Partners to demonstrate a field-tested live immersive VR workflow for sports and music coverage, combining professional broadcast production, ultra-high-resolution capture, SFS optimisation, MV-HEVC encoding and fibre connectivity.
Tuesday 8th September, London, UK – Gravity Media, the global leader in production, content, media services and facilities, is collaborating with Focal Point VR, Ateme, Bluebell Opticom and Blackmagic Design to showcase a production-grade live immersive media platform at IBC 2026, taking place at RAI Amsterdam from 11th to 14th September 2026.
The collaboration brings together technology and operational expertise across the full live immersive production chain, enabling rights holders, broadcasters and event owners to deliver ultra-high-fidelity VR experiences for live sports, music and premium entertainment.
The showcase follows a series of field-based proof-of-concept tests and demonstrations by the partners, including live immersive work at Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Esports World Cup and Formula E in London as well as other major live events.
These tests have moved the workflow beyond laboratory validation, demonstrating its viability in real-world production conditions and its ability to integrate with professional broadcast workflows.
IBC 2026 attendees can experience the live multi-camera system immersive workflow through demonstrations on Gravity Media’s stand (10.C27), Focal Point VR and Bluebell Opticom’s stand (10.A10) in Hall 10, and Ateme’s stand (1.D55) in Hall 1.
The partners believe the market for live immersive media is reaching an inflection point. As next-generation headsets such as Apple Vision Pro raise audience expectations for image quality, depth and realism, broadcasters and rights holders need workflows that can deliver the required fidelity, reliability and operational scalability within live production environments.
The combined platform brings together:
- Gravity Media’s live production expertise, engineering infrastructure and specialist broadcast systems.
- Focal Point VR’s ultra-high-resolution stereoscopic immersive camera systems, real-time processing workflow, Segmented Fidelity Streaming technology and headset viewing applications.
- Ateme’s broadcast-grade MV-HEVC encoding and delivery capability, supporting high-fidelity immersive playback for next-generation XR headsets including Apple Vision Pro.
- Bluebell Opticom’s high-bandwidth fibre connectivity infrastructure, supporting the transport of immersive video, audio and control signals in demanding live production environments.
- Blackmagic Design: Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive brings dual 8K stereoscopic capture into a single Blackmagic RAW workflow, supporting immersive production from acquisition through post.
- IO Industries‘ broadcast-grade 8K camera systems, used by Focal Point VR in a range of custom live-first VR rig configurations.
Together, the partners are demonstrating a complete workflow for live immersive coverage and fan engagement, from capture and production through to encoding, delivery and headset playback.
Unlike a traditional broadcast feed, immersive viewing gives audiences greater control over how they experience a live event. Viewers can be placed close to the action, move between curated immersive viewpoints, watch supporting programme feeds and graphics, and experience a stronger sense of presence than with conventional flat video or lower-resolution VR.
The workflow is designed to maximise the potential of Apple Vision Pro and other advanced headsets by preserving spatial fidelity throughout the production and delivery chain. Focal Point VR’s proprietary Segmented Fidelity Streaming technology uses attention-weighted optimisation to preserve perceptual quality where it matters most in the immersive image, while materially reducing the bandwidth required for live delivery. Used alongside Ateme’s MV-HEVC encoding, the approach is designed to make ultra-high-resolution live immersive media practical across real-world broadcast and streaming infrastructure.
The end-to-end workflow is broadcast standards compliant and modular by design, allowing capture, connectivity, processing, encoding and playback components to be selected to suit the requirements of each event, venue and production model.
“This work is about understanding how immersive viewing can become a practical and operationally viable part of live production,” said Sean Mulhern, Gravity Media’s Chief Technical Innovation Officer. “Collaborating with Focal Point VR, Ateme and Bluebell Opticom allows us to demonstrate how these technologies can support new ways for audiences to experience live sport, music and entertainment while integrating with real-world broadcast environments.”
The IBC 2026 showcase will demonstrate how a production-grade immersive workflow can support live sports and music coverage, remote presence, premium fan engagement and new commercial opportunities for rights holders, broadcasters, venues and brands.
“Live immersive sport has been discussed for years, but achieving the image quality, reliability and workflow integration required for professional broadcast has remained a major challenge,” said Jonathan Newth, CEO of Focal Point VR. “This collaboration with our technology partners is important because it brings together ultra-high-resolution immersive capture, real-time immersive production and MV-HEVC encoding within a professional live production environment. It shows how immersive coverage can become a practical extension of premium sports and music broadcasting rather than a standalone technology test.”
