Apple is teaming up with Spectrum SportsNet to bring select Los Angeles Lakers games to the Apple Vision Pro during the 2025–2026 NBA season. These matchups will be captured in Apple Immersive Video—the same VR-friendly format Apple used for its Metallica concert film earlier this year—offering fans a fully 3D, high-fidelity courtside experience.
This partnership gives headset owners a fresh reason to power up their $3,500 device. Apple promises “perspectives impossible to capture in traditional broadcasts”, with immersive angles designed to make viewers feel like they’re right on the hardwood. However, the live streams will only be available to Vision Pro users located in the Lakers’ regional broadcast markets: Southern California, Hawaii, and parts of southern Nevada. Access will likely require a subscription, though full-game replays and highlights will also be available in select countries via the SportsNet and NBA apps.
The game schedule hasn’t been released yet, but Apple and Spectrum plan to unveil details later this fall, with streams expected to kick off in early 2026.
Filling a gap in Vision Pro sports
While the Vision Pro has earned praise as a premium media device, sports programming designed specifically for its unique capabilities has been scarce. Apple already offers Vision Pro-friendly broadcasts for Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer, but the NBA stands out as the only major league building a bespoke headset experience. Within the NBA’s visionOS app, fans can access real-time player stats, stream multiple games simultaneously in multiview mode, or view a miniature 3D court with animated players—turning the sport into both a game and a spectacle.
A push for more content
With reports suggesting Apple is shifting focus toward developing smart glasses rather than a lighter, cheaper Vision Pro, delivering fresh, high-quality experiences is crucial to keeping existing owners engaged. Even if Lakers basketball isn’t everyone’s passion, this experiment could signal Apple’s broader ambitions to bring more live sports to its immersive ecosystem—a step many fans have been waiting for.
If successful, this collaboration might pave the way for other leagues and events to embrace Apple’s spatial video technology, potentially turning the Vision Pro into the go-to destination for next-generation sports viewing.
