iPhone 8's augmented reality feature could change how we watch sports

When Apple schedules one of its big product unveilings, sports fans don’t usually figure that will affect the way we watch our favorite games. But Apple throws us a curve ball from time to time, and we got one Tuesday.

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Apple’s big rollout of the iPhone 8 gave us a peek at a futuristic new way to take in a baseball game or perhaps even other sporting events. Apple revealed an augmented reality feature that MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) — MLB’s tech arm — is working on for iPhone 8.

What you may not be able to fully get from the picture above: The augmented reality feature would allow baseball fans to point their camera at the field and see stats and player information. It’s a pretty slick innovation that could be applied to various sports and events.

Lest you think MLBAM’s work is just confined to baseball, the technology is also used by the NHL, PGA Tour, WWE and various other companies. Disney recently purchased a 33 percent stake in MLBAM for a reported $1 billion. So the framework is already in place to take well-functioning augmented reality tech far beyond the baseball field.

Even in the brief peek we got at the Apple event, the augmented reality feature got people excited:

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

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