- Beginning with the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season Cisco has been named the Official Partner of the Allianz Arena, Home of FC Bayern Munich, for WiFi infrastructure.
- The partnership includes the deployment of 1,500 WiFi 6 access points, with plans for WiFi 7, to support up new applications and fast, efficient WiFi for tousands of fans.
- Cisco's WiFi technology enhances traffic management, turnstile operations, cashless transactions and real-time match analysis at Allianz Arena.
Cisco has been named the official WiFi Infrastructure Partner of the Allianz Arena. The Allianz Arena has already significantly improved its IT infrastructure with the help of Cisco in recent years. The expanded partnership will create the basis for an optimized fan experience and raise it to a new level with state-of-the-art technology.
At the start of the new Bundesliga season, Cisco will expand the IT infrastructure of the Allianz Arena, enabling new applications, user experiences and business opportunities. Many current use cases already use Cisco's WiFi infrastructure. With this expansion, the Allianz Arena will establish itself as one of the most innovative, best connected and future-oriented venues in Europe for special fan experiences.
"We have big plans for the Allianz Arena," says Detlev Kühne, Member of the Management Board at Cisco Germany. "Our solutions have already proven themselves in recent years as a reliable foundation for the IT infrastructure of the Allianz Arena. With this exclusive partnership, the venue will continue to be a technological leader into the future and offer fans the best possible experience."
"The partnership with Cisco is one of conviction, trust and enthusiasm. The Allianz Arena and Cisco still have a lot planned together to deliver the best possible experience to the fans," explains Jürgen Muth, CEO of Allianz Arena. "We will use the full range of Cisco solutions and technologies in the Allianz Arena. This will enable us to deliver new offerings based on the existing network architecture and further enhance match operations and the fan experience in the arena. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Cisco, which also puts us at the forefront internationally."
The partnership is part of Cisco's "Deutschland Digital" investment program, with which the company is driving forward digitalization in Germany in various areas.
Working together for many years and big plans for the future
Even before the official partnership, there had already been years of collaboration. "No matter where, we rely entirely on Cisco technology around the Allianz Arena," adds Jürgen Muth. "We are convinced by the products and naturally benefit from the standardized IT platform. This is the only way to guarantee the fan experience for 75,000 people on match day."
The Allianz Arena has deployed 1,500 up-to-date WiFi 6 access points, delivering extremely fast WiFi. This means 10,000 to 15,000 WiFi users use the network simultaneously every match day, sending a data volume of 4.5 Gbit of outgoing network traffic after exciting match scenes or during the half-time break. The next generation of the WiFi 7 wireless network standard is to be implemented as soon as possible so that even more fans can access the latest information and offers simultaneously and at high speed via their smartphone.
The WiFi 6 access points are managed as on-premises solutions with the help of Cisco Catalyst Center and DNA Center, giving the Allianz Arena's IT department the ability to quickly identify and resolve bottlenecks. This is facilitated by the uniform infrastructure, as the entire network (LAN and WLAN) uses the latest Cisco technology based on Catalyst switches from the 9000 series. The fan experience extends beyond the matches, thanks to Cisco technology. The entire "Customer Care" area of the Allianz Arena is powered by the Cisco Contact Center.
Other current use cases based on the WiFi equipment
In modern stadiums, radio-based networks are indispensable for seamless operations and enhanced fan experiences. The latest generation of WLANs are foundation of gameday operations in the Allianz Arena, enabling innovative applications that improve efficiency and convenience for fans and staff.
Smart Traffic management
Every match day, fans arrive at the Allianz Arena by public transport and 11,000 cars. To avoid traffic jams, the entire access road for cars is equipped with sensors (video, induction loops). The data is transmitted via WiFi to avoid queues at the entrance. Just a few years ago, staff stood along the driveway entrance to personally monitor the entrance and send information to the control centre by text message. This is no longer necessary.
Improved Turnstiles
An overview of fan movements is a prerequisite for personnel management during the match day. The three hundred turnstiles in the admission area, which show how many fans are on the move and when, are crucial. At peak times when the stadium opens, up to 20,000 fans enter the arena at once. The turnstiles transmit information from a total of up to 75,000 accesses via WiFi. The technology also works perfectly during initial operation after the winter and summer break, regardless of the weather.
Reliable cash register systems
There are 400 cash registers installed in the Allianz Arena for paying for food, drinks and fan merchandise. During a match day, an average of 100,000 sales transactions are processed, all of which take place via the encrypted WiFi network. The main load occurs during the half-time break, when 60,000 transactions are made in 15 minutes. All payment transactions in the Allianz Arena are cashless. For this purpose, 50 mobile cash registers are in use outside and inside the stadium, which are fully connected via WLAN technology and thus enable mobile payment at the beer runners and in the stands on the Esplanade, for example.
Faster Match analysis
A high-performance network is also essential for match operations. The Allianz Arena enables video analyses for the coaches in real time on mobile devices, which is only possible with reliable and powerful WiFi 6. The special features in the outdoor areas are weather-resistant components from the industrial series and outdoor-capable WiFi access points and antennas.
Comprehensive expertise
For more than a decade, hundreds of industry-leading venues, teams, events and organizations around the world have relied on Cisco's sports and entertainment solutions, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and London; Riot Games, the National Football League, McLaren Racing and many more.
Further information on Cisco solutions for sports, media and entertainment can be found here.