YinzCam, Cleveland Cavaliers Partner to Launch Augmented Reality App

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Apr 19, 2017, 13:00 ET

PITTSBURGH, April 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have added some outside shooting for the 2017 NBA Playoffs, thanks to YinzCam, the mobile app and software developer based in Pittsburgh.

YinzCam, which built and hosts 23 of the league's team apps, including the Cavs' official app, partnered with the defending NBA Champions to create and launch a first-of-its-kind, augmented reality (AR) app, which will allow Cleveland fans to play against each other in virtual shootouts during games at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cleveland Cavaliers partnered with YinzCam, a mobile app developer based in Pittsburgh, to create and launch "Deep in The Q," an augmented reality game. A first-of-its-kind in the NBA, the new app allows fans to point their phone at select images on the Cavs' scoreboard inside Quicken Loans Arena and on Bud Light bottles and cans, triggering a virtual hoop to appear. Fans can then swipe their phones to shoot and score rewards, and unlock hidden features inside the game.

Fans who download the "Deep in the Q" app via the iOS or Android app stores will be encouraged to hold their smartphones up with the app's built-in camera pointed at the team's center-hung scoreboard during select timeouts, and swipe their phone's screens to shoot virtual basketballs at an AR hoop hung off the scoreboard, but visible only in the app.

The stand-alone app is sponsored by Bud Light and will be open to fans age 21+, who will compete, both with their sections of the arena (baselines vs. sidelines) and as individuals, for a chance to win prizes based on their personal scores and shooting streaks.

Fans in attendance for Cavs games will also have an opportunity to play the interactive game in a one-on-one format within the team's "Social Zone" on the main concourse of the arena. But fans at home will be able to enjoy the AR experience, as well.

By pointing their app at co-promoted Cavs and Bud Light signage throughout the Cleveland market, or at Bud Light cans and bottles, basketball fans will be able to play and compare their scores and rankings to competitors around the world via the game's integration into the Apple and Android Game Centers.

Additional gamification features include hidden animations and characters, including the Cavs' current and former mascots, and Bud Light's own popular mascot Spuds MacKenzie from the brand's late '80s advertising campaigns, that participants can unlock by reaching specific achievements.

Although the stand-alone AR app is a first in the NBA, it was not the first augmented reality promotion for YinzCam or the Cavs. The two collaborated on a smaller-scale AR experience within the team's traditional app last fall, which allowed fans to scan a printed championship ring and recreate a virtual, gold and diamond championship ring inside the app on the night of the season opener. Cavs fans could then take screenshots of the virtual ring on their physical hand, and share the images via social media.

"I can't say enough about the respect that I have for YinzCam and the value that I see in our partnership," said Mike Conley, the Cavs' VP of Digital. "As an organization, we are always looking to create unique experiences for our fans and our sponsors, and YinzCam is always up for innovating and collaborating. We are truly partners in the process of bringing this to life."

"Working with Mike Conley and the Cavaliers is a source of inspiration to us because they push the envelope in technology, and are constantly thinking about the next new mobile and digital experience to delight their fans," said Priya Narasimhan, the CEO and Founder of YinzCam. "Working with the Cavs, we were able to bring to life the idea of a communal interactive basketball game played by fans competing against each other by simply holding up their phones to view the in-arena scoreboard and then shooting basketballs into a virtual AR hoop in real-time. It doesn't get any better for us than launching this new product for the Cavs just in time for the 2017 NBA playoffs."

About YinzCam

Founded out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2009, YinzCam is the premier mobile app developer in team sports. The Pittsburgh-based company has built 23 NBA team apps, 24 NFL club apps, 14 NRL team apps, 18 AFL club apps, along with league apps for the NRL, the NBA D-League, Super Netball and the NBL. YinzCam has also developed apps for NHL, WNBA, CFL and MLS teams, as well as apps for sports venues and events, including Super Bowl XLIX and the 2015 NBA All-Star event.

– YinzCam.com –

SOURCE YinzCam