The LED Studio Makes Strategic Appointments in the US
The LED Studio expands its team in the US, retaining Greg Stocker of SportsTech Advisers as strategic advisor and appointing Zach Molin as its technology and project manager.
Greg Stocker from SportsTech Advisers takes on a consultative role for the company. A seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in the US sports and venue industry, Stocker will lend his knowledge to expand The LED Studio’s clientele and secure long-term partnerships with US vendors.
Stocker has a proven track record of successfully increasing revenue for businesses within the technology industry, having fuelled a 1500% global growth at Click Effects, where he spent 15 years.
Greg Stocker, strategic advisor at The LED Studio commented: “The LED Studio has a long-standing history of innovation and has been behind many of the most exciting developments in the LED landscape as an OEM for other brands. I am looking forward to helping connect this longstanding design-focused LED manufacturer with vendors, influencers, and clients who could benefit from their expertise and long-term partnership approach to business.
“Bringing their comprehensive offering of design, manufacturing and installation of LED display solutions to the US will provide clients and partners with a unique and compelling offering that will benefit the overall market in a multitude of ways. I am confident that this innovation company will become an instrumental player in the LED solution space for years to come. I’m excited and honored that The LED Studio has entrusted SportsTech Advisers to help navigate the roll out of these much-needed solutions into the US market.”
Zach Molin joins from Sensory Interactive where he played a pivotal role specifying technology for large-scale real-estate LED display installations throughout America. With a background in theatre lighting design and LED technology, Molin will combine his technical experience with project management to lead The LED Studio’s client projects on a global scale.
Zach Molin, technology and project manager at The LED Studio explained: “This role will enable me to mix my technical knowledge of LED display technology with my project management skills to ensure achievable results are delivered and reduce lead time by offering a true turnkey solution. Having direct access to The LED Studio’s portfolio and proprietary manufacturing hubs will allow me to have influence in the build, which is incredibly beneficial to the success of a project and so hard to come by in this market.”
FC Bayern Munich Extends Supponor Partnership for Next Generation Virtual Advertising
Supponor, the global leader in virtual advertising solutions, is delighted to announce that FC Bayern Munich has signed an exclusive partnership with Supponor. As an indication of the strength of the partnership, the extended deal will also see FC Bayern Munich transition to the next generation of Supponor’s virtual advertising solution, Supponor AIR™.
FC Bayern Munich joins Juventus FC and FC Barcelona, amongst others, in the prestigious properties within the Supponor partner portfolio of international top club clients. The 2020/2021 Bundesliga season, already saw Supponor’s hardware-based technology (DBRLive) deployed at selected FC Bayern’s home games at the Allianz Arena. Supponor’s pioneering software-based AIR solution, which is fully remotely operated with no personnel or specialist equipment required onsite at the Allianz Arena, will provide FC Bayern with an industrial-grade broadcast platform able to deliver a wide variety of future proof virtual advertising applications, which can create additional monetization opportunities.
The Supponor AIR™ technology builds on the strong heritage of Supponor DBRLive, widely adopted for over 10 years in top-tier live sporting events, and uses AI/Machine Learning to deploy virtual advertising on any surface, in any sport, and in any weather condition. Now commercially and technically proven, AIR provides FC Bayern with a flexible and powerful marketing tool to continue positioning itself at the forefront of technical innovation to dramatically increase its commercial inventory and provide its sponsors and brand partners with targeted and global reach into local markets.
“At Supponor we are extremely proud to partner with a world elite club such as FC Bayern Munich, and provide them with our latest generation technology, explained Massimo Magrì, Supponor’s MD Europe & Global Head of Football.
“We are excited to extend our successful partnership, which reflects the flexibility Supponor offers when it comes to league-wide deployments or single club partnerships, driven by tailormade technical and business models, always looking for the solutions that best suit our partners” explained James B Gambrell, CEO, Supponor.
“We are delighted to be working with Supponor to forge such a strong partnership,” commented Andreas Jung, Executive Board Member, FC Bayern Munich. “The popularity of the Bundesliga and other competitions such as the Champions League have given FC Bayern Munich a truly global fanbase, and our ability to reach and activate those fans in their individual markets with virtual advertising technology has become a crucial benefit to our commercial partners.”
