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Hulu is partnering with ticket retailer Live Nation to create a new VR platform for broadcasting concerts, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced today during the company's NewFront presentation in New York City.
The platform, which will be available on Hulu's app, will allow subscribers to hang out backstage and watch the show from "the best seat in the house." In a statement sent to Mashable, Hulu and Live Nation said they're transforming the way concerts can be experienced and want to offer a "specially curated virtual reality" series with some of the biggest names in music.
Jordan Zachary, chief strategic officer for Live Nation, said the company is dedicated to bringing the experience of watching a favorite band or singer to fans in new and innovative ways, listing virtual reality as just one proposed medium. Zachary added that having access to VR meant the company finally had an accessible medium to bring "the magic of a live concert to life" for those that couldn't attend. For example, he said Live Nation had plans to use VR as a way of bringing fans inside some of the biggest global tours, meaning that someone in the States could watch a band perform at Wembley Arena in England.
There are some barricades, however, that Hulu and Live Nation will have to address with artists and tour companies. While VR is certainly more accessible now than it has ever been before, it may be some time before this "experience" launches. With that said, this partnership opens up the door to other companies — particularly audio streaming services like Tidal and Spotify — to join in and build their own subscriber base through promoted tours and album exclusives tied into specific concerts.
Neither Hulu or Live Nation addressed whether they'd be teaming up to bring a similar experience to live sporting events, but Hopkins did confirm that the streaming service was going to start offering live television, including games, to subscribers in 2017. Polygon has reached out to Hulu for clarification.
