German Bundesliga football club, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, is working with Deutsche Telekom and Cisco to install wi-fi at its BayArena stadium.

Using Ciscos StadiumVision and Connected Stadium wi-fi solutions, due to be introduced in July, the club will be able to deliver high definition video and digital content to a large number of information and entertainment displays, high-speed wi-fi internet, and access to live video streams, replays and more on smartphones and tablets.

“The project heralds a new dimension in communication between the club and its fans – one that will boost fan loyalty and offer more information and entertainment,” said Bayer 04 managing director, Wolfgang Holzhaeuser. “At the same time, it will create new opportunities for advertising. Were blazing a trail for the Bundesliga.”

In the BayArena, StadiumVision consists of approximately 500 high -definition video displays in a range of sizes, distributed throughout the stadium. These allow fans to stay engaged and continue to follow the game or watch interviews, while queuing at food stands, for example.

The displays can also provide current statistics, video messages and promotions, as well as interactive campaigns by Bayer 04s advertising partners. The second pillar of the new infrastructure is the wi-fi network, which includes 350 wi-fi access points. 

The club also has the Bayer 04 app, which is a mobile stadium portal, through which fans can connect to the stadium wi-fi to access exclusive, premium content on their own devices. The app can also be used to replay key match situations on smartphones or keep up with the state of play in parallel Bundesliga games via StadiumVision Mobile. It could also support other interactive functionality and information, such as access to online games, quizzes and player ratings, and allow photos and messages to be sent to the stadiums 500 displays.

The new stadium infrastructure will also offer the club’s sponsors and advertising partners new platforms for delivering messages to target groups via mobile.