MSL Business Update of Kappture Agreement
MSL signed a 5-year agreement with AIT Kappture in May 2020. The 18-month anniversary of the Kappture agreement has seen revenue above pre-Covid numbers with marquee customers such as ASM Global, Manchester City and Arena Racing all working with MSL-Verteda and Kappture to enhance their offering in the new normal.
Due to the Kappture agreement, MSL-Verteda has seen a 40% increase in UK sales and the positive contribution of Kappture technology has converted over 45 stadiums, racecourses and arenas already transitioning to the new Kappture technology. The uptake has surpassed all expectations and is now greater than our pre-Covid operations.
Kappture was an incredibly important strategic decision to broaden MSL’s full suite of POS offerings, with Kappture’s purpose-built SaaS POS solutions being ideal for the UK stadium and event operators.
MSL-Verteda history prides itself on providing POS solutions. Since May 2020, Kappture combined with MSL-Verteda products and services to enable large venues to operate in a flexible, high-end market. MSL, the parent company of MSL-Verteda provides alternative POS solutions into a broad range of hospitality environments so that we have a full suite of solutions available depending on the specific requirements and service styles. MSL, the parent, operates in 45 countries with POS solutions, Golf solutions and Digital solutions with a full suite covering the venue market.
MSL Chief Executive Officer, Pat Howard, said: “We are incredibly positive about the shift to Kappture from our previous Stadium-POS solution. We never envisaged that with the disruption that exists in the world that our customers would embrace this change as positively as they have. With over 45 large venues already making the decision to enhance their offering with Kappture POS technology”.
Kappture Chief Executive Officer, Mel Taylor, said: “The success with MSL since May 2020 deploying Kappture to over 45 sites is testimony to the MSL/Kappture relationship and to the Kappture in-house developed EPOS and integrated payments software, which were designed for speed, volume and ease of use. In addition, customers are benefiting from Kappture real-time analysis of sales and stock information which improves management decision making, drives operational efficiencies, allowing customers to maximise profitability, improve the overall customer experience, and create long-standing consumer relationships. We look forward to our continued partnership with MSL and building on the success of the first 18 months."
Draco Video Provides EVS LiveCeption Pure for Israeli Premier League
EVS' long-time distributor Draco Video has invested in the EVS LiveCeption Pure replay solution for its customer United Studios of Israel, also known as Herzliya Studios, the largest and most advanced TV production facilities in the region.
The solution has been deployed within United Studio’s flagship van, the ‘OB van 1’ unit, to serve the live production of the new Israeli Premier League season, which began in September. The use of LiveCeption Pure will be extended to the other live sports and entertainment productions including the popular obstacle course challenge, Ninja Israel, and later installed within its large-scale studio facilities located just outside Tel Aviv.
Assaf Roet, owner at Draco Video, said “EVS’ brand name is very strong in the local broadcast market, but is often considered as a premium product that is financially out of reach for many. When the time had come for United Studios to upgrade their old equipment, LiveCeption Pure offered us a unique opportunity to give them access to EVS’ leading replay technology while keeping their investment costs under control.”
The solution is comprised of two EVS XT-GO replay servers with one XFile3 connected archive and transcoding system to simplify multi-destination file transfer and archive processes during a live production. The XT-GO servers offer the essential functionalities of EVS’ higher-range XT servers, including uninterrupted live feed recording, slow and super motion replays, as well as clipping and playlist control. It also comes with flexible configurations and integrates all new formats from HD/ FHD to UHD-4K, SDR to HDR as well as SDI/IP connectivity. Striking the right balance between high-quality and reliable live programming, and lower infrastructure costs, the solution is ideal for the live coverage of Israeli sporting competitions.
With this investment, United Studios’ OB van 1 becomes the first mobile TV production unit in the region to offer EVS technology onboard, reinforcing the company’s competitive edge on the market. Moreover, this Draco deal has also helped further expand EVS’ regional footprint, allowing more productions to take advantage of state-of-the-art technology and providing audiences with high-quality live programming.
Quentin Grutman, Chief Customer Officer at EVS concluded: “We’ve been working with Draco Video for over ten years, and during that period of time, we’ve managed to build a strong and valuable partnership to serve our customers in the best of ways. Through our joint efforts, we’ve delivered our services to our customers in many news and entertainment production environments and we’re now very excited to see our LiveCeption Pure solution being deployed for Israel’s top sports events”.
