One day in the near future live streaming 360-degree red carpet video will be something that is totally commonplace, but you don’t have to wait until then to have that experience. MTV has partnered with IM360 to bring live streamed 360-degree coverage to the red carpet pre-show at the VMAs this Sunday at 6:30 PM EST/ 3:30 PM PST (Check out what time it will be live in your time zone).
This is MTV’s first real step into the medium and represents another big step towards VR reaching a mainstream audience. Fans will have the chance to get an up close and personal look at some of their favorite artists in their desktop browser or in the IM360 app (available for free on for iOS and Android).
Last year, the VMA All Access live stream experience received 6.5 million views (the VMAs as a whole scored 13.7 million views), so this immersive experience has the chance to expose a potentially large audience to the medium, perhaps for the first time. Says IM360 President and CEO, Myles McGovern “MTV has been connecting music lovers with their favorite artists for decades, and we’re thrilled to offer an innovative new way to transport fans to the VMAs from all around the world.” Adds Colin Helms, MTV’s Senior Vice President of Connected Content, “We’re excited to build on MTV’s long-standing history of digital innovation as one of the first networks to ever fully integrate a live virtual reality experience to give viewers a carpet-side seat.”
Previously, IM360 worked with the Conan O’Brien show at the San Diego Comic Con this year. The two companies also brought and distributed over 40,000 Google Cardboards at the show for fans to view the content on. There is no word yet as to whether MTV has similar plans to distribute Cardboard VR viewers. The experience will be viewable in a non VR format as well with a simple click and drag interface.
