Cosm scales shared reality for FIFA World Cup across three venues

The World Cup deployment marks a critical shift for immersive video from experimental concept to a repeatable, multi-venue broadcast model. By integrating proprietary hardware with cloud architecture, Cosm is effectively creating a new B2B rights category that sits between traditional linear television and live stadium attendance. This move challenges standard production norms, prioritizing tactical, wide-angle immersion over the rapid cutting common in 2D sports broadcasting. Watch for subscriber or ticket-sales data from these 'Shared Reality' venues to determine if high-resolution immersive experiences can sustain long-term demand beyond major global tentpole events.

The 2026 World Cup serves as a primary scaling event for Cosm following significant capital injection and geographic expansion. Per Sports Business Journal (July 2024), Cosm raised $250 million in a funding round led by Baillie Gifford and Mirasol Capital—valuing the company at over $1 billion—to accelerate its venue rollout. This growth was further bolstered by a $100 million investment from Sony Pictures Entertainment in July 2026, which CoStar reported as a strategic bet on immersive, location-based entertainment to offset declining traditional cinema and retail traffic.

Operationally, the opening of the Atlanta venue in Centennial Yards in June 2026 brings Cosm’s total footprint to three locations, with Detroit and Cleveland sites scheduled for 2026 and 2027 respectively. The company has aggressively expanded its content library to fill these spaces, securing long-term deals across multiple leagues. Per Sports Business Journal (October 2025), Cosm extended its partnership with the NBA into the 2030s, allowing for 12K+ broadcasts of regular season and playoff games. Additionally, a February 2026 partnership with the NHL saw Cosm’s C360 capture systems installed in all 32 league arenas, providing ultra-high-resolution footage for 1,500 games per season used for both fan experiences and internal league operations such as player safety reviews and advanced statistics tracking.

These B2B partnerships underscore a broader trend where rights holders like ESPN, NBC, and TNT Sports use immersive venues to monetize fans who cannot attend games in person. By licensing these specialized feeds, leagues are creating a 'third tier' of viewership that combines the social environment of a stadium with the technological control of a high-end broadcast center. As Cosm targets a network of 50 global locations by the end of the decade, the success of the World Cup matches will likely dictate future international licensing agreements.