Arena Introduces Safety Rail System for Football Fans
Arena has installed the first of the company’s new bespoke safety rail systems into London Stadium, home of West Ham United. It is already being used across all football fixtures at the venue, including Europa League, Premier League and League Cup matches, making the stadium early adopters of wider UK initiatives taking place at a number of Premier League grounds this season.
Arena’s conversations with London Stadium and the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) began in 2020, borne out of concerns over persistent standing in certain areas of the stands. Arena’s specialist seating division applied expertise, drawn from many years designing and engineering grandstand stadium solutions, to develop the new modular rail system, with core components that can be adapted to suit any venue.
Following an open tender process, Arena was contracted to install safety rails for more than 3,000 spectators, in a positive move to ensure a safe experience for football spectators at the venue.
Alan Skewis, Head of Capital Projects at London Stadium, stated: “When drawing up our specification it was clear that an off-the-shelf product would not work. Arena understood that all stadia are different, so we are delighted with the bespoke design that reflects the venue’s elliptical nature, seat rake and loading requirements. Arena worked with us to deliver an efficient, effective solution that meets our needs and enhances the spectator experience.”
Sherif Harding was Arena’s Project Manager, who considered key factors including the existing rake, substrate materials, comfort issues and sightlines for all spectators, before arriving at a suitable, safe solution. He explains: “Having worked across multiple stadia, there is clearly no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to introducing safety rails. Not all areas of any given stadium will be suitable, (possibly due to dimensions or material conditions), but there can often be particularly ‘lively’ areas that would make the introduction of a standing rail system desirable.
“We have developed a core product, which underwent static and dynamic testing, so we understand its capabilities and limitations. The Arena system can be adapted to suit the nuances within an existing grandstand, which can vary considerably depending on the age and design of the structure. We will then recommend a suitable system design and installation process. No two solutions are likely to ever be exactly the same.”
The re-introduction of a safe standing environment is also seen as a key step towards improving fans’ matchday experience, which has become a point of contention between fans and clubs.
Sky Germany Chooses Vizrt to Deliver Real-Time 5G Bundesliga Handball Final
Sky Germany, in collaboration with O2, presented the top match in the Liqui Moly Handball Bundesliga between SG Flensburg-Handewitt and
Sky Germany used Vizrt’s world-
Sky Germany’s production setup also included a mixture of broadcast and mobile phone cameras that used an uncomplicated and simple 5G transmission, powered by
"After the successful first live broadcast last year, we were once again demonstrating the potential of using 5G in live sports with another end-to-end production. Together with our partner O2 and with the support of Vizrt, we were bringing the handball action very close to the TV viewer in unprecedented 5G transmission quality, allowing fans to immerse themselves particularly deeply in the live action in the arena," said Alessandro Reitano, Senior Vice President Sport Production at Sky Deutschland.
“For the first time ever, someone is doing an end-to-end 5G live production leveraging the brand new NDI® Bridge and our cutting edge graphics, analysis and production tools – all in the cloud. We are extremely proud to work with Sky on this boundary-pushing production,” said Daniel Url, Global Head of Product Management at Vizrt.
By utilizing the innovative 5G technology and Vizrt’s production tools in the cloud, viewers experienced live handball in an immersive, engaging way. In addition to the classic TV broadcast, the game was streamed free for fans on skysport.de, and Sky Sport Germany’s YouTube Channel.
WFS Announces Plans for 2022 in Seville
Ahead of WFS Europe’s sixth edition taking place in Sevilla from 28-29 September 2022, World Football Summit (WFS) landed in the Andalusian capital this week, with the city’s Deputy Mayor, Antonio Muñoz calling WFS Europe “one of the most important events in the sports world”.
Through an agreement between World Football Summit and the Government of Sevilla, WFS Europe will take place in the city for the next three years.
The first of which will see the global football congress bring together 2,500 in-person attendees from more than 100 countries at the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions (Fibes), whilst 1,000 more will participate virtually in what will be the biggest event in the history of World Football Summit.
Speaking at a press conference to launch WFS Europe 2022, Muñoz expressed his excitement at the partnership and what it means for the region.
