GMA wants to take you on a VR safari with help from IM360

By Lulu Chang February 22, 2016

gma on safari screen shot 2016 02 22 at 7 17 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If the mark of great television is the ability to truly transport its audience, then Good Morning America may have something spectacular up its sleeve. On Wednesday morning, the ABC morning show is partnering with IM360 to unveil GMA On Safari, described as “the first network television event to be simultaneously broadcast live in 360 degrees.” The impressive segment plans to take viewers to Tanzania, where they’ll be treated to a first-person perspective of the incredible Ngorongoro region. All a part of Amy Robach’s report on the imminent danger that poachers pose to the stunning wildlife on the African continent, the virtual reality segment will be broadcast live on ABC from 7 am to 9 am ET.

Promising to show audiences exotic animals in their natural habitats in a never-before-seen manner, this IM360 VR experience hopes to take you on the best safari of your life — regardless of whether or not you’ve ever been on one IRL. Shot using 360-degree virtual reality cameras and drone-mounted cameras, ABC notes that we’ll be able to “experience some of nature’s wildest, most dangerous predators up close, from zebras to rhinos, lions to wildebeests, ostriches to gazelles.” And better still, you’ll be in the driver’s seat — for the entire two-hour broadcast period, audiences will be able to independently select what they explore.

“Partnering with an industry leader such as GMA on this first-ever live network 360-degree experience reinforces the strength of our technology, and our vision for the future of news and entertainment,” said Richard Ngo-Tran, vice president of marketing for IM360. “We’re proud of our proprietary live 360 technology and having a national platform to showcase these capabilities will help push virtual reality further into the mainstream.”

To watch the live 360-degree event even without a television set, you can check back here tomorrow morning to get in on all the exciting action. Because with this event, you don’t have to leave your couch to go into the wilderness.

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