Newport Beach, Calif.-based virtual reality live streaming startup NextVR is getting ready to unveil paid events soon, NextVR co-founder Dave Cole told Variety on the sidelines of CES in Las Vegas last week. The company also wants to deliver more subscription content, Cole said.
NextVR is best known for live sports streams, and struck a deal with the NBA in October to deliver at least one NBA game per week to NBA League Pass subscribers.
Cole declined to comment on viewership numbers, but said that interest in the service has increased significantly in recent weeks, with many more users exploring virtual reality after getting their hands on a headset during the holidays. “We’ve seen app installations go through the roof,” he said.
NextVR isn’t ready to announce any pay-per-view partnership deals just yet, but Cole said that concerts could be a natural fit, perhaps as a way for consumers to get access to an event after they weren’t able to buy a ticket and attend it in person.
NextVR struck a deal with Live Nation last May to stream hundreds of concerts in virtual reality. In December, NextVR streamed a Thievery Corporation concert live from Atlanta, Ga.
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NextVR’s investors include Comcast Ventures, Time Warner, SoftBank, CMC Holdings, and others. Altogether, the company has raised around $116 million to date.
