Now Live Sports Are Being Streamed in Virtual Reality

NBA fans will be able to watch the defending champion Golden State Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans tonight in a first-of-its-kind broadcast. The NBA and TV network Turner Sports have announced that the 2015-2016 NBA season tip-off game will be streamed live in virtual reality.

Fans can also watch the pre-game ring ceremony in VR, during which the league will hand out championship rings to the Warriors for their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer.

The NBA and Turner Sports are working with VR company NextVR (which also broadcast the recent Democratic debate in VR with mixed results) for this event. Provided you have a supported VR device (only the Samsung Gear VR headset was listed), you'll be able to watch the game through the Oculus Home app. More details about how that all works are available at NextVR's website.

"You look to the left, and see a basket. You look to the right, and see a basket," NBA global media vice president Jeff Marsilio told USA Today. "You look to the ground, and see the court."

He added that, although the experience makes you feel like you're there, it's not a perfect or complete representation of what's it like to be physically present at the stadium.

"This doesn't rival in-game experience," Marsilio added. "You can't smell the popcorn and feel the rumble of the fans. But it is a very cool experience."

The NBA has been experimenting with VR since the 2013-2014 season. Tonight's broadcast represents the "first live professional sports game in virtual reality," the NBA and Turner said.

Are you interested in watching live sports in VR? Let us know in the comments below.