Features

2019 In Review – February

Technology giant Intel linked up with English Premier League football clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to deliver immersive experiences from their respective stadia.

Under the deal, Intel True View technology was installed at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium (pictured), Liverpool’s Anfield ground and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, allowing every match to be captured from various vantage points or even a player’s perspective.

Fans have been able to enjoy multi-angle views through 360-degree replays and highlight reels through 38 5K ultra-high-definition cameras, while a virtual plane has also been used to give viewers a clear picture of where players are positioned on the pitch.

Spanish LaLiga club Barcelona announced details of an innovative project to position Camp Nou as the first football stadium in Europe to have dedicated standard 5G coverage.

The club teamed up with Telefónica and mobile industry body the GSMA on the ‘5G Stadium Project’, which was presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The deployment of the 5G technology will cover the stands and the pitch.

As part of the initiative, 360-degree cameras were placed in different locations around the Camp Nou, without the need for cables. Viewers watching at home are able to use virtual-reality glasses to capture the action from the directors’ box, from behind a goal, by the benches, or from any viewpoint at any given time.

The NBA’s Sacramento Kings teamed up with Swish Analytics to launch the league’s first dedicated space for a free-to-play, in-arena predictive gaming experience at Golden 1 Center.

The lounge was initially made available to suite, loft and balcony box ticket-holders, allowing fans to predict game results powered by custom Swish Analytics’ BetRush software, with exclusive prizes on offer.

Earlier in February, the Kings announced partnerships with casino operator MGM Resorts and technology company Xperiel to offer fans a ‘Call the Shot’ free-to-play gaming option within the Fan Zone section on its mobile app…

A deal was reached to build a new 25,000-capacity international cricket stadium in Bharatpur, Nepal.

Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium will be built in the southern central city as part of a partnership between Dhurmus Suntali Foundation and Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

The lotus-shaped stadium will be accompanied by facilities for football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, taekwondo and swimming, as well as a fitness centre.

Dutch Eredivisie football club Heracles extended a partnership with main sponsor Asito in a deal that also granted the cleaning services provider naming rights to its stadium.

Heracles said that the 10-year deal through to July 2029 represented an agreement of unprecedented length in Dutch football.

In other naming-rights news, Georges River Council secured property management company Netstrata as a new partner for Jubilee Stadium in Sydney under a three-year deal. The cricket venue had been without a naming-rights partner since 2017, when a contract with the University of Wollongong ended.

Image: Pixabay