LiveLike, a US-based developer of a virtual reality platform for sports broadcasting, has raised $9.6m in series B capital from investors including Dentsu Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for marketing firm Dentsu.
Evolution Media Partners, a fund created by talent agency Creative Artists Agency and investment firm TPG, also invested, as did Courtside Ventures, a partnership between marketing agency WPP, investment firm Bruin Sports Capital and private investor Dan Gilbert.
The round was filled out by venture capital firm Greycroft Partners and GC VR Gaming Tracker Fund, for which Greycroft is the anchor investor, as well as merchant bank Lepe Partners, investment firm Elysian Park and NBA commissioner emeritus David Stern.
LiveLike operates a white-label platform that integrates virtual, augmented and mixed reality to enable users to watch live sports with friends even if they are not physically near each other. Users can change camera angles and also gain access to statistics and replays.
The series B investment will allow LiveLike to further expand a network of partnerships that already takes in the French Tennis Federation, UEFA Champions League and Super Bowl. It will also build out its platform to add more advertising functionality.
LiveLike previously raised $5m in a series A round led by led by Evolution Media Partners in 2016, with participation from Dentsu Ventures, Elysian Park Ventures, Courtside Ventures, Techstars Ventures and David Stern.