Technology

Tech Stack: WiZink Center debuts Piing gaming experience

Featured image credit: Piing

Piing, which organises multiplayer games for stadium-sized crowds, debuted a half-time quiz experience at Madrid’s WiZink Center during the recent basketball game between Movistar Estudiantes and MoraBanc Andorra.

Sunday’s game attracted over 7,000 fans, and more than 30% of the crowd (2,192) participated in the trivia quiz at half-time. Movistar Estudiantes has been working with Piing to understand new ways of interacting with fans digitally.

Piing has organised successful mass-participation gaming for clubs in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Euroleague Basketball. The company also provided fan engagement activations at the recent Rugby League World Cup in England.

Piing’s software can manage 50,000-plus participants and is completely customisable. The software was rebranded for Movistar Estudiantes’ marketing team developing the quiz questions about the club and its 75-year heritage.

Jose Asensio, director of brand, sponsorship and institutional relationships at Movistar Estudiantes, said: “We are extremely proud to be the first Spanish basketball club to invest in this type of interactive technology. We are always looking for new ways to improve the fan experience, and so it was impressive to see over 30% of the audience taking part, and interacting from the comfort of their seats using their smartphones.”

Miguel Ángel Hernández, Piing’s business development manager for Spain and Latin America, added: “Movistar Estudiantes is an innovative club that understands the growing digital expectations of consumers, and so it has been exciting to be part of their evolution to offer more innovative fan experiences.”

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Rams claimed a first for the NFL with the launch of a new augmented reality experience at SoFi Stadium through a partnership with the ARound platform.

Debuting during the Rams’ home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the fan-focused technology experience uses 3D spatial computing to localise content to individual users throughout SoFi Stadium.

Read our story from earlier in the week for full details.

Fan engagement platform Digital Seat Media has signed a three-year partnership with the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska to bring its low-bandwidth web-based QR-code technology to guests.

Digital Seat Media installed metal tags inscribed with unique QR codes on the arena’s 15,500 seats, allowing every fan inside the venue to engage with the platform on their mobile devices.

The code allows access to various modules including microgames, mobile wallet coupons for in-venue sponsors, enter-to-win sweepstakes, and live stats and schedules for select college basketball games.

Capital Block, a web3 agency for the sports and entertainment markets, has agreed a deal with Hungarian football club Debreceni VSC.

DVSC is the first Hungarian club to signal its intentions in web3. Capital Block will serve as the club’s official web3 agency and will advise and implement its ventures into the space, including areas such as token launches, NFTs and the metaverse.

Telecommunications company Verizon has announced a new pre-game fan experience at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

The reCharge Gaming Lounge will allow fans to play the Madden NFL 23 video game before watching their team and will feature charging stations, heaters and photo opportunities.

The lounge will be located at the Verizon Gate in the southwest corner of MetLife Stadium and will be open from 11am to 3pm during selected Giants and Jets games this month.