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Vitec powers matchday innovation at BayArena

Vitec’s IPTV and digital signage solution at BayArena - home of German Bundesliga football team Bayer 04 Leverkusen - has uprated the stadium’s media infrastructure, enabling seamless, low-latency video delivery and future-ready digital signage across one of Germany’s most modern football venues.

The flexible, scalable platform supports a wide range of content sources and legacy hardware, to ensure the desired experiences for fans, VIPs, and staff alike, while laying the groundwork for next-generation fan engagement and operational efficiency.

The club’s technical team, TecArena Plus, identified the need to upgrade their aging video head-end infrastructure. The previous system had reached end-of-life, prompting the search for a solution that could support a wide range of content sources and deliver seamless, low-latency video to hundreds of screens throughout the venue.

TecArena Plus faced several challenges in its search for a new head-end system. The stadium required a platform capable of ingesting and distributing satellite, SDI, HDMI, and IP sources, including live match feeds, broadcaster signals, as well as custom event content. With approximately 600 screens and displays, ranging from concourse video walls to VIP lounge TVs, the solution needed to be flexible and compatible with both legacy and future hardware.

Operational efficiency was also a priority, with the team seeking a system that was intuitive for technical staff and robust enough to support evolving digital signage and fan engagement initiatives. After an evaluation of available technologies, TecArena Plus chose to deploy a suite of Vitec equipment: eight G4512 RF gateways for satellite broadcast distribution, a C1210 chassis, sixteen Diamond OG encoders for SDI live input sources, two OG-X chassis, four Diamond-H encoders for SDI and HDMI live input sources, and a Prism transcoder for IP video sources. The system is supported by a three-year Gold Support package.

An 80x80 SDI video router distributes signals to all encoders and enables seamless switching between live match feeds, broadcaster content, and in-house productions. Content is distributed to approximately 600 screens, including multi-screen walls in concourses, VIP lounges, meeting rooms, and press areas. While legacy media players remain in use, the infrastructure is ready for future upgrades. The system delivers a minimum of HDMI (Full HD) resolution, with the capability to ingest and downscale 4K sources as needed, and potential to upgrade to 4K in future.

Diamond-H encoders provide sub-second latency for live events, improving the experience for VIPs and event guests. The user interface is also more intuitive than the legacy system, streamlining content management for technical staff. The infrastructure is future-ready, supporting advanced digital signage, personalised fan experiences, and scalable upgrades as new technologies emerge.

Installation was rapid, with the system operational within three days during the offseason, due to pre-configuration by Vitec Germany. Bayer 04 Leverkusen and TecArena Plus are exploring new ways to leverage the Vitec platform, including advanced digital signage, personalised VIP experiences, and further integration with fan engagement technologies.

(Photos: Bayer Leverkusen 04/Vitec)

www.vitec.com

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