ABC RELEASES IMMERSIVE 360 VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCES FOR 'CMA FEST' INCLUDING FULL PERFORMANCES FROM DIERKS BENTLEY WITH COLE SWINDELL AND BRETT ELDREDGE

For the first time, ABC and the Country Music Association (CMA) are taking "CMA Fest" - the ultimate fan experience showcasing performances from Country Music's hottest stars - to the next level with the release of full performances from Dierks Bentley with Cole Swindell and Brett Eldredge in virtual reality on ABC Facebook and YouTube channels, and via Littlstar's app for headsets and mobile devices. Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell's perform "Flatliner" and Brett Eldredge performs of "Somethin' I'm Good At." A state-of-the-art 360 trailer is live here. Now in its 13th year on ABC, "CMA Fest" airs Wednesday, August 16 (8:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT).

Produced by ABC Entertainment Marketing Studios, CMA and Nokia's cameras, including the award-winning OZO+, were embedded into the show production at Nissan Stadium during CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, where the concert special was filmed, giving viewers at home the chance to experience the massive music event from the stadium floor, back of the stage, front row and center stage.

The post process was completed in-house at ABC Entertainment Marketing, where Nokia's OZO+ Creator software played an integral role in creating a seamless 360-degree image. A computer-generated stage display was built, allowing for the incorporation of traditional aspect-ratio footage into the 360 environments. This ground-breaking graphics work was also done in-house by ABC Entertainment Marketing's design team.

"This was a great partnership all around and part of ABC's continuing emphasis on providing new and engaging ways for our viewers to enjoy our content," said Bob Schefferine, vice president of ABC Entertainment Marketing Production. "Together we are creating an experience that transcends even the best seats in the house, putting fans right on stage in front of tens of thousands of fans."

"CMA Music Festival is unique in the sense of the access that fans get to artists, so to partner with ABC and Nokia to offer an even more personal experience via the TV special, as though viewers were there live, is exciting," said CMA CMO Damon Whiteside. "CMA continues to set the industry standard for innovation while also creating memorable experiences for the fans."

The "CMA Fest" collaboration is ABC Entertainment Marketing's third VR production. They have had two ground-breaking executions with ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars." Last year, the team created an experience that enabled fans to join the pro dancers and troupe members on the ballroom floor for an exhilarating Disco-themed dance. Most recently, they simulcast the entire one-hour finale with a unique, live multicamera 360-degree video internet broadcast, marking the first time for a live VR-cast of a primetime TV show. Additionally, ABC Digital Media Studios has also done innovative VR executions for "Quantico," "Nashville," "Disneyland 60," "The Oscars(R)," and the ABC News team has done breathtaking reporting from such far away and hard-to-access places as North Korea, Syria, Vietnam and Tanzania.

Stay connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/countrymusic, Instagram.com/CMA, and "CMAsnaps" on Snapchat.

About CMA Music Festival

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair(R), bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. Now 46 years later, the legendary Festival has become the city's signature music event hosting tens of thousands of fans from every state and two dozen foreign countries. The 2017 CMA Music Festival featured 11 stages with more than 300 acts and 100 hours of music, all to benefit music education. This is the 14th consecutive year the event will be broadcast on national television, a feat no other music festival has achieved.