The metaverse lets audiences watch sports in a new way

Virtual reality and the metaverse are setting the stage for new ways to watch sporting events. A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that users value the unique virtual interactions with others offered by digital events.

The metaverse refers to digital shared spaces that operate in real time. It’s highly immersive and allows people from all over the world to interact in the same virtual space.

The study focused on a metaverse-based stream of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, how it was viewed by participants and what would drive them to join a similar event again.

The researchers found that spectators enjoyed interacting with others, the ability to easily change seats and locations and customizing their avatars. Metaverse-based events were also easier to join than those in real life.

“It’s an experience you cannot get in real life because that’s the World Cup, right? It’s very expensive if you want to get front-row tickets,” said Sam Chen, lead author of the study and doctoral student at UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education. “This immersive feature of the metaverse allows more people to access this type of content.”

Connecting with others a major draw of the metaverse

Participants watched the World Cup in a virtual stadium and saw the players on the field, mirroring the experience of watching the game in real life.

But in the metaverse, users could also switch seats or move to other locations, such as a virtual sports bar. That’s typically not an option at in-person events.

The researchers found that interacting with others in the metaverse was the most important thing to participants.

“In the metaverse, we can communicate and use our own voice, and the people nearby will hear,” said Chen. “We can also communicate by typing text or emojis, and other users can see those above our avatars. And we can communicate via our avatar’s body language, such as waves.”

The ability to communicate with others in the experience was a driving force for participants who said they would participate in similar events in the future.

Users also enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with distant friends and build new friendships in the virtual space.

Spectators can watch events in ways they can’t in the real world

Metaverse-based events let people experience sports in new ways, not only through communication but through the digital space itself.

When going to an event in real life, audiences are bound to the ticket they’ve purchased. Attendees can only sit in their assigned seat, and they often aren’t able to reenter the venue if they leave.

In the metaverse, users can sit wherever they wish in the stadium and even go on the field.

“They can take a selfie with their avatar and their favorite player,” said Chen. “This kind of experience you cannot get from other online digital platforms.”

Participants can also change environments rather than staying in the stadium. If they wanted to go to another location to watch the game, they could leave at any time and return to the stadium later.

And users can customize their avatars, such as having their virtual figure wear their favorite team’s jersey. This increases fans’ sense of belonging and engagement.

The experience is as important as the game

Previous research on sporting events suggested that the game itself was the main factor driving attendance. If the game was enjoyable, researchers thought participants would be more likely to come back for another one in the future.

But the present study suggests that in the metaverse, the game itself may no longer be the primary motivator for attendance; instead, organizers must focus on the entire user experience.

“Users expect more than the game itself in the metaverse,” said Chen. “The environment of the metaverse — like the use of avatars, the virtual interactions, the stream quality — they’re all equally important as the core product.”

The study was published in Sport Management Review and co-authored by James J. Zhang of UGA’s Department of Kinesiology.