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Book Your Stadium teams up with ImagineAR, LA Galaxy launches AR experience

Augmented reality company ImagineAR has partnered with Book Your Stadium to deliver unique AR experiences featuring Spanish LaLiga football clubs, while Major League Soccer franchise LA Galaxy has launched its own virtual experience alongside Herbalife Nutrition.

ImagineAR allows sports teams to create immersive global mobile phone AR campaigns. The company has partnered with Book Your Stadium, which currently offers virtual experiences featuring the stadiums of Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Real Valladolid, Valencia, Athletic Club, Osasuna, Real Betis and Celta Vigo.

A number of other clubs are expected to join Book Your Stadium this year. The platform is currently available in Spanish and is expected to be available in English next month before expanding globally.

Fans are currently able to choose from over 200 experiences from clubs in LaLiga. Examples include access to virtual match experiences with exclusive content and games, esports matches with players, immersive AR experiences, virtual autographs and original match-day events. Fans will also be given the option of the Sportbox, a themed gift box containing selected experiences from some clubs.

Joaquín Martínez, chief executive of Book Your Stadium, said: “We have developed a revolutionary online e-commerce fan engagement site and incorporated ‘best of breed’ innovative digital products.

“ImagineAR is a leader for sports fan AR engagement and we are going to partner on unique fan AR immersive experiences featuring top LaLiga soccer club players. Additionally, we are now an authorised ImagineAR partner to market their SDK platform to LaLiga clubs for integration into their existing mobile apps which are used by tens of millions of fans around the world.”

Alen Paul Silverrstieen, chief executive of ImagineAR, added: “As we continue to aggressively expand globally, our partnership with Book Your Stadium will drive a new direct-to-consumer revenue market channel delivering unique immersive AR mobile engagements to European fans featuring international soccer stars of LaLiga.”

In other news, LA Galaxy has teamed up with Herbalife Nutrition to launch an immersive ARIA 360 AR fan experience in what it claims marks a first for an MLS team.

The Herbalife Nutrition ‘LA Galaxy Experience’ can be accessed on smartphones via herbalifegalaxyar.com. The experience will give fans unprecedented access to LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park, including the players’ lounge, team locker room and the Champions Lounge, where supporters can watch players enter the field and take part in an ‘Average Joes vs Pros’ interactive match.

It is hoped the experience will bring Galaxy fans closer to the team and its players. The experience will run until the end of the 2021 season.

Ibi Montesino, senior vice-president and managing director at Herbalife Nutrition, North America, said: “We are thrilled to work with our partners at LA Galaxy to offer this up close and exclusive experience. We’re excited that this unique activation will provide fans with access to Galaxy players, who will share nutrition and healthy lifestyle best practices – which are cornerstones of Herbalife 24 sports nutrition.”

LA Galaxy president Chris Klein added: “We are excited to roll out this new innovative technology that allows soccer fans far and wide the opportunity to lose themselves in this immersive experience where they can tour the stadium, interact with players, hear the roar of the crowd, and go up against the pros in a virtual soccer match.”

Image: ImagineAR