Cisco and Real Madrid Team Up to Power Europe’s Most Connected Stadium

Real Madrid and Cisco, a leader in enterprise networking and security, have announced a multi-year global partnership during which they will deploy the largest Wi-Fi 6 stadium network in Europe to date that will make Santiago Bernabéu Stadium one of the most technologically-advanced sporting venues in the world. Octagon, the preeminent agency in global sports and entertainment, worked with Cisco to negotiate the landmark partnership.

As an Official Technology Partner of the Club, Cisco will outfit Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with an end-to-end deployment of its industry-leading technology, all built on a single, converged, intelligent Cisco network.

The 85,000-seat multi-purpose stadium will feature the latest in Wi-Fi 6 for connectivity to power the ultimate fan experience. More than 1,200 Wi-Fi 6 access points in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will deliver faster speeds for more immersive experience applications, as well as more bandwidth and higher reliability than the previous Wi-Fi standard.

Stadiums utilizing Cisco’s Wi-Fi 6 technology have seen record-breaking levels of data traffic and fan consumption, consistently reaching levels of engagement only previously seen at the largest sporting events in the world.

“Thanks to this collaboration agreement with Cisco, a leader in connectivity and content management, the new Santiago Bernabéu Stadium ensures that it can take data, voice, and video to any point and thus guarantee the widest range of services and an unrivaled spectacle in the world of football,” said Emilio Butragueño, Director of Institutional Relations at Real Madrid C.F.

Optimised experiences and operations

One of the most storied and celebrated Clubs in the world, Real Madrid is widely recognized as a global leader of sports innovation, with millions of supporters spread across the globe. Through the partnership, Real Madrid will leverage not only the full breadth of Cisco solutions – from enterprise networking and security to data center, digital signage, and more – but also its industry-leading expertise in working alongside the largest sporting organizations, leagues, teams, and venues in the world.

On the back of a single, converged Cisco network that is inherently secure, fast, and reliable, Real Madrid will be able to enhance gameday operations as well as provide unmatched, innovative experiences for their fans in the venue and around the world.

More than 1,000 screens powered by Cisco’s end-to-end IPTV solution – which combines high-definition video delivery with state-of-the-art digital signage – will allow the Club to drive incremental revenue, activation, and fan engagement throughout the complex.

“Real Madrid is one of the crown jewels of football,” said Wendy Mars, President, Cisco EMEAR. “We are thrilled to add a club with such a rich history to Cisco’s global portfolio of sports partnerships and look forward to uniting the collective power of our two global brands to drive a more connected and inclusive future for this sport.”

Today’s announcement builds upon an existing relationship between the two organizations, as Cisco solutions have served as the technological foundation of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for many years. The expanded partnership will allow Real Madrid to further strengthen their reputation as a global leader of innovation and leverage Cisco’s experience and expertise to help ensure the world-class arena remains at the forefront of technology for years to come.

For more than a decade, Cisco’s sports and entertainment solutions and expertise have been relied upon by hundreds of industry-leading venues, teams, events and organizations around the world, including SoFi Stadium, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, City Football Group, Riot Games, the National Football League and many more.