Olympic Channel Debuts First Original VR Series

Olympic Channel is debuting today ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games its first original series using virtual reality, Trending Gold.

Trending Gold marks Olympic Channel’s first original series and content to be filmed entirely in 360 VR, and was produced exclusively for the channel by Jaunt. The multi-part series features additional immersive content, including 360-degree video, behind-the-scenes episodes and other short-form videos available on the global platform. Full episodes will be available on many major VR headset systems, as well as the Jaunt mobile app.

The series features nine athletes and Olympic hopefuls representing six countries across four different sports, including snowboard big air, alpine skiing, short track speedskating and bobsleigh. The series uses VR storytelling to show viewers how the athletes train and prepare for the chance to compete at an Olympic Games.

“Trending Gold is an innovative new series that uses technologies such as virtual reality and 360-dergee video to bring viewers inside the personal worlds of several winter athletes, creating an immersive and engaging experience for our fans,” said Mark Parkman, the general manager of the IOC’s global Olympic Channel. “Finding new ways to connect the stories behind our sports with our audiences through new series like Trending Gold is a key strategy as we continue to evolve the Olympic Channel global platform.”