Oculus from Facebook has been named as the official virtual reality headset partner of the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA G League following a multiyear partnership.
As per the latest deal, Oculus will serve as the presenting partner of the NBA Rail Cam Replay for playoff games shown on ESPN, ABC, and TNT, which will now be called the “Oculus Front Row View”.
As a result, the deal represents Oculus’ first multiyear sponsorship with a sports league, and the NBA’s first designation of an official virtual reality headset partner.
Oculus will also become an associate partner of the NBA Draft and NBA Crossover at the league’s All-Star Game, an event which showcases the league’s influence on pop culture. Oculus will additionally become an associate partner of the WNBA’s Believe in Women platform and the NBA G League End of Season Tournament.
Oculus signage will also be present at ongoing and separate quarantined competitions for the NBA and WNBA in Florida, while Oculus Quest headsets will be gifted to NBA and WNBA players.
Rob Shaw, Facebook director of sports media and league partnerships said: “The NBA has a strong history of using virtual reality to connect people in ways that weren’t possible before – and that’s never been more important than it is now.”
“This partnership furthers our ongoing commitment to engage with fans of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League in new and innovative ways,” said Julie Morris, NBA vice president of media and business development. “Together with Oculus, we will create new experiences for our fans while also bringing them closer to the action.”
