UFC to Collaborate with Unity on Research and Development of Potential Uses for MMA
Game Industry Veteran and Former Liverpool Football Club CEO Peter Moore to Lead Unity Sports & Live Entertainment Division
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Unity (NYSE: U), the world’s leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D (RT3D) content, has unveiled Unity Metacast, an innovative new platform that will lead the real-time 3D (RT3D) evolution for professional sports. Unity Metacast is a RT3D sports platform for creating and delivering interactive content, direct to the consumer. UFC, the leading mixed martial arts organization, and one of the most popular sports brands in the world, will collaborate on research and development of potential applications for Unity Metacast within UFC content.
Unity Metacast uses volumetric technology, which encompasses the process of capturing, viewing, and interacting with the real-world, from moving people to static objects, in 3D. This content can then be viewed from any angle, in real time, giving audiences the ability to see every bead of sweat, blow, takedown and submission, as if they were going toe-to-toe on the famous Octagon canvas themselves.
“The future of experiencing sports is about freedom, choice & interactivity, and consumers are no longer satisfied with being fed linear 2D content,” said Peter Moore, Senior VP and General Manager, Sports & Live Entertainment, Unity. “’I’m excited to launch a brand new division for Unity, and with Metacast we plan to lead the real-time evolution of sports. Having another global innovator in UFC exploring how to use this technology to enhance their content, will help usher in a new era of interactivity for fans all over the globe, forever changing how we watch and engage with the sports we love.”
Unity and UFC, known for their respective innovation, are collaborating to explore the many possibilities Unity Metacast brings to the world of sports and live entertainment. Revolutionizing sports management, participation and consumption, Unity Metacast will power a truly interactive second screen experience for fans, enriched storytelling tools for broadcasters, and data analytics for teams, coaches and athletes along with the chance to create more meaningful and impressionable marketing campaigns.
“One of our brand maxims is ‘Be First’ and this collaboration with Unity is a great example of how we want to be first to use this technology to enhance the UFC experience for our fans,” said Lawrence Epstein, UFC Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to exploring the opportunities with Peter and his team to determine the best ways to integrate real-time 3D within UFC content.”
Unity Metacast is part of Unity’s new Sports & Live Entertainment Division led by games industry veteran and former Liverpool Football Club CEO, Peter Moore. Peter has more than 30 years of experience in gaming, entertainment, and consumer products. This division’s mission is to redefine the way the world interacts with sports & live entertainment.
To find out more please visit https://unity.com/sports
About Unity
Unity (NYSE: U) is the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life. Unity’s platform provides a comprehensive set of software solutions to create, run and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices. The company’s 1,800+ person research and development team keeps Unity at the forefront of development by working alongside partners to ensure optimized support for the latest releases and platforms. Apps developed by Unity creators were downloaded more than five billion times per month in 2020. For more information, please visit www.unity.com.
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.
Contacts
Richard Barnes
Head of PR, Sports & Live Entertainment
richard.barnes@unity3d.com
+447496006906