Courtside with the NBA
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Use of Metaverse
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The NBA partnered with Meta Quest on the return of the ultimate fan experience this season with more live immersive games in 180° VR and a refreshed interactive “NBA Arena” in Meta Horizon Worlds.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds is the ultimate example of super-serving different types of fans – from NBA fans who may never be able to attend a game in person but can now experience courtside from their couch – to tech-savvy fans who want to stay in the loop on the latest devices their technological capabilities. We are excited for this next frontier of interactive game viewership and unlocking the best experience for every fan.
Objective
The NBA and Meta Quest partnered during the NBA’s Landmark 75th Anniversary Season in 2022 to showcase the future of the game and the NBA’s continued drive to innovate and meet fans where they are. With the return of Meta Quest as the official VR headset of the NBA this season, our objective was to continue to increase the overall engagement on the Meta Quest headsets through exclusive and innovative NBA content. This season, we are bringing fans closer to the game with more courtside games than ever before.
Strategy & Execution
From the first iteration of the partnership, the ability to bring fans together as a community, whether that be through the live game or other experiences, was the main driver of success. This year, to drive awareness and more time spent on the headsets, we increased the number of live immersive games in 180° VR by 10x YoY( from 5 games last season to 52 games this season). Games are viewable through NBA League Pass (Xtadium app) and in NBA Arena (Horizon Worlds) within the Meta Quest. We also updated the interactive community experience of NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds through an improved experience featuring more multiplayer activities, including Slam Dunk Jam and Basket Blitz to show off their skills as they hang out with fellow fans, the opportunity to roleplay as a broadcaster or concessions stand manager and topical NBA trivia for a chance to earn rewards. To encourage fans to represent their teams and engage in conversation, we introduced new stickers, emotes and avatar wearables for use in VR as well as on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. We then leveraged a robust social influencer network to showcase the experience to fans and drive awareness to the partnership.
Organizations
- NBA
- Meta
Links
Credits
Alaina Williams
AVP, Global Fan Marketing
NBA
Colin Dooley
AVP, Brand Marketing
NBA
Molly Yuan
Sr. Manager, Global Fan Marketing
NBA
Alexandra Bailey
Sr. Manager, Marketing Partnerships
NBA
Bob Carney
Senior Vice President, Social and Digital Content
NBA
Ashley Atwell
Associate Vice President, Social and Emerging Media
NBA
Adam Fedorko
Vice President, Social and Digital Content Creation
NBA
Justin D'Apolito
Director, Social Content
NBA
Samantha Linczyc
Associate Manager, Social Content
NBA
Teddy Kaplan
Vice President, New Media Partner Management Lead
NBA
Maggie O’Rourke
Director, New Media Content Partnerships
NBA
Alesha Davis
Manager, New Media Partner Management, Content Partnerships
NBA
Kelsey Brown
Senior Director, Marketing Partnerships
NBA
Decorian Sims
Coordinator, Marketing Partnerships
NBA
Cristian Dominguez Rein-Loring
Creative Technical Lead
Meta
Ryan Dornbusch
Head of Production, Metaverse Sports and Entertainment
Meta
Brent Schnarr
Video Engineering Specialist
Meta
Brad Williams
Producer
Meta
Jeffrey Rich
Creative Producer
Meta
Eric Zawolkow
Video Engineer
Meta
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
