MLB unveils new virtual ballpark

MLB is launching a new virtual ballpark to bring fans immersive digital experiences.

It will be the first of its kind for a professional sports league. The virtual ballpark will debut Saturday and open to fans for the first time with a special online watch party for the MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. That's the first of multiple events planned for the virtual ballpark in 2023.

Fans can access the MLB virtual ballpark at MLB.com/virtual-ballpark.

The virtual ballpark will be an online space where baseball fans from all over the world can connect and experience live events. It's designed like a real baseball stadium in an effort to bring the actual MLB ballpark experience to the virtual world.

Fans will be able to create an avatar, customizable with their favorite MLB team's jersey, to enter the virtual ballpark, participate in the live-event experience, explore the ballpark and interact with the other users around them.

"We're creating this digital, virtual stadium where MLB fans across the globe have the ability to experience an event together," MLB executive vice president of media and business development Kenny Gersh said. "What's really cool about this technology is, this is really bringing people together, and it feels like you're there.

"It's really a unique way of simulating that in-ballpark experience to a global audience that really hasn't been possible before."

For the inaugural event, the Celebrity Softball Game during All-Star Week, the virtual ballpark will feature a live stream of the game on the virtual ballpark's video board and include exclusive celebrity interviews that can't be seen anywhere else.

All of the fans who attend the Celebrity Softball event at the virtual ballpark will also receive a commemorative digital ticket created by Candy Digital. Candy partners with MLB to create unique digital collectibles, which have included commemorative tickets for events like the 2022 World Series, postseason games and the Field of Dreams game.

"My hope is that in 20 years, people look back and say, 'Oh, remember when MLB did that Celebrity Softball Game in this environment? Now look where we are, where it feels like we're sitting in Yankee Stadium. And hey, I was there. Here's my ticket,'" Gersh said. "I think that's sort of cool."

Fans participating in Saturday's virtual ballpark launch event will also be able to play mini-games tied to real-time events happening in T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where the Celebrity Softball Game is taking place, as well as participate in a Sorare card scavenger hunt and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win tickets to the 2023 World Series.

By going to MLB.com/virtual-ballpark ahead of the event, fans will be able to register for the MLB virtual ballpark and learn more about the experience.

The Celebrity Softball watch party is only the beginning of what the virtual ballpark can bring to baseball fans. MLB hopes the virtual ballpark will continue to evolve in the future, with more events, new features and potentially integration with more platforms.

"As we continue to enhance and prioritize the MLB fan experience through innovative technologies, this new virtual ballpark will become a great testing ground for the league and our fans worldwide," Gersh said.

The MLB virtual ballpark was developed in collaboration with London-based technology firm Improbable, which develops virtual spaces to connect brands and consumers in the digital landscape. Improbable's platform enables real-time social interactions between the users of the virtual space.

For the MLB virtual ballpark, that could mean fans talking to each other, walking through the stadium together, meeting in the concourse, the crowd cheering during a game and more.

"In working closely with Improbable, we’ve taken what baseball fans know and love about their unique ballpark experiences and connected it to an accessible virtual world," Gersh said. "Not everyone has the opportunity to attend Major League games or enjoy a Major League ballpark experience, but now we can provide this opportunity to anyone with an internet connection, no matter where they are."