Virtual reality


Why there’s nothing virtual about the potential of VR

Briege Whitehead, who heads up Australian production firm White Spark Pictures, explains how virtual reality (VR) programming can be both impactful and profitable for producers. As a TV producer and director who also has a growing virtual reality business, I was saddened to hear about the recent closure of the BBC’s VR Hub. Not least […]

VR firm brings in Bacon from Endemol Shine

A UK-based, Maker Studios-backed virtual reality content producer has hired senior executives from Endemol Shine Group and YouTube channels group Jukin Media. Blend Media has hired James Bacon (pictured) as senior VP, commercial partnerships, and Greg Bond from Jukin, which yesterday launched Video Pizza, an entertainment platform for Japanese audiences. Bacon was previously Endemol Shine’s […]

Content choices will drive virtual reality

VR device shipments will reach a total of 110 million by 2021, with the industry to benefit from a “swath of new and compelling content choices”, according to ABI Research. The new report claims that while mobile device-reliant virtual reality (VR) shipments — such as Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream— dwarf today’s other VR […]

Heavyweight backing for new VR firm

Viral Spiral founder Damian Collier has received backing from a host of prominent media executives for his new venture, VR firm Blend Media. LADBible Group co-founder and CEO Alex Solomou; Maker Studios co-founder and former president Ben Donovan; and ITN Productions managing director Mark Browning are among the investors in the 360° video and VR content […]

AR and VR investments reach $2.3bn

The amount of money invested last year in virtual and augmented reality companies more than tripled compared to 2015, according to new research. Digi-Capital’s new ‘Augmented/Virtual Reality Report and Deals Database’ said that venture capitalists and corporate investors put US$2.3 billion into AR and VR startups in 2016, compared to some US$700m in 2015. AR […]

Facebook hires Hugo Barra to lead VR efforts

Facebook has hired former Xiaomi and Google executive Hugo Barra to lead all of its virtual reality efforts, including its Oculus team. Announcing the move in a post on Facebook, company CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Barra “shares my belief that virtual and augmented reality will be the next major computing platform”. “They [VR and […]

BBC launches virtual reality talk show

UK public broadcaster the BBC has launched No Small Talk, a one-off virtual reality talk show for millennial women. The show is being coproduced by VR production company VR City and immersive content specialist Lyristic. The programme will be available as a 360-degree video on the low-cost Google Cardboard viewer and the Samsung Gear VR […]

Sony unveils PlayStation VR content

Sony has unveiled its full line-up of virtual reality games, experiences and video services for its PlayStation VR headset, which will launch globally tomorrow. Among the non-gaming content that will be available are services like Vrideo, which will let users stream content from a range of VR channels. Customers in the US will also be […]

MIPCOM prepares to enter virtual reality

The organisers of MIPCOM are preparing a series of events focused on the fast-moving world of virtual reality. Sony is backing the VR sessions, which run across the first three days of the market and will be held in the Palais. There will be sessions dedicated to creativity in the VR space, production challenges, financing […]

Comcast Ventures invests in VR studio

Comcast Ventures has invested in virtual reality studio Kite & Lightning, marking the latest in a string of bets in the VR space. Comcast Ventures’ Catalyst Fund contributed to Kite & Lightning’s US$2.5 million seed round, which was led by Raine Ventures and also included contributions from Social Capital, Outpost Capital, Boost VC and Jason […]