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360 Degree Sports Viewing: Sports Bar VR and More

Richard Janvrin by Richard Janvrin, May 23, 2025

A man wearing VR goggles

The concept of immersive 360-degree sports viewing is just how it sounds: Watching sports in a way that emulates you’re inside the action and watching it from somewhere like a VR sports bar.

With this technology, you’ll have a complete panoramic display of games, offering that “360 immersive experience” so you feel like you’re on the field or court with players.

This type of virtual reality sports viewing is quickly gaining steam, and below, I’ll teach you more about it, including what it is, the experience, how it compares to typical viewing, and more.

What Is Immersive 360° Sports Viewing and How Does It Work?

An immersive 360-degree sports viewing experience lets you watch a game or event in a virtual or panoramic space. You’re surrounded by everything going on in the game, and it almost feels as if you are there.

With a standard TV, you watch what the broadcast shows. With a 360-degree immersive experience, you see everything, including what’s to the left, right, and behind you.

For example, the NBA had a 2024-25 VR schedule. Fans could use their Meta Quest VR headset to watch one game each day. The games were available in the NBA Arena in Meta’s Horizon Worlds and the Xtadium app. In total, there were 52 games.

It’s not a 1:1 experience as if you were in person, especially with depth perception, but it’s still quite immersive and something that can be done at home as opposed to going to a “360 sports bar.”

This type of technology is possible because of 360-degree cameras and VR broadcasting tools. They can capture events from various angles and vantage points, and they’re filmed with ultra-wide 180-degree or 360-degree cameras.

One company that deals with this a lot is Cosm. They use a custom engine to display a broadcast on a dome screen. The VR headsets work as if you’re in the building watching the game by turning your head, and you can see what’s to your left and to your right.

However, it doesn’t start and end with simply watching a game. Fans can also get various overlays, including stats, displayed in their field of vision. This can help new fans understand the game even more.

Additionally, haptic feedback could also occur in certain situations during a 360 immersive experience, such as the chair vibrating when a tackle is made in football.

The 360 Sports Bar VR Lounge Experience

With the development of this technology, there’s been a rise in the 360 sports bar, providing virtual reality sports viewing for groups of people.

For example, Texas vs. Michigan during the 2024 college football season had such an experience. Cosm’s 180-degree 12k+ LED screen provided a unique viewing experience at a Dallas, Texas venue, and plenty of fans were in attendance.

It’s like walking into a bar with a massive screen wrapped around you in a panoramic format.

Cosm also has a venue in Los Angeles, which is a sports bar and planetarium in one. It has a three-story-high dome with a 180-degree screen and can accommodate up to 500 fans.

These sports bar VR experiences combine the game’s thrill and make for a great social experience with friends and family.

Comparing Immersive VR to Traditional Sports Viewing

We’ve talked about VR headsets and sports bar VR experiences, but how does that compare to a more traditional viewing format, such as on TV, in a regular sports bar, or inside the stadium itself?

  • At Home on TV: Watching a game at home on TV is quick, easy, cheaper, and comfortable. You’ll have a broadcast that provides commentary and replays, and you can quickly get up to grab a drink. However, it’s not immersive, as you’re limited to the views provided by the broadcast. The TVs at home are also flat and don’t have a 180 or 360-degree viewing experience.
  • In-Person at Stadium: While VR sporting events can be engaging, nothing can replace being in person at the stadium. Of course, there are costs associated with buying tickets, getting to the stadium, and paying for concessions. However, experiencing the thrill of the crowd and being on hand in person for massive moments could be considered priceless. You can also see everything and more instead of a 360 sports bar—that just makes sense. No current technology can replace that in-person feel, but give it time, and it will likely create something as close as possible.
  • Traditional Sports Bar: If you go to a sports bar like Buffalo Wild Wings with friends, you still have that social experience. There are multiple TVs with multiple games, but more often than not, sports bars pick one game as their “featured game,” and the volume heard throughout the bar is dedicated to one game. At a 360 sports bar, you’ll still have that social experience, and you’ll still be able to eat, but it’s solely dedicated to one game more often than not. Cost-wise, a 360 immersive experience is pricier, but offers a unique experience that may only get cheaper and become “the norm” with time.
  • Personal VR Headset: Using something like the Meta Quest headset allows you to stay home and take in a 360 immersive experience without needing to go to a venue. You won’t have that social experience, but that may not be important to you. This comes down to personal preference. If you want to enjoy the game alone, use the headset. If being social is important, get in on the sports bar VR experience.

Future of VR Sporting Events

Think about 360 sports bars or VR headsets like this: The current experience is the worst it’ll ever be. As time goes on, this will only get better. Remember plasma TVs? They were thousands of dollars. They were cutting edge. Now, you can get a 75-inch TV at Walmart for, like, $400.

These experiences will eventually become the norm. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if the best US online sportsbooks are added to the experience. Imagine wearing a headset and placing bets while experiencing a 360-degree immersive experience.

That’s certainly coming.

Further, the sports bar VR experience will get even better. The technology used will become even more immersive. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a way that this technology adds to the smells of the stadium or the sensation of rain or snow.

The technology required to immerse yourself will likely also become smaller and easier, such as glasses as opposed to headsets.

It’s worth noting that there’s going to be advancements that we cannot even fathom here today.

Either way, these experiences are only improving and becoming more popular. They’ll soon become the norm.

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