Industry partners unveil production

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Gravity Media has joined forces with Focal Point VR, Ateme, Bluebell Opticom and Blackmagic Design to showcase a live immersive VR platform

A group of companies has teamed up to create ultra-high-fidelity immersive sports content for the Apple Vision Pro VR headset.

Gravity Media, Focal Point VR, Ateme, Bluebell Opticom and Blackmagic Design teamed up to first showcase what they are calling a “production-grade platform” at IBC 2026

The collaboration brings together technology and operational expertise across the live immersive production chain, enabling rights holders, broadcasters and event owners to deliver ultra-high-fidelity VR experiences for live sports, music and premium <a href="https://comicvibe.com/im-a-cruise-ship-entertainment-boss-this-is-how-we-choose-our-theatre-shows/” title=”I’m a cruise ship entertainment boss, this is how we choose our theatre shows”>entertainment.

Broadcast Sport tried out the live immersive VR content on an Apple Vision Pro at IBC and it provided interesting and compelling angles of footage from football matches (including from behind the goal), motorsports and more. The immersive footage was pretty comfortable to watch. It was captured at Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Esports World Cup and Formula E in London as well as other major live events.

The proof-of-concept tests to capture and present the immersive content demonstrates how “these tests have moved the workflow beyond laboratory validation, demonstrating itso integrate with professional broadcast workflows,” says Gravity Media

The partners believe the market for live immersive media is reaching an inflection point. As next-generation headsets such as Apple Vision Pro raise audience expectations for image quality, depth and realism, broadcasters and rights holders need workflows that can deliver the required fidelity, reliability and operational scalability within live production environments.

The combined platform brings together:

• Gravity Media’s live production expertise, engineering infrastructure and specialist broadcast systems
• Focal Point VR’s ultra-high-resolution stereoscopic immersive camera systems, real-time processing workflow, Segmented Fidelity Streaming technology and headset viewing applications.
• Ateme’s broadcast-grade MV-HEVC encoding and delivery capability, supporting high-fidelity immersive playback for next-generation XR headsets including Apple Vision Pro.
• Bluebell Opticom’s high-bandwidth fibre connectivity infrastructure, supporting the transport of immersive video, audio and control signals in demanding live production environments.
• Blackmagic Design: Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive brings dual 8K stereoscopic capture into a single Blackmagic RAW workflow, supporting immersive production from acquisition through post.
• IO Industries‘ broadcast-grade 8K camera systems, used by Focal Point VR in a range of custom live-first VR rig configurations.

The workflow is designed to maximise the potential of Apple Vision Pro and other advanced headsets by preserving spatial fidelity throughout the production and delivery chain.

“This work is about understanding how immersive viewing can become a practical and operationallyia chief technical innovation officer. “Collaborating with Focal Point VR, Ateme and Bluebell Opticom allows us to demonstrate how these technologies can support new ways for audiences to experience live sport, music and entertainment while integrating with real-world broadcast environments.”

“Live immersive sport has been discussed for years, but achieving the image quality, reliability and workflow integration required for professional broadcast has remained a major challenge,” adds Jonathan Newth, CEO of Focal Point VR. “This collaboration with our technology partners is important because it brings together ultra-high-resolution immersive capture, real-time immersive production and MV-HEVC encoding within a professional live production environment. It shows how immersive coverage can become a practical extension of premium sports and music broadcasting rather than a standalone technology test.”

“Delivering immersive video in real time requires more than high image fidelity, it also depends on efficient MV-HEVC compression, low-latency delivery and the reliability broadcasters expect from professional workflows,” said Jan Outters, director technology and standards at Ateme. “This collaboration shows how immersive experiences can be integrated into existing production and distribution environments while maintaining the performance and scalability needed for live services.”

“Reliable connectivity is a critical part of making immersive broadcast experiences work in real-world environments,” adds Anil Parmar, sales and marketing director at Bluebell Opticom. “This collaboration highlights how high-bandwidth fibre infrastructure can support the transport of immersive 8K video and associated control signals required for next-generation live production.”

Craig Heffernan, director at Blackmagic Design EMEA said “URSA Cine Immersive was designed to make immersive capture more practical by bringing stereoscopic acquisition into a single Blackmagic RAW workflow. For broadcasters, rights holders and event owners, that makes it easier to bring immersive content into established production and post workflows while still delivering the resolution and image quality the format demands.”

“We’re thrilled to see our cameras used in this innovative workflow, and to see how this multi-partner integrated solution is pushing forward the cutting edge of immersive media.” adds Andrew Searle, product manager at IO Industries.