Cisco to keep fans connected at Citypark

Article posted by Coliseum, February 24^th, 2023

Image: Cisco

The technology company Cisco and the Major League Soccer (MLS) team St. Louis City SC (US) have partnered to create one of the most connected and fan-centric environments in Major League Soccer. Cisco will serve as a Proud Technology Partner of the club, leveraging its solutions across networking, security, Wi-Fi, and digital signage to help ensure fans are able to have one of the most immersive matchday experiences in sports.

‘Cisco’ stated that an industry leader in connecting and securing the largest sports and entertainment events in the world, Cisco is implementing a state-of-the-art, fully converged network across St. Louis City SC’s home venue – Citypark’s 31-acre stadium district that also includes the club’s stadium, training center, team headquarters, and two-story team store.

The St. Louis City SC is an American professional men’s soccer club based in St. Louis, Missouri (US). They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference and joined in 2023 as an expansion team.

The Citypark is a 22,500-seat soccer-specific stadium in St. Louis, Missouri (US). It is the home of St. Louis City SC, the City’s Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. The stadium is built next to the Union Station in the City’s Downtown West neighborhood, and was completed ahead of the 2023 MLS season.

San Jose, California (US)-based Cisco is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future.

‘Cisco’ further stated that the Citypark will leverage Wi-Fi 6, Cisco’s next generation wireless standard, to deliver faster speeds for immersive experiences, more bandwidth (four times greater capacity than the previous Wi-Fi standard) and higher reliability, all while being less taxing on a device’s battery.

The Citypark is one of only a handful of MLS-specific stadiums to deploy Cisco’s Wi-Fi 6 technology, which has been delivering record-setting results in leading venues around the world including the 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the 63,400-capacity State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona – sites of Super Bowl LVI and LVII, respectively – American football games played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL).

Maintained Matt Sebek, St. Louis City SC’s Chief Experience Officer, “As a next-generation venue with frictionless markets and mobile-first technologies at the forefront of Citypark’s engagement, an innovative fan experience is reliant on a robust and secure connectivity. Every piece of data flows through Cisco’s converged technology, allowing us to streamline information technology (IT) operations and provide heightened experiences through elevated video distribution, point-of-sale devices, digital signage, real-time app engagement, and so much more.”

In addition, Cisco will also deploy its industry-leading cybersecurity solutions throughout the Citypark district, providing the visibility and resiliency needed to ensure that the club and its fans are always connected and protected. Cisco is relied upon to secure the largest sports and entertainment events in the world, including the Super Bowl LVII in Arizona and the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris (France).

Additionally, Cisco’s Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology, a dynamic, end-to-end signage solution that combines high-definition video delivery with state-of-the art digital signage, will be implemented at the Citypark. The 4K deployment will power screens across the stadium district, all entirely customizable and centrally managed via one point of control.

Commented Ken Martin, Managing Director, Global Sales – Sports, Media and Entertainment, Cisco, “The Citypark is designed to be a one-of-a-kind sporting campus, with a world-class infrastructure that will allow it to serve as a platform for innovation for years to come. By partnering with Cisco, the City SC is making a clear commitment to providing its fans, visitors, coaches, and players an unparalleled and seamless experience across the entire district.”

Today’s (February 20^th) announcement builds upon Cisco’s extensive involvement across global football, leveraging its industry-leading solutions and expertise to connect some of the most beloved and prestigious clubs around the world, including the Premier League team Manchester City F.C. (UK), the LaLiga team Real Madrid CF (Spain) and many more.

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