London, 17 November 2023 – Supponor, the market leader in the virtual advertising industry for over a decade, announced today that Spanish La Liga F El Clásico will mark the first-ever use of virtual technology in a women’s football match. This groundbreaking initiative includes the activation of virtual on both 1st and 2nd LED row combined (one animation only split between the two rows, so called domination) and cam carpets. This marks the first time ever for this application to be used in Spanish football.
This iconic match will be played on November 19th at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, which has a capacity of over 49,472 seats. The game was originally going to be played at Estadi Johan Cruyff, but the tickets sold out so fast that the game is now going to be played at the same stadium that the men are using until November 2024. Therefore, the FC Barcelona Women’s team will be playing at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys for the first time. This historic milestone is part of Supponor’s and FC Barcelona’s commitment to increasing the visibility and exposure of women’s sports.
Women’s “El Clásico is one of the initiative part of the partnership’s extension which Supponor has also announced today. The longstanding partnership with FC Barcelona involves exciting plans to enhance virtual technology into more club properties, as well as developing innovative new opportunities for the club and its advertising partners. Both companies are working together on additional and innovative opportunities for the future use of virtual advertising, including areas such as the centre circles, second row, and the areas behind the goals.
Sergi Ricart, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, FC Barcelona, said, “Supponor continues to be a key partner for FC Barcelona. Its pioneering technology, the collaborative approach of the team, and the company’s proven success in the industry have led us to build and develop a trusted partnership over the years, enabling us to offer more creative and targeted advertising opportunities.”
Massimo Magrì, EMEA Managing Director, Supponor, said, “We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with FC Barcelona. Supponor is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation, and FC Barcelona embraces the opportunities that this brings. We are particularly excited to bring virtual advertising into women’s football, which will play a key role in the ongoing commercial development of the women’s game.”
About Supponor
Supponor has been the market leader in the virtual advertising industry for the past decade, proven in live broadcast environments in thousands of top-tier sports events worldwide. Supponor AIR®, launched in 2021, is a fully software-based technology platform that relies on leading-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) approaches to deliver authentic virtual placement or replacement advertising live, on any surface, in any sport, at any venue, and in any weather condition. Supponor’s virtual advertising solutions have been trusted by rights holders in top-tier sports leagues across football, hockey, basketball, rugby, cricket, and a host of other top sports. Supponor is headquartered in London and has its core R&D base in Helsinki, with regional offices in Barcelona, Milan, Cologne, New York, Toronto, and Sydney. Additional information: www.supponor.com.