Manchester City appears unlikely to relinquish their chase of a relatively untouched market in football anytime soon.

The current English Premier League champion has begun construction of the metaverse’s first football stadium, with the support of Sony’s virtual reality (VR) experts.

Manchester City and its new partner Sony are teaming up for the virtual duplicate of the Etihad Stadium that will serve as the team’s primary virtual headquarters.

Hawk-Eye technology, a subsidiary of Sony, will use advanced image analysis and skeletal-tracking technology to help erect the virtual ground.

While the project is still in its infancy, teams of the company’s professionals have already conducted an ocular assessment of the Etihad Stadium in order to develop a digital map and a virtual reality version of it.

Related Article | Ariva Wonderland Offers Experiences That Will Redefine The Metaverse

Club top honchos working on the project expect to fill the “stadium” multiple times and provide experiences for fans who may never visit the Etihad in Manchester. They can soon be able to do so from the comfort of their own homes.

It’s undoubtedly encouraging from a global supporters’ perspective to see Manchester City once again ahead of the curve, delving deep into the metaverse to improve the entire experience of the club’s devoted fanbase.

Manchester City expects that fans will reap all of the benefits of having a virtual stadium.

While ongoing pandemic limitations continue to constrain travel possibilities for some, the opportunity to “attend” games in an immersive metaverse setting may be a welcome reprieve for enthusiasts eager to experience a gaming setting once more.

Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing and Fan Engagement Officer of Manchester City Football Group, discussed how boundless the future project will be for fans in particular.

Related Article | Lingerie For Your Avatar? Victoria’s Secret Prepares To Enter The Metaverse

The franchise’s entire rationale for creating a presence in the metaverse is that “you can replicate a game and watch it live, you’re part of the action in a different way… because it’s unlimited, it’s completely virtual.”

Hawk-Eye has a long history of boosting sports for spectators and authorities. It uses sophisticated playback technology to assist referees in making in-game decisions in real time.

Its visualization tools will be utilized to reproduce in the metaverse the dimensions of Etihad Stadium.

Although some may view this effort as reckless, the Club is confident that it will enable more fans to engage on a global scale than ever before – who will also have access to possibilities only available in the metaverse, such as meet-and-greets with the athletes.

268 +