Major League Baseball is going virtual. On Thursday, MLB announced that it will host the first regular-season game at its virtual ballpark when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 20.
The MLB virtual ballpark, which debuted during the 2023 Celebrity Softball Game, allows fans to enter a virtual world that features a three-dimensional representation of the gameplay. Fans will be able to watch the virtual action from any angle in the park, interact with one another throughout the game, and explore the park while playing trivia and participating in scavenger hunts.
With the virtual ballpark, we want to continue to give our fans options to experience the game they love in unique ways and test the boundaries of baseball content delivery,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB’s executive vice president of media and business development. “Gameday 3D allows us to experiment even more within the virtual ballpark and should allow our fans to further immerse themselves into the experience of a game. Thanks to the Rays and Angels supporting this initiative, we can watch Major League Baseball in a format unlike any other.”
MLB uses Gameday 3D and Statcast technology to recreate the live action in the virtual ballpark. Fans wanting to keep an eye on the live broadcast will be able to do that because it will be played on the video boards of the virtual park.
MLB hopes this new technology will allow fans to experience the game of baseball in new ways while also bringing them together online.