He said: “Without doubt this is one of the most important events in the sports world, and as a representative of the government of the city I have to express my satisfaction at the fact that it will be held in Sevilla.”
Both the city of Sevilla and WFS were joined at the presentation by representatives from the city’s two main clubs as well as the general manager of Granada CF. For these clubs and the entire football industry in Andalusia, the arrival of an event like WFS represents a great opportunity to drive forward a sector that in Spain makes up 1.4% of GDP.
In just five years, World Football Summit has become the largest platform for sports professionals and leaders of the industry, with 12 events hosted to date and with a presence that extends beyond Europe and into Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The sixth edition of WFS will also be the most representative in terms of gender equality. As part of World Football Summit’s pledge to Women In Football’s ‘Get Onside’ campaign, 30 percent of the speakers at the next edition will be women.
WFS director Marian Otamendi, commented: “After five editions in Madrid, bringing World Football Summit to Sevilla is a challenge that we are looking ahead to with much enthusiasm. Sevilla is a city that shares our passion for football and I am sure that we have found the ideal place for World Football Summit to continue to grow and consolidate itself as the principal meeting point for the football industry.
“The news that the next three editions of World Football Summit Europe will take place in Sevilla comes at a time when Sevilla is placing its focus on the sport, with the city hosting the Spanish national team, the King’s Cup Final in 2022 and the next Marca Sport Weekend.
“World Football Summit’s arrival in Sevilla will give strong backing to the football industry not only in Sevilla but in all of Andalusia and I am sure that it will lead to commercial transactions that are of great interest to the region.
There were a number of key footballing figures from across Andalusia in attendance and sharing their thoughts on WFS Europe’s landmark agreement with the local government, including Pablo Vilches, director of Real Betis Balompié.
He said: “For Real Betis this is an event that we’ve been actively participating in since the first edition, with our executives taking part in various panels and we’ve always come away with a lot of information, knowledge and expertise and we have developed synergies and interacted with sponsors and other clubs. We believe that it is an event that helps us and also helps all clubs to grow as a whole.”
Patricia Rodríguez, Director General of Granada CF highlighted what World Football Summit can bring to the region of Andalusia, saying: “For us, the Club, it is a pleasure and a huge opportunity to have World Football Summit come to Andalusia in the next three years.
“We believe it is a very important opportunity for us, for all the community and for all of Andalusia to try to promote sports tourism, specifically football tourism, and above all to project an image of business, of tourism and to present ourselves to the rest of the world in different aspects, from culture and business to sport.”
José María del Nido Carrasco, First Vice President of Sevilla FC, added: “In 2022 World Football Summit will be held in the city of Sevilla, as will the UEFA Europa League final, which will take place at our stadium. Sevilla Fútbol Club puts itself at the disposal of the organisers of the event and is delighted to welcome the leagues, sponsors, federations, companies and the media who will visit us from all over the world.”
Also present at the event were various representatives of companies from the sector, aware of the opportunities that an event of this stature will bring in order to generate business and grow the football industry.
The rapid growth of World Football Summit in the last five years is due in large part to the support of partners like LaLiga, the Global Partner of WFS, which also sees Andalusia as an ideal destination to promote Spanish football at an international level.
LaLiga’s General Executive Director Oscar Mayo added: “We think Sevilla is the right choice to be the home of the next editions of World Football Summit. Andalusia is the home of some of LaLiga’s most iconic clubs, who are the main exponents and ambassadors of Spanish football at an international level, and this event will help to project our values to the global football community.”
Tickets for World Football Summit 2022 are now on sale at https://worldfootballsummit.com/attend-2021/ where information can also be found on the different ways to participate.
Daktronics Announce Control System Integration with Grass Valley
As the company continues to evolve its control systems to help users create more streamlined workflows, Daktronics can now provide an integrated solution with Grass Valley, a trusted partner to many of the biggest and most creative names in the media and entertainment business. Grass Valley’s Kayenne, Karrera and Korona production switchers can now send triggers for content playback and direct control of equipment through the Daktronics Show Control system.
