The Detroit Lions have named L1VE, a New York-based provider of immersive live rights and proprietary Social Presence technology, as the team’s Official Immersive Partner.
The technology involved is designed to allow fans to experience Detroit Lions football from inside the stadium with Social Presence, starting with the preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 22 at Ford Field (noon start).
To participate, fans can create a free account at l1ve.com and, on gameday, join the stadium live through the L1VE platform. The experience captures a full venue of live experiences in stereoscopic 360 degree, 3-D, and 14K.
It runs on all major immersive headsets, including Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, with one production reaching every fan at once. In a first step, the preseason live coverage will be available in Michigan.
“Immersive rights aren’t a feature of a broadcast deal,” says David Morgenbesser, chief commercial officer at L1VE. “They’re a third category that sits alongside broadcast and streaming without touching either — new reach, new revenue, nothing cannibalized. The Lions are the first NFL club to treat them that way.”
According to L1VE, Detroit Lions fans have followed the team for years with a passion and commitment that far exceeds the number of seats available in the stadium. The moments that define seasons — the play action, the crowd, the shared reactions — have belonged only to the people who could be there in person. L1VE was built to change that, the company says.
“Ford Field holds around 65,000 people. The Lions’ fanbase is a multiple of that,” says Holger Hansen, co-founder and CEO of L1VE. “Closing that gap is why the Detroit Lions are the first NFL team to license immersive live rights, a new class of rights alongside broadcast and streaming. Capacity stops being the limit on who gets to be there.”
With L1VE, fans don’t experience game day passively. They can step inside the stadium, take their seat, feel the energy of the crowd and experience all the action in real time with other fans — seeing, hearing, and reacting as though they were actually in the venue together, says L1VE. It goes beyond the traditional broadcast experience.
As the Official Immersive Partner of the Detroit Lions, L1VE will bring that experience to one of the most passionate and widespread fanbases in the NFL for the first time.
“Our fans are all across Michigan, and they all want the same thing, to be as close to Lions football as possible even if they can’t make it to Ford Field,” says Mace Aluia, vice president of corporate partnerships for the Detroit Lions. “Partnering with L1VE as our Official Immersive Partner lets us put fans virtually inside the stadium on gameday, no matter where they are in the state. We’re excited to start this journey on Aug. 22.”
