European sports network Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has signed an agreement with Infinite Reality as an exclusive partner to bring a metaverse experience to its viewers. The multi-year agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Events will see the two companies collaborate and launch new ways for sports communities, athletes and brands to interact with each other within unique virtual environments, specifically developed around upcoming Discovery Sports Events properties.
As a first step, Discovery Sports Events and Infinite Reality will preview a unique metaverse experience during the upcoming UCI Track Champions League, a new series launched last year to elevate track cycling as a thrilling spectator experience for sports fans.
The partnership marks the first time Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has harnessed the potential of Web3 technology for its sports properties in Europe by bringing an international event experience to the metaverse, the company said.
Infinite Reality is a provider of metaverse production, programming and marketing strategies. Its Thunder Studios, a 150,000 square foot production facility in Long Beach, Calif., provides integrated studio and production services to the entertainment industry for feature films, TV shows, commercials, music videos, esports, and live events. Thunder also produces original content and programming in a variety of genres.
“Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ partnership with Infinite Reality outlines how we plan to embrace the latest innovations and opportunities to deepen the connections between our audiences, owned series and brand partners to discover possibilities for new growth areas around different sports properties,” said François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events. “We are excited by the potential to engage new audiences around live sport in different ways, extending the experience beyond the live environment and into even more places where people are interacting and spending time.
“Over the coming years, by breaking new ground in metaverse experiences around live sports events we will empower fans to engage with sport in new and exciting ways," Ribeiro continued. "We see the preview during the UCI Track Champions League as an outstanding opportunity to open new avenues for storytelling and fan engagement, providing key learnings as we look to extend our partnership to other assets of Discovery Sports Events’ portfolio.”
“Infinite Reality is thrilled to partner with and provide the metaverse power for such a dynamic, world-class company, said John Acunto, CEO of Infinite Reality. “This is just the beginning of connecting amazing content with their audiences in unique and immersive ways. We can’t wait to see the fans’ excitement while engaging with UCI Track Champions League and bringing them closer to the sport they love in a totally new and revolutionary way.”
