FOX SPORTS, TOYOTA TEAM TO FAST TRACK INNOVATIVE TECH
AT SEASON-OPENING DAYTONA 500
Virtual Reality and 360 Video Highlight Efforts
to Deliver Immersive Fan Experience
FOX Lab Initiative Continues to Seek Technical Partners
With eyes on innovation, next-generation technology and a flair for being on the cutting edge of all that is revolutionary in their respective fields of expertise, FOX Sports and Toyota team to deliver a truly unique viewing experience to fans of this weekend's DAYTONA 500.
In concert with their position as the first founding partner of the historic DAYTONA Rising renovation project at Daytona International Speedway, Toyota is sponsoring multiple FOX Sports/FOX Lab production initiatives, including complementary efforts in virtual reality and 360-degree video.
"At Toyota, we know NASCAR fans live for heart-pounding action of the sport," said Ed Laukes, Vice President Marketing, Performance and Guest Experience for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "Through the partnership with FOX and NextVR, Toyota is sponsoring a fully-immersive experience that brings fans closer to the action than they've ever been before. The 360 videos we're producing with Furniture Row Racing and the No. 78 Camry extend our reach and give fans at home a truly unique behind-the-scenes perspective."
"Virtual reality is the next great frontier in storytelling and we are thrilled that Toyota is working with us to bring this experience to race fans," said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports President, COO & Executive Producer. "Finding a teammate that shares our aggressive approach to innovation energizes the entire team."
In addition to multiple linear elements in the more than 100 hours of FOX Sports DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS programming lineup, Toyota is sponsoring FOX Sports elements provided by industry leader, NextVR, including:
· A broadcast-quality live virtual reality feed of the 58th running of the DAYTONA 500, a complementary experience provided to the live coverage Sunday on FOX (1:00 PM ET). Planned camera angles include positions trackside with the VR cameras on the track wall inside of a robo-cage, within a pit stall and as part of pre-recorded features from the garage, team hauler and television broadcast truck.
· Access to multiple closed-circuit VR streams of action from the speedway on Friday and Saturday
· A virtual reality kiosk, manned by personnel from FOX Sports and NextVR at the Toyota Fan Injector stadium entrance area
· FOX Lab 360-degree video captured while embedded with the No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota team of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., and shared across multiple FOX Sports platforms http://furniturerowracing.furniturerow.com/frr/team/
How to watch the FOX Sports DAYTONA 500 experience in virtual reality
FOX Sports' DAYTONA 500 virtual reality broadcast will be available free through the NextVR portal. Samsung Gear VR owners can download the NextVR app on any Gear VR headset compatible phones. For detailed instructions, go to www.nextvr.com/gearvr-live.
In Related News: FOX Sports signs multi-year deal with NextVR: http://foxs.pt/1KWoIfh
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 42,000 people (more than 33,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.67 million cars and trucks (more than 2.35 million in the U.S.) in 2014 - and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. (TMS), based in Torrance, CA, is the U.S. sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm for Toyota, Scion and Lexus.
About NextVR
NextVR enables the transmission of live, long-form virtual reality content in broadcast quality - leading the way for live and on-demand VR to become a mainstream experience for sporting events, concerts, cinematic productions and more. Launched in 2009, NextVR has more than 26 patents granted or pending for the capture, compression, transmission, and display of virtual reality content. NextVR's platform allows the fully immersive content to be streamed with pristine quality using current home and mobile Internet connections. NextVR was founded by veterans in stereoscopic imaging technology, software development and an award-winning filmmaker. For more information, go to www.nextvr.com.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1; FS2; Fox's 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.
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