“We recognise that the demands on live event production teams have never been greater,” said Robert Erickson, Grass Valley strategic account manager for sports venues. “That’s why we continue to develop solutions that simplify workflows for our customers. Whether it’s a single command or building a salvo into a switcher macro, with this integration between our products, Daktronics and Grass Valley are making it easier for a production team to deliver a high quality, engaging experience to their audience.”
FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns, has recently implemented this integration to streamline its production for the 2021 season.
Kevin Doerle, engineer and scoreboard operations with Carpe Diem Media Services for the Cleveland Browns, commented, “Daktronics’ ability to smoothly and effectively integrate with the Grass Valley K-Frame and Kayenne switcher is a critical point in our game-day programming. Without this integration, it wouldn’t be possible to create the excellent fan experience we have now and build upon for the future. Working with the Daktronics team in implementing these crucial points of control was a pleasant experience.”
“This development ensures Daktronics is compatible with big technology players in the live events industry and event control systems marketplace,” said Jason Vogel, Daktronics applications engineer. “It allows Daktronics and Grass Valley to send network commands without the need for additional equipment to the processor and, most importantly, makes life easier for their production staff to simply push one button to send content to the display.”
These improved workflows equate to a more efficient production which in turn delivers a better experience for viewers as they watch the live action.
Daktronics Show Control solution is powerful, easy to use and always advancing. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user-friendly production solution.
T-Mobile Park Installs d&b xS-Series Loudspeaker System
The large-scale stadium/arena is vastly different now then 10 years ago,” states Jeff Sanderson, senior design engineer – large venue sound for Diversified U.S. “With a 40,000+ seat stadium like T-Mobile Park (Seattle), the biggest consideration is speaker placement for coverage, throw distance, building structure, HVAC; a lot of areas come into play. The fan experience was key. Baseball and even football have pre-recorded music, but major outdoor sporting events and tours need to tie into a rig to support the venue and achieve high sound quality for both the venue, fans, and Diversified clients. Even for events that are beyond baseball, concert and corporate events, consideration needs to be given to the full system, concourse, announcements, etc.”
Sanderson was the original system designer for the initial installation at T-Mobile Park. A sound system upgrade at T-Mobile Park was in discussion for about eight years. “Most stadiums are 10-15 years on a sound system. With a focus on creating the best fan experience, the Mariners decided in 2020 to transfer to a new system. The system we chose was the d&b audiotechnik xS-Series.”
Sanderson said he is very familiar with d&b systems, so he knew full well the loudspeakers’ capabilities. “We did an upgrade for the Anaheim Angels which is all d&b, so we took the Mariners crew down in 2018 to give them a demo during a game time experience. We were demoing systems, head-to-head between two companies but in the end, the client really leaned toward d&b. During the demo process, the quality differences blew the client away providing an unmatched fan experience which was our ultimate goal. Musically, it required very little adjustment. More fine tuning with the roof open and closed was required, and to maximize quality throughout the space. Over the years, the biggest change is on the audio network side via Ethernet, control, etc. Now we have a fiber backbone to control systems, with no hums, etc. which is nice. Using the Q-Sys plugin, all the tuning and adjustments for system EQ is controlled through the Q-Sys.”
Upper deck arrays are comprised of an 18S-SUB mounted together with 24S point source loudspeakers for the front, 12S-D down and 12S-D rear-firing cabinets. There are 35 total positions in the upper deck layout, and over twice number of subwoofers compared to the previous system. A VLAN carrying Q-LAN and Dante are on the same network. 24S and 12S-D point source loudspeakers support the lower seating area. We were really excited to see it in action once baseball opened back up.”
“The original system, which was installed when T-Mobile Park opened in 1999, had served its purpose and it was time to upgrade to something that would enhance the fan experience and give us more control over the sound profile for ballpark events,” said Ben Mertens, Seattle Mariners Senior Director, Productions. “Working with Jeff Sanderson and his team at Diversified, we were able to use the existing footprint and add speakers without impacting sightlines. The upgrade in the audio experience has helped T-Mobile Park stay current with more recently constructed venues and provide the kind of experience our fans expect.”
With their unobtrusive cabinet design the d&b xS-Series of installation loudspeakers are ideally positioned within a variety of venues including restaurants, bars, lounges, conference and meeting facilities, assembly halls, lecture theatres as well as clubs, houses of worship and multipurpose venues. For added flexibility, rotatable horns enable the loudspeakers to be deployed in either orientation, while the cardioid subwoofer technology delivers low frequencies exactly where needed and not behind the system.
