SAP Garden

The new SAP Garden Arena in Munich is a 50,000 m² multifunctional sports venue, home to both the FC Bayern München Basketball and EHC Red Bull München Hockey teams. Opened in September of 2024, the arena was designed to revolutionise the fan experience through the implementation of innovative and, most importantly, interactive technology.

Red Bull worked with bright! studios to develop an immersive game experience for their new stadium in Munich with a goal of increasing visitor engagement. The challenge was to integrate a large number of complex and cutting-edge technologies with the aim of building the most modern arena experience in Europe.

Essential requirements were a short playtime that would fit during intervals, easy and intuitive gameplay, and the possibility of winning prizes to connect the fans to the brand. The goal was to create an interactive fan experience that was both entertaining and technologically exciting.

The solution for “Arena Defender” utilises various technologies and unifies them, harnessing the data management and control tools found within SP software from Stage Precision.

At its core, SP software seamlessly integrates lighting, video and real-time data connections between AWS, Meta Quest 3 headsets and Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine 5 powers interactive gameplay with real-time graphics, syncing MR headsets and floor projections for immersive player interaction.

AWS enables large-scale participation, managing player input and rewards. Meta Quest 3 headsets provide intuitive MR controls, whilst Vertex Medienserver handles content playback, and GrandMA 3 dynamic lighting cues.

This unique integration transforms stadium entertainment, truly encouraging an unprecedented level of audience participation and engagement.

Red Bull gave us the task of developing a concept for an immersive gaming experience in their brand-new stadium SAP Garden, which should use state-of-the-art technology and allow every one of the 10,000 fans in the stadium to participate.

In particular, the following points were to be considered:
• Every participating fan should have a chance to win loyalty points
• There should be a possibility to give away the main prizes to some fans
• The game must be accessible to all age groups and require minimal explanation
• The total gameplay duration, including explanation, had to be 5 minutes due to the short third breaks
• The game concept had to be unique, engaging, whilst also impressing fans technologically

“Arena Defender” sets a new standard for fan interaction and entertainment and successfully brings attendees closer to the brand and their sporting teams. bright! studios worked with Red Bull from the beginning to provide expert concept, development, motion design and programming services and bring this ambitious vision to life. It is 100% custom-built and makes innovative use of various software, technologies and platforms, integrating different elements to produce a unique and user-friendly experience.

“Arena Defender” uses mixed reality headsets (MR) and the Red Bull App to integrate the entire arena into the interactive game. Four players on the ice compete against the fans, who can throw virtual balls via the app, which the players have to fend off on the ice. Points are scored when balls fly into the central portal or are fended off. Lasers and events increase the excitement, seen through MR headsets or projections on the ice. Like an Arcade Pachinko board, a virtual nailing board ensures that the balls enter the game fairly to give the four players a chance against the potentially thousands of flying customised balls.

Combining MR headsets, the Red Bull App, and real-time content, bright! studios crafted an immersive experience for the stadium, where all fans can participate. The ability to customise balls and get real-time updates in the app captivates fans during the game. Furthermore, virtual gameplay is displayed on the arena’s LED screens, ensuring involvement and inclusion for all audience members. Integrating loyalty points promotes long-term brand loyalty and motivates fans to remain active after the event.

The success of the game implementation can be shown in the high participation rate – around 30% at the first event with approximately 6000 stadium visitors. Over 100 prizes were paid out, and 1000 balls launched onto the ice.

The positive feedback received since the game’s launch is confirmed by Philipp Goetz, Digital Product Owner at Red Bull Munich: “Handling the games internally has been easy, and the feedback from fans has been super positive, with impressive rates of game participation from audiences.”