Imagine tuning into a football game and seeing Woody and Buzz Lightyear celebrating a touchdown, or flipping on a hockey match where Bugs Bunny is skating on the ice. It sounds like a kid’s cartoon special, yet it’s actually happening in live sports broadcasts.

Volumetric video is essentially the art of capturing 3D movement over time, think of it as filming a performance in a way that you can later walk around it. Instead of watching shadows on a wall, as in traditional flat video, we’re capturing the entire sculpture in motion, with depth and volume.

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There’s a seismic shift happening in how young sports fans consume content. Generation Z (roughly ages 10–28 today) isn’t following in the footsteps of older viewers, in fact, evidence shows they’re far less likely to watch live games in full, and far more likely to consume sports through short, on-demand snippets. A recent global survey found that just 31% of sports fans aged 18–24 watched live full-length matches, compared to 75% of fans aged 55+

Sports fans have always craved deeper engagement, and a new wave of extended reality (XR) technologies promises to deliver it. Imagine experiencing a live match not just on a screen, but all around you – with 3D replays, holographic overlays, and virtual vantage points. Achieving this level of immersion at scale will take more than cool gadgets; it demands unity across the sports and tech industries.

Sports broadcasts are starting to look and feel more like Hollywood productions. From cinematic camera work that mimics film and TV, to virtual production techniques straight out of VFX-heavy movies, to AI tools that streamline editing and commentary, the worlds of Hollywood and sports media are converging.

Spatial sports media transforms passive viewers into active participants, giving unprecedented control over the game experience.