【Peggy Markoff】

Samsung isn't the only company letting people watch live NBA games in virtual reality.

Now,Peggy Markoff users of Google's Daydream View headset will be able to watch, too.

Back in 2015, professional basketball games in VR made their debut through a partnership with NextVR and the NBA on Samsung's Gear VR. Initially, it was just a test, offering a couple of livestreamed games. But in 2016, NextVR began delivering one game a week in VR to NBA League Pass subscribers who also use the Gear VR.

Google is now getting in on the game, which could help it secure a larger piece of the rapidly growing mobile VR market. Google Daydream users in the U.S. can watch livestreamed NBA broadcasts, and users in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia can enjoy highlights and video on demand.

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SEE ALSO: 5 VR safety tips to stop you from destroying your home

I had an early look at NextVR's NBA live VR broadcasts, and the experience is immediately engaging, putting you in the most expensive seats in the arena from the comfort of your home or office. In addition to the unique viewing angles afforded by the VR environment, the live broadcasts also have their own announcers who cater to the immersive experience being viewed by the VR audience.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Just how many people are already watching NBA games in VR via NextVR on the Gear VR are unclear, and NextVR isn't offering any numbers regarding its VR viewership (a mystery data point that will have to be exposed this year if the platform is to be viewed as a serious alternative to regular TV).

More VR reactions! What was your reaction to VR? Repost from @mrsmvw #nolimitVR

A video posted by No Limit Virtual Reality (@nolimitvirtualreality) on Dec 31, 2016 at 1:41pm PST

His new toy! #android #gearvr #Christmas #coachefamilyhashtag #nothingbeatsfamily

A video posted by JasonCoache (@jasoncoache) on Dec 26, 2016 at 4:05pm PST

#augenzuunddurch #GearVR #oculus #horror #mademyday

A video posted by Erik C. (@_3lch_) on Dec 27, 2016 at 8:46am PST

According to a recent VR headset forecast from SuperData Research, Samsung is expected to win the Christmas VR sales wars with around 2.3 million units sold, versus Daydream View at 261,000. None of the high-end VR headsets like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift came close to the Gear VR in terms of the research firm's sales estimates.

That forecast appears to be fairly accurate based on an admittedly unscientific look at social media following Dec. 25. The number of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter users shown experiencing virtual reality on smartphone-based headsets like the Gear VR and Daydream View (as well as lesser-known brands of mobile phone-based VR headsets sold at Walmart and other retailers) far outpaced what we saw at the higher end of the VR headset market.

Whether or not this all translates into a major new audience for the NBA and sports in general in virtual reality remains to be seen, but mobile VR just got another huge push into the mainstream.

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