Technology

Tottenham Hotspur enters the Colosseum

Featured image credit: Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur has joined forces with film studio Paramount Pictures to launch what it claims is a ground-breaking augmented reality (AR) experience at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The venture is to promote the release of Gladiator II on November 15, with the AR experience allowing fans to virtually transform the stadium inside and out into the Colosseum of the film’s universe.

The experience launches today (Wednesday) for Tottenham’s EFL Cup match against Manchester City and will be available until the club’s Premier League game against Chelsea on December 8.

Fans can access the technology inside or outside the stadium via Snapchat. In what Tottenham claims is a global first, the experience utilises GPS, world tracking and 3D computer vision capabilities within Snapchat to enable users to enter the universe of Gladiator II.

The Lens features a real-scale reproduction of the Colosseum, 3D animated Roman centurions and a selfie experience which places the user in the attire of a Roman Emperor via Snapchat’s head, body and gesture tracking capabilities.

The AR universe also includes a number of features designed to bring a uniquely Spurs-feel to the experience, including:

  • ‘Audere Est Facere’ and ‘To Dare is To Do’ featured on the walls of the Colosseum
  • Centurions holding Spurs-engraved shields outside the Stadium
  • The gladiator gate featuring two plaques to two Spurs legends in the form of Son Heung-min and Ledley King
  • The recessions on the exterior of the gladiator statues including celebrations from Spurs players

Mixed reality and immersive experiences are becoming increasingly prominent features of sports events. In the US, Around is one of the leading producers of AR experiences having worked with the likes of Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United, Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.