NFL to Launch Virtual Reality Game

The NFL is linking up with athlete-founded startup StatusPRO to produce a VR game intended to emulate the player experience.

The game will be available on Meta Quest and PlayStation VR, the companies said on Wednesday.

“We’re democratizing what it’s like to be your favorite athlete,” co-founder and former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins told Front Office Sports. “We want to put you in the shoes of something that you have only been able to experience on TV.”

• StatusPRO raised a $5.2 million seed round in August, led by KB Partners and TitletownTech. 49ers Enterprises, SC.Holdings, Haslam Sports Group, Verizon Ventures, and Greycroft joined the round.
• Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter, Drake, and Jimmy Iovine also invested in the company.
• The StatusPRO team is around 36 people at present, including consultants, but the founders plan to raise money to push that number “north of 100” by the end of the year.

“Authenticity is what we want to drive,” StatusPRO co-founder and collegiate athlete Troy Jones told Front Office Sports. “There are so many different elements that we want to capture and get into the product.” 

Virtual Growth

StatusPRO got its start using player-tracking data to help NFL teams prepare for games. The company currently works with six NFL teams. 

The gaming side of the company leverages much of the same data and technology to produce a VR experience – a selling point for the company in discussions with Meta and Sony.

Editor’s note: SC.Holdings is an FOS investor.