Meta Brings Live B-ball to VR

Basketball fans can now watch 52 live NBA games—plus WNBA, G-League, 2K League and more—in virtual reality via Meta Quest.

By Randy Harward

Share | Jan 26, 2023

Is the future of live, televised basketball in virtual reality? Meta’s bettin’ on it.

On Monday, January 23, Facebook’s parent company announced it would launch 52 free live NBA games in virtual reality via Meta Quest’s XTADIUM and Meta Horizon Worlds.¹

Most of the games will air in 2D (like you see them on TV), but five of these NBA games are in 180-degree VR with celebrity broadcasters. The NBA games began airing on Meta the night of the announcement. The first 180-degree VR game (Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks) streams on February 27 at 4:30 p.m. PST (see schedule).

A pixelated collage of two photos: one of a basketball exiting the net and another of an amazed man wearing virtual reality goggles.

Unidentified stock photography model wearing a non-Meta VR headset screams, perhaps because his team lost.
(Basketball photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash. VR guy photo: Eugene Capon.)

According to Meta, fans will also be able to watch select WNBA, NBA G-League, and NBA 2K League games in VR, plus the following:

Host watch parties
Buy licensed team apparel in the Meta Avatar Store (yay, expensive virch-merch!)
Watch game highlights, recaps, and archival content
Play interactive mini-games
Watch NBA League Pass (coming soon; subscription required)

Note: The Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro headset is required for all of the above.

More basketball on CableTV.com

Can’t get enough live slamma-jamma action? If so, check out these CTV basketball articles.

Meta Quest 2022-2023 NBA schedule

January 18 | Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 7:30 p.m. PST
January 19 | Toronto Raptors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
January 20 | Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:30 p.m. PST
January 21 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:30 p.m. PST
January 22 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns | 5:00 p.m. PST
January 23 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons | 4:00 p.m. PST
January 24 | Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
January 25 | Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks | 5:00 p.m. PST
January 27 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 5:00 p.m. PST
January 29 | LA Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST
January 31 | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST
February 1 | Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
February 2 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
February 4 | LA Clippers vs. New York Knicks | 4:00 p.m. PST
February 7 | Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
February 8 | Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 7:00 p.m. PST
February 9 | Phoenix Suns vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
February 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks | 5:30 p.m. PST
February 14 | Orlando Magic vs. Toronto RaPSTors | 4:30 p.m. PST
February 15 | New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
February 16 | Washington Wizards vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
February 23 | Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
February 24 | Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | 7:00 p.m. PST
February 26 | Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks | 12:00 p.m. PST
February 27 | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | 4:30 p.m. PST†
February 28 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 1 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 2 | Toronto RaPSTors vs. Washington Wizards | 4:00 p.m. PST
March 5 | Charlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets | 3:00 p.m. PST
March 6 | Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST†
March 7 | Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks | 5:30 p.m. PST
March 8 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 11 | Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 14 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST†
March 15 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 18 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
March 19 | Denver Nuggets vs. Brooklyn Nets | 12:30 p.m. PST
March 21 | San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
March 22 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls | 5:00 p.m. PST
March 23 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
March 26 | Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 12:30 p.m. PST
March 27 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
March 28 | Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 5:00 p.m. PST
March 29 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls | 5:00 p.m. PST
March 31 | Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics | 4:30 p.m. PST
April 1 | LA Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:30 p.m. PST
April 2 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | 5:00 p.m. PST†
April 4 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 5:00 p.m. PST
April 5 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
April 7 | Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings | 7:00 p.m. PST
April 8 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers | 1:00 p.m. PST†
April 9 | Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks | 10:00 am PST

† Immersive, 180-degree game.

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Endnotes

Oculus Blog, “Basketball Diaries: Our Partnership Extension with the NBA,” January 23, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2023.