The BBC's VR-friendly Olympic 360 broadcasts were a virtual success

Samsung Gear VR
Samsung Gear VR

British broadcasting giant, the BBC, has declared that its 360-degree video trial at the Rio Olympics was a success, with the feedback gathered providing important pointers to the technology's future.

The BBC was one of the highest-profile bodies trialing mass-market 360 video, and BBC Sport used the Olympics to see how the service would perform.

In its official figures the BBC suggests there were one million views of 360 streamed and on-demand output, which included the beach volleyball, boxing, and the opening and closing ceremonies.

Viewers who wanted to experience the 360 footage had to download a specific app from the BBC.

Experimental

"The experimental BBC Sport 360 service, which provided live and on-demand content in 360-degree video for the first time, drew over 1m views across all platforms," said the BBC in a statement.

"Hundreds of users provided feedback on the service to help the BBC further understand the potential of this emerging technology."

That feedback could, of course, have been largely negative – but even if that were the case it will be a useful set of views to inform the BBC's choices going forward.

With 360 filming technology coming down in price, and the proliferation of cheap VR headsets that use the phone as the main viewing screen, this manner of broadcast is picking up pace.

However, VR broadcasting is still a fairly nascent technology, and it's likely that the experience will need to develop considerably in order for it to step outside of the realm of an interesting gimmick.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.

Latest in Entertainment
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Max Verstappen of Red Bull in testing for the 2025 season in Bahrain
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch F1 race online from anywhere
A collage of Tom Holland's unmasked Spider-Man and Sadie Sink's Max in Stranger Things season 4
Marvel reportedly casts Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in Spider-Man 4, but I don't want her to tackle the roles she's rumored to play
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough