Immersive Media Powers 360-Degree Interactive Video for CBC/Radio Canada and MTV Networks

Immersive Media--a company which has developed a patented technology, dubbed IM LIVE, that enables viewer-controlled, 360-degree, live, full-motion, interactive video experiences (note: the experience of watching video powered by the technology is akin to watching a video version of Google Street View), and which recently announced a deployment of the technology with Canada's MuchMusic (see the article published on itvt.com, November 9th)--last week announced deployments with CBC/Radio-Canada and with MTV Networks.

The CBC/Radio-Canada deployment saw IM LIVE powering live interactive 360-degree video coverage of last Friday's NHL hockey game at the Bell Centre between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. The coverage, which was available at CBSSports.ca and entitled "Hockey Night in Canada All-Access," was intended to complement CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" show and was sponsored by Chevrolet. According to Immersive Media, "Hockey Night in Canada All Access" will be offered in conjunction with select "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts--including the NHL playoffs--throughout the remainder of the season.

The MTV Networks deployment, meanwhile, sees IM LIVE powering interactive on-demand videos of performances and other highlights from last Friday's mtvU Woodie Awards. Immersive Media says that the videos, which are available at http://woodies.mtv.com, range from "an army of hipsters on bikes escorting Matt and Kim into the venue to kick off the first performance to 3OH!3 presenting an award in Lady Gaga-inspired drag."

According to Immersive Media, IM LIVE "places online audiences in the middle of a live event and gives them full control of their viewing experience." Each viewer can click and drag their computer mouse to independently control their own point of view, the company says, looking sideways, up or down, or all around, and zooming in and out of the action. The company bills IM LIVE as a "turnkey" system that enables broadcasters, advertisers and interactive marketers to deliver live, interactive 360-degree video. It is comprised of the company's 11-lens Dodeca 2360 camera and a streaming encoding server that delivers real-time video on the Web. The company claims that the system is easy to deploy and integrate into any broadcast video production framework, and that it provides various significant benefits to both broadcasters and marketers: because it enables viewers to control the viewing experience and feel what it is like to be at a live event, Immersive Media claims, it results in longer viewing times and a richer, more enjoyable viewing experience. This "stickiness," the company says, offers "unique opportunities" for sponsors and advertisers to capture viewers' attention for longer periods of time.