Wrexham v Barnsley was shown live on a 87 foot high, 180-degree, domed screen at the venue in LA

Wrexham reaction

The Cosm has released a video clip taken during a live screening of last night’s (Tuesday 3 December) clash beween Wrexham v Barnsley at Cosm LA.

The video (watch it below) shows USA-based fans watching League One football getting the big screen treatment at Cosm’s immersive entertainment venue in Los Angeles. The game was shown on the huge immersive screens at Cosm LA and Cosm Dallas.

The EFL is only the second football League in the world to have league football matches presented at Cosm’s immersive experience, which broadcasts and replicates live sports events within a theatre, cinema or auditorium environment on a 87 foot high, 180-degree, domed screen.

Fans who attended included Wrexham co-chairman Rob McElhenney at the LA venue. The video clip shows the crowd’s reaction when Wrexham’s Ollie Rathbone scored a 92nd-minute winner to claim a 1-0 win for Wrexham.

The immersive-experience technology simulates the experience of audiences as if they were at the STōK Cae Ras, despite watching from almost 5,300 miles away.

McElhenney said: “I really wasn’t sure what to expect (of Cosm) as I’d only seen a little bit previously…but it’s absolutely incredible. (With me were) a mixture of my friends and family, some co-workers from the various shows and Caitlin’s co-workers from her show, and then all the Wrexham fans from the south-west.

“(Cosm) is such a great opportunity to experience a game with other people and for the Wrexham fans who can’t travel five or six thousand miles. You get to cheer on and commiserate with fellow fans.

“You look around, it’s a Tuesday 11.45am in the morning. Hundreds and thousands have people have showed up for the game. It’s so clear that the EFL has its roots now all over the United States, and people want to experience the game with other people.”

EFL chief executive, Trevor Birch, added: “To be one of the first football leagues in the world to feature on Cosm demonstrates the rising global appeal and popularity of EFL competitions. So far this season, the coverage of the EFL in the USA has reached heights we’ve never seen before thanks to our partnership with CBS Sports. We look forward to more USA-based fans in experiencing the excitement and jeopardy of the Sky Bet EFL in the matches to be broadcast on Cosm to come.”

Head of Marketing at Cosm, Mazen Alawar, said: “That was an incredible first EFL match at Cosm. Anybody who has been to an EFL game live knows that the energy is unmatched.

“The fans are incredibly passionate and the love that we felt all the way over here in America from both the Wrexham and Barnsley supporters that showed up was just electric.”