Sky Ups Investment in VR Outfit Jaunt

LONDON: Sky has invested a further $900,000 in Jaunt, a company that is working in cinematic virtual reality (VR).

This brings the total investment made by Sky in Jaunt since 2013 to $1.65 million. Jaunt is pioneering an end-to-end solution for creating and distributing premium live action VR. The content can be played on a wide variety of devices, including common smartphones, as well as VR goggles like Facebook’s Oculus Rift. 

Since Sky’s initial investment, the two companies have tested the technology on a number of Sky original productions, including Critical, Penny Dreadful, Trollied, Fortitude and Got to Dance, as well as sports like boxing and motor racing. Sky has also worked with Jaunt and Warner Bros to create cinematic VR clips from The Hobbit set and red carpet London premiere in 2014. Over the next 12 months, Sky will work with Jaunt to film even more original virtual reality content.

Stuart Murphy, the director of entertainment at Sky, commented: "Jaunt are the pioneers of cinematic VR. The market is developing lightning fast so it is brilliant for us to be hand in glove with the team right at the cutting edge. It’s been amazing working with them over the last two years as we begin to see the technology take off. We are developing some exciting plans for how we can create some amazing viewing experiences for Sky customers.”

Jens Christensen, CEO and co-founder of Jaunt, said: “With the support of world-class partners like Sky, this latest round of funding will allow us to advance the scope of cinematic VR for filmmakers, storytellers and audiences alike. We will build on our leadership position to deliver amazing VR experiences using best-in-class tools, technology and creative teams.”