Real Madrid has announced a partnership with Cisco that will aim to transform the La Liga club's Santiago Bernabeu home into one of the most technologically advanced stadia in the world, reports Sport Business. The agreement with the American networking company will see Real become the first football club in Europe to deploy the Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi solution.
Once the new high density Wi-Fi network is deployed, fans will be able to utilise their mobile devices and smart phones to access several applications specifically designed to engage with the stadium, as well as accessing Internet and social media during the game.
Encouraging fans to use the Connected Stadium Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity also aims to help to free up cellular networks, helping spectators to text and call throughout games.
Real Madrid's chief information officer, Enrique Uriel, said: "When Cisco's Connected Stadium Wi-Fi and StadiumVision are available at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Real Madrid C. F. will take the fan experience at the Stadium to another level.
"These leading solutions will leverage all the potential of a state-of-the-art custom-built, high-speed network and new applications, thereby allowing us to connect and engage our fans in ways never seen before in Europe.
"We are excited to deliver a more customised game environment and provide fans with new options to interact and share their experiences via their mobile devices."
The Cisco technology aims to allow Real and its sponsors to connect with fans in entirely new ways. High-definition video of the game on numerous screens located throughout the stadium will also allow spectators to catch all the action and enjoy exclusive content, even when away from their seats.
David Holland, general manager and senior vice-president of the Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco, added: "Industry leaders need to think creatively about how they can utilise the network as the platform to change the rules of the game and further engage fans. We are excited to see Real Madrid continuing to lead the way."
