Wrexham to Debut Innovative ‘Shared Reality’ Match Experience

Wrexham is poised to introduce an innovative fan experience for its match against Barnsley on Tuesday, situated 5,000 miles from the Racecourse stadium. The League One encounter against the Tykes is anticipated to attract a significant attendance in north Wales, as Phil Parkinson’s team seeks to uphold its strong League One home record. Concurrently, supporters, including co-chairman Rob McElhenney, will converge on a novel ‘shared reality’ experience in Los Angeles to observe the game in a format distinct from traditional pub viewing. This fixture represents the first EFL game to be showcased at Cosm, featuring its 180-degree domed screen, which measures 87 feet in diameter and is designed to provide viewers with an immersive, pitchside sensation. Earlier in the current season, images depicting fans watching Manchester United in Premier League action via this immersive technology, which simulates being present at the stadium, gained widespread attention on social media. Following the popularity of baseball and NFL games presented through this medium, Wrexham has been specifically selected as the initial EFL team to receive this high-tech presentation. The EFL has endorsed these initiatives, which involve the placement of “several discreet 8K cameras” around the Racecourse “to capture all angles, with no interruption to the regular production output.” It further clarifies that this footage is subsequently “stitched together to create the unique wide-angle effect that recreates being in the ground itself.” McElhenney actively promoted the event for the Barnsley match, and his co-stars from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are also slated to attend the game, which is scheduled to kick off at 19.45 GMT, or 11.45 on America’s west coast. Wrexham supporters in the United States will incur an $11 charge for entry to the venue, which is situated near the Los Angeles Rams’ SoFi Stadium, a location slated for use in the 2026 World Cup. This particular fixture is the first among six EFL games granted authorization for this screening method, with Wrexham’s ‘Hollywood derby’ against Tom Brady-backed Birmingham City on 23 January and the away match at Huddersfield Town on 4 March also having been selected.