- Manchester United started the Premier League season with a win over Fulham
- Many fans watched the game like never before from a location in Los Angeles
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Football fans in Los Angeles will have a unique new way to watch the Premier League for the 2024-25 season.
The top division campaign kicked off on Friday night with Manchester United beating Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford, thanks to a late goal from Joshua Zirkzee.
There were 73,297 supporters in attendance at the match, but many more people enjoyed the thrilling match despite being thousands of miles away.
Cosm Los Angeles, which describes itself as an “experience center,” broadcast the game live from its home stadium, but the broadcast had an added bonus.
Instead of watching the match solely on a television, the match was broadcast on a 27-metre LED screen in what Cosm described as ‘shared reality’.
Supporters have been given a unique new way to watch Premier League football
Cosm Los Angeles, which describes itself as an “experience center,” broadcast the game from its stadium, but the broadcast had a twist, as fans were treated to an immersive experience
The resemblance to being in the stadium was frighteningly realistic, with fans actually being in Old Trafford
The view was essentially a simulation of being in Old Trafford, with the crowd in the stadium blending in with the rest of the surroundings.
The resemblance was terrifyingly realistic, with the camera angles changing depending on where on the pitch the match was taking place, giving fans an unprecedented view of the Premier League.
Several videos then showed fans gathering in various areas of the stadium as the action unfolded on Friday night.
This meant that the supporters were effectively in the front row of the Stretford End as Zirkzee fired in the winning goal for Erik ten Hag’s team.
The fans were served food and drinks in the venue and thanks to the screens they felt as if they were standing next to the Old Trafford pitch.
Tickets for this experience can be purchased on the first through third floors of the ‘Cosm Dome’, with prices ranging from $66 (£50.99) to $132 (£101.98).
However, the most commonly quoted price was $83 (£64.12), more than the price of a ticket for Sunday’s Chelsea v Manchester City match.
Clips shared on social media gave a good impression of the immersive experience and fans were impressed with the new way to watch the match.
One said: ‘This place is unreal,’ while another added: ‘So jealous. Enjoy!’
The camera angle changed depending on where the action was taking place on the field
Fans were shocked by the experience, with tickets costing a whopping $132 (£101.98)
Debutant Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning goal in the closing stages to ensure Man United got off to the perfect start
The Los Angeles location has been compared to the iconic location, the Las Vegas Sphere
Another fan said: ‘That’s madness, I thought you were at Old Trafford,’ while another supporter joked: ‘This is madness, I thought you were at the match for a moment.’
One supporter simply said: “Wow,” while another fan added: “This is amazing.”
The venue opened earlier this year and described itself as ‘laying the foundation for the future of live entertainment’.
It will broadcast a range of sporting events including football, NFL and UFC. Tickets are still available for Sunday’s match between Chelsea and City.