Chinese internet platforms are offering football fans a metaverse-like experience during the World Cup tournament underway in Qatar.
Competition for Meta’s metaverse aims continues to grow as more companies offer services that let users don goggles, set an avatar, and enter a virtual world with others. China’s ISPs are just the latest to take on Mark Zuckerberg’s idea.
It would be cool to watch the ongoing World Cup in your own space, while still being joined by others around the world. It would help fans to enjoy a beer with fewer regulations compared to those at the World Cup this year at the very least.
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After securing a sub-license to live stream and offer on-demand coverage of the World Cup, Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok, and streaming service Migu, a subsidiary of China Mobile, secured a sub-license to live stream and offer on-demand coverage of the World Cup. They’re sharing the coverage with China Media Group, the state-owned broadcaster.
Migu is among six companies that secured the rights to broadcast the World Cup in the country.
Part of the service allows soccer fans to watch the World Cup using headset maker Pico’s goggles, 5G, and virtual reality (VR) technology. Fans can invite other fans into their digital rooms to watch the matches together. That’s one way to get the boys together, even when they’re very far apart.
Earlier in November, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology unveiled a plan aimed at boosting the country’s VR development in the five years from 2022 to 2026. According to Global Times, the Ministry, including four other government agencies, plans to reach an industrial scale for VR tech exceeding 350 billion yuan (R830 billion) by 2026. Will the country make the metaverse work? Maybe. But it’s definitely going to try.
