SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
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Sport Lisboa e Benfica partnered with Clear-Com in Portugal to update the Estádio da Luz’s communications all through the venue
SUPERSONIC STADIUMS In the UK, football stadiums have been around since the mid-to-late 1800s. Constructed in 1897, Elland Road has been the home of Leeds United since the club’s formation in 1919. Since then, of course, the ground has gone through numerous redevelopments, but keeping the ground up to date isn’t without its challenges. As part of a general stadium upgrade, and as a precursor to increasing the venue’s capacity with Leeds United returning to the Premier League for the current 2025-26 season, more than 100 Martin Audio speakers were installed to provide coverage across all four stands, including the corners, TV production studios, hospitality and general ancillary areas. This reflects the growing influence and ambition of the club’s owner, 49ers Enterprises, and its desire to create a significantly more engaging match-day experience. In Portugal, Sport Lisboa e Benfica recently partnered with Clear-Com to upgrade the communications systems at the Estádio da Luz. The stadium first opened in 2003 and currently seats more than 65,000 spectators. The upgrade has addressed essential communication challenges, including radio coverage issues in critical areas such as the pitch entrance tunnel and bench area, which are enclosed by thick safety glass, as well as providing comprehensive coverage across the entire pitch and fan zone. The partnership highlights the commitment to enhancing both fan experience and operational efficiency at one of Europe’s leading football venues. Technological innovations are also paving the way for future stadiums. Set to host the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia has announced the tournament will be played across 15 stadiums, 11 of which are yet to be built. One of the planned venues is ROSHN Stadium, featuring a football stadium with a 45,000-seat capacity and surrounded by an integrated ecosystem of retail outlets, restaurants and hospitality facilities.
Another planned venue is a stadium set 350 metres above ground level. The proposed stadium in Neom, an as-yet-unbuilt city in the north-west of the country, will only be accessible via high-speed lifts and driverless vehicles. The Qiddiya Coast Stadium, meanwhile, will feature a ripple design to evoke the look of a Mexican wave, while the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Riyadh will be located on a clifftop. OUT OF THE PARK Despite all the benefits brought by AV technology in sports, there are still potential downsides to relying too much on technology. While tools have been successfully implemented to boost fan experiences and improve officiating, some tools have had the opposite effect. Take VAR in the English Premier League, for example. Ask any football fan who has had to endure a VAR review (sometimes upwards of five minutes) and they will no doubt tell you that it takes away from the unique atmosphere of a game. The future of sports media, whether that’s professional or youth sports, is deeply personal, highly interactive and powered by intelligent automation. “Fans no longer just watch, they engage,” says Evans. “They expect multi-angle views, smart replays, curated highlights, player stats and sport-specific analytics tailored to the unique demands of each game or athlete, whether it is the Champions League or a school match down the road. Schools, clubs and academies are no longer just participants in sport. They are content publishers, fan platforms and commercial entities.” He adds: “Matches become moments to be shared, monetised and archived. Sponsors can integrate directly into the experience. Families can follow every game, every week, from anywhere. This is the future we are building. Every team has a spotlight. Every fan now has a front-row seat. And every organisation has the tools to bring their game to life, on and off the field.”
A visualisation of the ROSHN Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is due to be a venue in the 2034 Fifa World Cup
Fans no longer just
watch, they engage. They expect multi- angle views, smart replays, curated highlights
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