This month has seen the broadcaster make the features available on Android devices
BT Sport’s matchday experience features have become available to almost all customers this month.
The broadcaster has now made its ‘manager mode’, watch together, and 360 offerings accessible via its Android app, with stadium experience and matchday live to be added to the cohort of options. All of these options are already available on iOS devices.
Saturday lunchtime Premier League matches this month have used the features, and have also been in use for select midweek fixtures. They are expected to be expanded to competitions including the UEFA Champions League, Emirates FA Cup, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, and boxing clashes.
While the features are optimised for 5G, they can also be used over Wi-Fi or 4G. In addition, Virgin Media BT Sport customers, and those subscribe to BT Sport directly from Sky son’t currently have access to the app.
Watch Together
The only service in the UK allowing fans to watch, see and chat with three other friends, alongside any BT Sport broadcast, thanks to a split-screen interface. Any BT Sport customer can create their own Watch Together room and invite anyone else who is also a BT Sport customer to join them to create a unique match viewing experience.
360
Viewers can watch live action from a range of sporting events in the 360 service. A new “pinch and zoom” functionality enables fans to home in on their desired areas of interest to make customers feel like they are at the ground. 360 offers viewers the chance to select different camera angles and viewpoints, not normally seen in broadcast.
Manager Mode
Customers have the choice of adding real-time graphics as part of the match coverage augmented on the pitch. The feature provides informative and insightful stats such as player names, player speeds, and, a mini-map tracking the positions of all players for a unique tactical viewpoint. Later this season, a shot velocity tracker will become available.
Stadium Experience
Fans can use an augmented reality doorway in the BT Sport App to be transported from wherever they are into exclusive behind the scenes experiences of leading football teams and sporting stadiums. Depending on the club and stadium, these include areas such as dressing rooms, dugouts, trophy rooms and tunnel areas.
Matchday Live
Fans can access team line-ups, formations and in-game stats brought to life through augmented reality from wherever they are watching the action.
Watch Together is not only for top flight football games, but viewers can utilise it for any programme on BT Sport’s four channels.
BT Sport chief operating officer Jamie Hindhaugh said: “At this moment of social distancing and crowd-less sport, Matchday Experience gets fans closer than ever to the sports they love. We are proud to continue giving our customers even more ways to watch and experience sport – such as the ability to watch live with three friends, and the chance to be at the stadia through ground-breaking augmented reality.”