Live@TheRioOlympics social media hub.