The way fans watch football has been reshaped by a series of technical leaps that began three decades ago and are now reaching a tipping point. What started as a modest experiment in Soviet television has evolved into a fully immersive broadcast that lets viewers choose their own perspective, even stepping into the shoes of a player.
The Soviet experiment
During the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Soviet engineers introduced a virtual, three‑dimensional replay that reconstructed a goal from multiple angles. The system gave audiences a glimpse of a future where the camera could move freely around the pitch, a concept that felt revolutionary at the time.
Fast forward to 2026, and the BBC has taken that concept to a new level with its World Cup 3D Experience. The service allows fans to switch among dozens of viewpoints, including a player‑centric view that captures the flow of the game from a first‑person stance.
The engine behind the spectacle is a Paris‑based company called immersiv.io. It relies on data supplied by FIFA’s semi‑automated offside system, which records the precise location and movement of every player and the ball, feeding that information into a virtual environment that can be rendered in real time.
The road ahead
In its first week, the 3D feed was accessed more than a million times, demonstrating a strong appetite for immersive coverage. Yet the technology still struggles with densely packed crowds and complex player interactions, limiting its perfection in high‑traffic matches.
What sets the experience apart is the ability to isolate moments that are otherwise invisible, such as the split‑second reaction of a goalkeeper after a goal is scored. These insights offer a depth of understanding that pure two‑dimensional footage cannot provide.
Developers are already experimenting with volumetric video, a step that would let fans freeze time, wander around a live broadcast, and revisit plays from angles that were previously impossible. While the technology is still being refined, its backers — including FIFA, the BBC and the analytics platform The Athletic — see a future where viewers can shape their own narratives around a match.