Apple Vision Pro to stream live Lakers games in immersive courtside view
Apple is bringing live NBA broadcasts to its mixed-reality headset, with Los Angeles Lakers games filmed specifically for Apple Vision Pro and offered to fans in the team’s regional broadcast territory.
Apple will begin streaming live Los Angeles Lakers games on its Vision Pro headset from Friday, January nine, marking one of the most ambitious attempts yet to turn virtual reality into a mainstream sports viewing format. The initiative, branded Spectrum Front Row, will deliver select 2026 Lakers fixtures in what Apple describes as an immersive, multi-angle experience designed exclusively for the headset.
The service will be available to Vision Pro users in Southern California, Hawaii and parts of southern Nevada, including Las Vegas. Live games can be watched through the Spectrum SportsNet app or the NBA app, while full-game replays and highlights will be released nationwide in Apple Immersive, starting on Sunday, January eleven.
Courtside angles and spatial audio
Unlike conventional television coverage, the games are produced specifically for Apple Vision Pro. Apple says the live feed will run at up to 150 megabits per second and offer seven different viewing angles, including perspectives from the scorer’s table, beneath each basket, a high-and-wide view of the arena, the player tunnel, the broadcast booth and a roaming courtside camera.
In-game graphics will appear in three dimensions within the virtual environment, while ambisonic microphones will be used to capture Spatial Audio, allowing crowd noise and on-court sound to shift naturally as viewers change their viewpoint. The broadcast team will include Emmy Award-winning commentator Mark Rogondino alongside former Lakers forward and three-time NBA champion Danny Green as analyst.
Fixtures and access
The opening game will see the Milwaukee Bucks face the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, January nine, with a 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time tip-off. Other scheduled fixtures include home games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers, as well as away match-ups with the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.
Access to live games is tied to existing subscriptions. Spectrum Internet customers and video subscribers whose packages include Spectrum SportsNet can watch by authenticating via the Spectrum SportsNet app on Vision Pro. Users with a free NBA ID can also access games through the NBA app, where available.
A premium bet on immersive sport
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Apple Vision Pro, now powered by the M5 chip, starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and is available in markets including the UK, U.S., Japan and Germany. Spectrum Front Row will not be offered in Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, and requires visionOS 26 or later.
For Apple, the move signals a belief that premium, immersive sports content can help justify the headset’s high price and limited install base. For the Lakers and the NBA, it represents another experiment in how live sport might be experienced when the best seat in the arena is virtual rather than physical.
The Recap
- Spectrum Front Row launches with live Lakers games on Vision Pro.
- Seven viewing angles and up to 150 Mbps feed.
- First live game airs Friday, January 9; replay starts Sunday.
