Major League baseball team the Minnesota Twins have launched a stadium-wide shared augmented reality (AR) platform, at its ground at Target Field in Minneapolis. ARound will keep audiences in the stadium engaged by capturing their attention during game downtime through immersive, interactive and shared experiences with fellow fans across the venue.

The ARound installation at Target Field is claimed as the first shared AR experience in a live sports venue.

Developed by creative tech firm Stagwell, ARound uses 3D spatial computing to localise content to individual users throughout the venue, enabling Target Field’s 40,000 attendees to see the same real-time 3D effects and participate in the same shared experiences.

Fans using the ARound app can point their smartphone at the field to open up a range of multi-user AR games such as Batter Up, Blockbuster, and Fishin’ Frenzy – all designed to be played by interfacing with the physical ballpark and fellow fans in real time. 

“We’re excited to introduce our fans to this never-before-seen technology as we continue to evolve and enhance the Target Field experience,” said Minnesota Twins Senior Director, Brand Experience & Innovation Chris Iles. “Part multi-player video game, part augmented reality, with the ability for future expansion into an interactive next-gen stats platform, we believe what we’ve built with ARound will provide fans a next-level experience available only at Target Field.” 

“Current AR platforms isolate users in singular experiences. ARound believes massive, multi-user AR enables a host of creative opportunities to redefine what it means to be part of a connected fan experience,” said ARound Founder and CEO Josh Beatty. “Be it a player, a mascot, a brand, a play or even another fan, ARound captures people’s attention and brings them closer to what’s right in front of them – during times they might otherwise be unengaged and on their phones – turning distraction to interaction and enhancing their overall experience.”  

Fans can see and interact with real-time content led by action on the field, such as after homeruns, mascot races, or when the Twins take the field. During natural downtime, users can compete against their friends or fans in other sections to see who can knock down the most virtual blocks in the real-life outfield by throwing virtual baseballs or hot dogs at the structure. 

“Shared augmented reality is the next frontier that sports teams, brands and other organisations should adopt as they look for ways to engage their audiences,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “At Stagwell, we don’t just talk about the next frontiers of marketing and technology – we build them, and support founders through their growth.” 

ARound is part of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, a proprietary suite of SaaS and DaaS tools built for the in-house marketer, spanning campaign ideation to activation and analysis. Products within the cloud include PRophet , a predictive AI platform for PR professionals; Koalifyed, an end-to-end influencer management platform; the Harris Brand Platform, delivering competitive brand intelligence; and more.