“U brackets used from d&b are another cool thing; we worked with them for color choice and custom hardware,” adds Sanderson. “The loudspeakers are weather resistant and a special version for stadium use in salty air, direct sunlight, and all weather-related elements. Even the color delivered was spot on – the same shade of green used on seats, outfield walls and other areas of the ballpark.”
High quality sound should not be limited to indoor, temperature-controlled environments. d&b has solutions for weatherization, saltwater conditions, as well as any aesthetic needs including color, texture or other custom solutions. Furthermore, the 12S and 24S loudspeaker enclosures are Ball Impact Resistant according to DIN 18032-3 for sports and multipurpose venues.
Diversified installed brand-new fiber everywhere. They worked directly with the Mariners IS department for a separate network island that is not part of a conversion network, which is critical on the audio side. For servicing, the user can remotely access the computer and core to address any issues if necessary. SMAART was used for time alignment.
“The d&b DS10 Dante based interface provides AES outputs for the amplifiers to receive signal,” explains Sanderson. “Q-Sys is being used by the front of house engineer for game time operations and troubleshooting. Should there be an issue, we have ways to get into the guts of the system to diagnose the problem.
Pattern control is especially important in stadiums. The retractable roof at T-Mobile Park can be highly reverberant so we developed a high-density system, getting speakers as close to listeners as possible.” All d&b subwoofers are in the upper canopy, and it gives a nice full frequency response to the system but is not intended to be case specific.
“The experience working with d&b audiotechnik was incredible from my standpoint; we collaborated together even with the time difference between Germany and the West Coast,” notes Sanderson.
CreateLED Launches AirFLOOR-V1
LED display manufacturer, CreateLED, has announced its height-adjustable, LED floor display solution, AirFLOOR-V1. The range launches with two pixel pitch, the 1.6mm and 2.6mm. Suited to a wide variety of applications from virtual production for broadcasting and film productions, corporate receptions, through to hotel, leisure and retail, CreateLED’s AirFLOOR-V1 adds an extra level of immersion to any showcase environment.
AirFLOOR-V1 panels are robust and waterproof with an IP 65 rating for both front and rear sides of the panel. The slim and lightweight design of the panels facilitates both storage and transportation. Measuring 1m square, each panel holds four LED modules configured two by two, boasts a total thickness of 135mm and weighs in at just 9Kg. That is just 45Kg per square metre, with the cooling system attached. The panel’s much-reduced weight, but also its strength, is conferred by the panel’s carbon fibre structure and spliced extrudate design.
The lightweight AirFLOOR-V1 panels are fast and convenient to install. Plug-in connections between the cabinet and the holder enhance connection reliability. With no unsightly cables to navigate, the panels are secure, adjusting simply to the fluctuations of any floor to create a smooth and visually enticing walkway on the most uneven of floors.
The AirFLOOR-V1 panels are bright, achieving between 600 – 1000 nits with a panel refresh rate of 3,840 Hz to 7,680 Hz. The superior 22-bit, 281 trillion colour visual performance of the panels is further defined by CreateLED’s Ebony Technology which also supports the panel durability. The tough, fused layer grants an extremely wide viewing angle of 160-degrees as well as the ultimate black surface through which colours pop for a punchy and crisp image, achieved through the exceptional contrast ratio of 20,000:1.
The Ebony technology surface secures the LEDs through handling, installation, and transportation and it’s this protection that enables the fine pitch of the panels. The Ebony Technology’s defence extends to humidity and temperature fluctuation too to create a floor that is resistant to external factors such as UV Rays, elevated temperatures, wind and corrosion.
CreateLED’s AirFLOOR-V1 panels are certified to meet CE, EMC, Class-A, ETL and RoHS international standards with a maximum power consumption of 160W per panel, averaging at 50 – 80W/panel. With sustainability always a key topic, the maximum lifetime of the LED’s is an impressive 100,000 hours operating in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 50°C in up to 90% humidity.
CreateLED’s AirFLOOR-V1 panels provide a versatile new dimension for any event or corporate experience and are shipping now through CreateLED different channels.