T-Mobile plans for World Series coverage are an effort to meet a subtle but vital challenge facing carriers and their ecosystems in the 5G age — developing attractive applications capable of convincing people of the benefits and value of 5G. T-Mobile 5G World Series plans include what the company calls “T-Mobile 5G BP” for batting practice.
T-Mobile 5G BP will use “BatterCams” mounted on caps of players and coaches. The programming also will feature field-mounted high definition cameras to provide what the carrier said will be an immersive view featuring real-time, 360 degree views of what is happening on the field.
The show will air today before game one of the series, which pits the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Tampa Bay Rays. It will be available on the MLB app, MLB.TV, MLB.com, Twitch, @MLB on Twitter, the MLB Facebook page, MLB VR on Oculus, and T-Mobile’s Beyond the Bases page.
“A broadcast like this has never been done before, and it offers a glimpse at how wireless connectivity is set to transform the way we watch and interact with live sporting events and more … and how only T-Mobile is able to unleash the power of 5G with America’s only 5G network offering both coverage AND speed,” T-Mobile President of Technology Neville Ray said in a press release about T-Mobile 5G World Series plans.
Carriers often use events at large venues hosting sports and concerts as a way to introduce the new capabilities to the public and build demand.
Earlier this month, Verizon announced a sports and entertainment offering that is aimed at creating a safer in-person experience. It combines its millimeter wave 5G offering and mobile edge computing.
The carrier said that the service enables use of analytics to do such things as monitor wait times at check-in locations and restrooms and identify crowd density and managing flows.
Sports seems to be a particularly attractive way to build interest in 5G. For instance, Verizon has featured 5G broadcasts of NFL football, esports and NASCAR.
