CHICAGO (July 23, 2024) – U.S Soccer and Xtadium today announced a collaboration to bring U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team game content to virtual reality through the Xtadium app on Meta Quest Headset. The initiative will debut with the release of three high caliber matches: the USMNT Summer Showdown against Colombia, presented by Marriott Bonvoy, and the Allstate Continental Clásico against Brazil, both of which were played in early June, as well as the USWNT’s ‘Impact 99’ match against Mexico on July 13, presented by New York Life.
Fans will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of these matches from the comfort of their homes, using Xtadium’s cutting-edge VR technology. By transporting fans directly into the stadium, Xtadium and U.S. Soccer aim to redefine the fan experience by making watching games more engaging and interactive than ever before.
“We are thrilled to team up with the U.S. Soccer Federation to offer fans a truly immersive viewing experience,” said Sebastian Amengual, Chief Technical Officer at Xtadium. “Our goal is to bring the feeling of being inside a soccer stadium to fans homes, and this collaboration is a significant step toward that vision.”
The immersive VR content will include highlights and behind-the-scenes content from three matches:
- USMNT vs. Colombia: Saturday, June 8th
- USMNT vs. Brazil: Wednesday, June 12th
- USWNT vs. Mexico: Saturday, July 13th
“Our expansion into virtual reality with Xtadium is another example of the Federation’s commitment to technologies that level up the fan experience,” said Ross Moses, VP of Business Ventures at U.S. Soccer. “We see a future where immersive content makes unique experiences more accessible and the game even more thrilling. This is an exciting step in building that future for soccer fans.”
Fans will be able to take in these matches like never before by creating a front row viewing experience. Adding to the already great atmosphere, users will be able to create a watch party to enjoy match highlights with their friends all across the United States.
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, it has aligned its efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, and commitment to participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
About Xtadium
Xtadium is an app in the Meta Quest Headset developed by Yerba Buena VR (YBVR). YBVR is the world leader in sports in VR, a Silicon Valley-based technology company whose main purpose is to bring emotions closer to sports fans by providing a unique experience that transports them to their favorite sporting events without leaving their homes. YBVR is a one-stop-shop that has been seven years in the market for building the next generation of live immersive video experiences in VR/360, unleashing the potential of immersive broadcasting by providing unparallel immersive experiences to sports fans connected from anywhere with any device: mobile, web, TV, and, of course, XR devices.
