Philips: Leading stadium lighting solutions, one stadium at a time

Article posted by Coliseum, September 28^th, 2014

In August 2014, Philips, the global leader in lighting technology and controls, introduced LED technology to London’s Stamford Bridge stadium, the home ground of Chelsea Football Club. The night-match between Chelsea and Spain’s Real Sociedad on 12 August 2014 marked the first UK football game under LED floodlight conditions.

Stadium lighting is an integral element to ensure spectators have the best view of all the action. Sporting venues have long been working to integrate the latest technologies in stadium lighting, and the introduction of floodlights was a step towards enhancing the viewing experience.

The world’s first ever football match played under floodlights was at Cramall Lane in Sheffield on 14 October 1878. Fast forward over a century later, the field of stadium lighting has grown in leaps and bounds. With sports now being broadcasted live on television, stadiums and sporting venues require exceptional lighting to ensure ideal visibility not only for players, but also for fans and viewers alike.

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Recent years have seen tremendous new developments including LED technology which has come a long way. LED floodlights are bright enough to be used to illuminate massive sports fields.

The Philips ArenaVision LED floodlighting system is an innovative LED pitch lighting solution designed to provide footballers, fans and TV broadcasters with the best possible experience. The solution supports the latest Premier League requirements for TV broadcasting including lighting standards for high-definition super slow-motion replays, avoiding the flicker synonymous with conventional lamps. Also, unlike the previous metal halide system, the new LED solution can be instantly switched on and off without the need for a warm up period.

“Philips and sports lighting have been a winning combination for a long time and with our world leadership in energy-efficient lighting solutions we will continue to build on that relationship,” says Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting.

“Our LED pitch lighting meets the new stringent broadcast criteria of the English Premier League in helping to deliver high definition, flicker-free super-slow motion images and ensures that Chelsea delivers the best possible viewing experience to the 40,000 plus fans in the stadium as well as those at home.”

The solution includes a dedicated user interface and a control system allowing quick, easy and reliable monitoring of the system and switching between optimal lighting configurations thereby providing complete flexibility with the ability to switch and dim each floodlight individually.

The Philips ArenaVision LED control system can also be used to create special entertainment lighting effects that would normally require dedicated stage-lighting, providing the opportunity for the floodlights to be integrated into pre- and post-match light shows to help build the atmosphere and excitement in the stadium.

The new LED floodlights deliver flawless lighting, achieving exceptional vertical illumination of the players and good uniformity of light. In addition to supporting better-quality broadcast images, the club will also benefit from maintenance savings due to the exceptional long life of the LED solution.

Typically, metal halide floodlighting lamps should be replaced every three seasons to maintain the lighting levels required. The Philips LED system is expected to last in excess of 10 seasons.

Philips has excelled at developing and offering technologically-advanced solutions in the sports lighting sector.

Philips has been lighting major sporting events for more than 60 years
Philips is the world leader in LED and sports lighting, and is responsible for the pitch lighting of over 65% of stadiums involved in major international sports events
Philips lit six out of eight venues used in the 2012 EURO tournament
70% of Barclays English Premier League Clubs are floodlit by Philips
Philips provided lighting for nine of the 12 stadiums for this summer’s tournament in Brazil
55% of the world’s main football stadiums feature Philips Lighting solutions