Sports broadcaster TNT Sports has announced a partnership with media technology firm Cosm that will see the two collaborate to broadcast sports in new immersive viewing locations.
Cosm is looking to open two 800-capacity venues replete with 360-degree LED digital viewing screens across which sports broadcasts now to be provided by TNT can be shown.
Select live sports aired on TNT will be broadcast in the immersive venue in a way that intends to mirror the experience of attending a real game.
The agreement includes the right for Cosm to show regular season and playoff games from the National Basketball Association, including TNT’s exclusive conference finals coverage, coverage of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and a number of soccer matches involving the US men’s and women’s national teams.
The two venues, 65,000 and 70,000 square feet, will be built in Los Angeles, California, and Dallas, Texas, respectively. The LED domes will be around 87 feet in diameter and are set to open in 2024.
Jeb Terry, Cosm chief executive and president, stated: “Cosm enables the best of at-home and in-venue, delivering the ultimate fan experience. It is a privilege to work with great partners like TNT Sports who also share an innovative spirit and commitment to the fan experience.”
Already in 2023, Cosm signed a deal with the mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to broadcast pay-per-view events from the promotion at Cosm locations.
Through the multi-year tie-up, agreed in April, Cosm will “produce and present live UFC PPV events in immersive 8K at its forthcoming venues.”
The two will work to deliver live UFC PPV events in a ‘shared reality’ format that “bridges the virtual and physical worlds without the need for headsets or augmented devices.”