“Delivering immersive video in real time requires more than high image fidelity, it also depends on efficient MV-HEVC compression, low-latency delivery and the reliability broadcasters expect from professional workflows,” said Jan Outters, Director Technology & Standards at Ateme. “This collaboration shows how immersive experiences can be integrated into existing production and distribution environments while maintaining the performance and scalability needed for live services.”
“Reliable connectivity is a critical part of making immersive broadcast experiences work in real-world environments,” said Anil Parmar, Sales and Marketing Director at Bluebell Opticom. “This collaboration highlights how high-bandwidth fibre infrastructure can support the transport of immersive 8K video and associated control signals required for next-generation live production.”
Craig Heffernan, Director at Blackmagic Design EMEA said “URSA Cine Immersive was designed to make immersive capture more practical by bringing stereoscopic acquisition into a single Blackmagic RAW workflow. For broadcasters, rights holders and event owners, that makes it easier to bring immersive content into established production and post workflows while still delivering the resolution and image quality the format demands.”
“We’re thrilled to see our cameras used in this innovative workflow, and to see how this multi-partner integrated solution is pushing forward the cutting edge of immersive media.” said Andrew Searle, Product Manager at IO Industries.
The partners will be exhibiting at IBC 2026 and will use the event to engage with broadcasters, rights holders, venue operators, music promoters and technology partners interested in deploying live immersive media for premium event coverage and fan engagement.
To book a demo on the Gravity Media Stand (10.C27), click here.
About Ateme
Ateme is a global leader in video compression and delivery solutions, helping tier-one content providers, service providers, and streaming platforms boost viewer engagement and reduce churn. With unmatched R&D capabilities, Ateme powers sustainable TV services, enhances quality of experience, and creates new revenue opportunities through personalization and ad insertion. Ateme partners with customers through flexible business models aligned with their strategic and financial goals.
Find out more: https://www.ateme.com/
About Gravity Media
Gravity Media is a global media services, facilities, production and content company, driven by its ethos “Capture, Craft, Create”.
Operating in 37 locations across 10 countries worldwide, Gravity Media is built on collaboration, trust and innovation supported by a global network of technical and creative expertise. The company delivers end-to-end media services and solutions to many of the world’s leading broadcasters, rights holders and production houses.
Gravity Media is trusted to deliver some of the world’s most-watched live sport and entertainment, including the UEFA EURO Championships, Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Formula E, Tour de France, US Open, alongside premium entertainment including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice.
With established operations across Europe, America and Asia-Pacific, and continued investment in growth markets including the Middle East, Gravity Media provides expertise in outside broadcast, studios, live and remote production, post production, cloud-based workflows and specialist camera technologies. Through long-standing partnerships and a commitment to technical excellence, Gravity Media allows audiences worldwide to experience iconic moments in sport and entertainment at the highest quality.
For more information, visit www.gravitymedia.com and follow Gravity Media on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube.
About Focal Point VR
Focal Point VR Ltd is a UK-based immersive video technology company specialising in live ultra-high-resolution stereoscopic capture and delivery.
The company designs and deploys end-to-end immersive broadcast systems combining advanced multi-sensor camera hardware, real-time processing, Segmented Fidelity Streaming and high-efficiency encoding to deliver exceptional depth, clarity and realism.
Focal Point VR works with broadcasters, technology partners and rights holders to enable live immersive experiences across sport, music and premium events, bringing audiences closer to the action while integrating seamlessly into existing broadcast workflows.
About Bluebell Opticom
Bluebell Opticom designs and manufactures fibre optic links for the broadcast, telecommunications and professional AV industries. With more than 30 years of engineering experience and a Technical Emmy Award recognised in 2017, the company has played a key role in advancing fibre-based transport of video, audio and data.
Bluebell supports a global customer base, supplying broadcasters, systems integrators and network operators across Europe, North America and Asia. Its solutions are widely used in studios, outside broadcast, live events and other mission-critical environments. All products are designed and manufactured in house in the United Kingdom, ensuring quality, consistency and long-term support.
About IO Industries
IO Industries designs and manufactures compact digital video cameras and recording systems for professional broadcast, live sports, industrial, scientific and specialist imaging applications. Its compact 4K and 8K camera systems are designed for demanding use cases requiring high image quality, synchronisation, robust signal output and flexible system integration. IO Industries cameras are used in a range of specialist production environments where compact form factor, image fidelity and reliability are critical.