Versant CEO Mark Lazarus asserts that sports has been the primary catalyst for consumer adoption of every transformational media technology, from radio and broadcast TV to cable, satellite, and now streaming. This history underpins the enduring high value of sports rights and franchises within the media ecosystem.

Despite analysts viewing live sports as a prime use case for the Apple Vision Pro, Apple's F1 partnership announcement omits plans for immersive 3D or spatial content. This failure to connect a major content acquisition with its new flagship hardware represents a significant missed opportunity to drive hardware adoption.

Ben Thompson argues Apple's core mistake with Vision Pro sports is treating it like TV, with jarring camera cuts and pre-game shows. The killer app is simple: an unedited, live feed from a single courtside camera that delivers a pure sense of presence, which would also solve Apple's content scalability problem.

Apple's media strategy follows a playbook: first, produce a popular fictional show about a sport (e.g., "Ted Lasso"), building an audience and cultural relevance. Then, acquire the expensive broadcasting rights for the real league (e.g., MLS), ensuring a ready-made viewership for their investment.

Recognizing that the vast majority of its fanbase will never see a race in person, McLaren invests heavily in bringing the experience to them. This includes large-scale free public events and ensuring drivers are accessible, turning passive viewers into active community members.

The subpar NBA viewing experience on Vision Pro, with jarring camera cuts, is not a technical flaw. It's a calculated business strategy by leagues to differentiate immersive "broadcast rights" from highly lucrative "presence rights" (courtside seats), preventing new technology from cannibalizing existing revenue.

Instead of solely fighting a losing 'whack-a-mole' battle against piracy, leagues like the NBA are now co-opting prolific pirates. They provide official access and content to these creators, effectively turning them into an in-house marketing arm that generates authentic content and engages new audiences.

Apple's failure to provide immersive, 3D spatial video for its new F1 partnership is a major missed opportunity for the Vision Pro. Live sports are a primary driver for VR/AR adoption. Offering only a standard 2D broadcast in a virtual environment fails to create a differentiated experience that would justify the hardware's cost for hardcore fans and drive platform adoption.

Apple likely overproduces Vision Pro sports content due to contract negotiations, not a lack of vision. Leagues like the NBA protect lucrative "presence rights" (e.g., courtside seats) and are unwilling to sell a perfect, substitutive VR experience that could cannibalize their most expensive tickets.