5G is coming – and legendary manager Simon Fuller is convinced it will bring plenty of opportunities to the music business.
Fuller – the man behind the Spice Girls’ global success, the inventor of the Pop Idol TV talent show franchise and the driving force behind current global pop project Now United – has done a deal with telco Verizon to partner on 5G opportunities.
The partnership aims to transform storytelling and entertainment using 5G Ultra Wideband and extended reality (XR) and will see Fuller’s XIX Entertainment “work in collaboration with Verizon’s XR Lab, 5G Labs and Verizon’s engineers to craft and deliver new storytelling formats and experiences”.
Their first project together will be a short-form immersive virtual reality video that will be available early next year. All content will be “optimised for audiences empowered with 5G-connected devices or next-gen entertainment devices like VR headsets or AR glasses”.
“I am a huge believer in the powerful creative impact Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband will bring to the entertainment industry. Suddenly what previously could only be imagined, is now a reality,” said Fuller. “The quantity of information and quality of the imagery that can now be shared in near real time, enabling interaction with friends and streamed content instantaneously, is a complete game-changer. This will transform the way people connect with each other and experience entertainment. Our partnership with Verizon allows us to explore and define a whole new approach to creativity in this immersive world.”
“By leveraging 5G Ultra Wideband and XR capabilities, we’re able to create immersive stories that relay emotional depth and bring the wider possibility of what 5G means for entertainment into view,” said Erin McPherson, head of consumer content & programming at Verizon. “Simon’s track record in creating game-changing moments in popular culture speaks for itself, and this first project is the tip of the iceberg. We can’t wait to show how the massive bandwidth, super-fast speeds, and ultra-low latency of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband can forever change this new generation of entertainment.”
* To read our interview with Fuller about the Spice Girls’ 2019 comeback, click here. To sign up for the Music Week Tech Summit on March 31, click here.
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