Manchester City and partner Sony have started building a virtual replica of the Etihad Stadium which will be the team’s central hub in the Metaverse.
Etihad Stadium is the home of Manchester City, England’s top soccer team at the moment. The team announced that it had signed a three-year agreement with Sony, which will provide virtual reality experts to use image analysis and skeletal-tracking technology from subsidiary Hawk-Eye.
Manchester City hopes fans will enjoy all the benefits of having a virtual stadium. Although Covid restrictions are still hampering travel options for some, the ability to watch games in an immersive Metaverse setting could be a relief to fans itching to get a taste of a game setting again.
The team is tearing down geographic barriers for fans who want to be part of a live or recorded match by beginning construction of the virtual Etihad Stadium.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye subsidiary has long been dedicated to enhancing sports for viewers and officials. It helps officials make in-game judgments in real-time with specialized replay technology. Its visualization applications will be used to recreate the dimensions of Etihad Stadium in the Metaverse.
