THE BBC’s brand new virtual reality World Cup experience has left fans shocked.
With the 2026 World Cup kicking off on June 11, the British broadcaster has launched a completely unique way to watch the games in North America.
The viewing experience – a UK-first Beta 3D experience – allows fans to explore every fixture shown on the BBC in real-time.
Fans have been handed full-control over what angles they want to see.
And it is powered by live official Fifa data and technology from XR company Immersiv.io.
There is a broadcast view where viewers can control the camera angle and a tactical view with a bird’s-eye view of the full pitch.
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The third-person means fans can follow their favourite player on the pitch, while the first-person view is through a player’s eyes.
Statistics are also available as fans become their own football experts from the comfort of their sofas.
It has even been lauded as perfect for second-screen viewing.
Then the replays and highlights follow with even more opportunities to rewind key moments and switch cameras.
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The BBC said: “It’s your match, your way.”
But it is only available to fans watching in the UK.
The technology itself uses the data collected in a similar way to how semi-automated offside technology works.
BBC journalist Faisal Islam called the whole project “sorcery” in his recent X post, as he tuned in to watch Canada play Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Meanwhile, eager fans rushed online to comment on the spangly new viewing method.
One X user wrote: “This is insane that they have this much data to generate this.”
Another quipped: “Sorcery or soccery?”
Someone else said: “This is great for FM addicts who want to enjoy the world cup.”
But not everyone was over the moon with the 3D experience, one fan chimed in saying: “There is an even better way to watch every football game in 3D.
“Watch the game on normal TV. The graphics are amazing – very realistic.”
Another added: “Have the BBC just discovered graphics from the late 90s? That looks pish!”
