Lighting the way to build a better normal for sport

February 5, 2021

COVID-19 provides an opportunity to rethink the in-venue experience and how to keep people wanting to come out for sporting events for years to come

At Signify, we have spent the last 80 years thinking about how to continually improve the live sports experience. Formerly Philips Lighting, we are the world leader in providing professional customers and consumers with quality, energy-efficient LED lighting and connected systems.

We pride ourselves on providing long term engagement with sports venues, working hand-in-hand with them to build a complete fan experience; from the architectural stage to health and safety, as well as working directly with broadcasters to ensure the perfect lighting for television.

We pride ourselves on providing long term engagement with sports venues, working hand-in-hand with them to build a complete fan experience."

When venues are allowed to fully welcome crowds back, fans will want an experience that they can’t get anywhere else. Signify’s Interact Sport connected lighting management system enables venues to do just that.

From Optus Stadium (Perth), Allianz Stadium (Juventus FC) or Wanda Metropolitano (Atletico Madrid), whether it is dazzling pre-game light shows, or providing the perfect atmosphere in hospitality suites, we help get fans out of their homes and into stadium seats.

Lighting up the stadium experience

Our connected lighting brings data to devices, apps and people – redefining what light can do and how you use it. We have established ourselves as a trusted lighting partner for top sporting venues all over the world, continually finding innovative ways to improve the live event experience.

Whether it be providing stadium lighting at the Olympics (2012, 2014, 2016) or the football World Cup (2018), Signify has a proven record of providing world class lighting services for sporting venues when they need to provide those “you had to be there!” moments.

The benefits of our lighting reach beyond the fans, as sports teams begin to explore the use of biodynamic lighting in the dressing room to help improve the mood of the players and enhance performance.

The benefits of our lighting reach beyond the fans, as sports teams begin to explore the use of biodynamic lighting in the dressing room to help improve the mood of the players and enhance performance."

But it’s a long road back for the industry to adapt to this ‘new normal’ we are facing. 2020 has been a tough year for live sporting events and we need to ensure that fans can return to stadiums safely. One part of ensuring health and safety for sports venues is having an appropriate disinfection protocol – lighting can help with this.

UV-C lighting, known for its viral and bacterial disinfectant properties, has been historically used in locations like schools. Our UV-C products are now being used by professional sports teams, like PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig, in the dressing rooms and in fan areas to go beyond the basic ‘mop and wipe’ approach in disinfecting surfaces. By turning to technology like this, sporting venues can safeguard their staff, fans, and players.

Sports venues must also look to their role in bigger issues like sustainability. New innovations in lighting – 3D printing, energy efficient LEDs, intelligent IOT connectivity, to name a few – can dramatically reduce a stadium’s carbon footprint.

In 2020 we achieved carbon neutrality for our own global operations and have set course to double our positive impact on the environment and society by 2025. We work with sports organisations around the world, to see how lighting can help them achieve their climate goals.

Together, we must all work to build a better normal for sports. At Signify, we are committed to that promise and to use our innovations to contribute to a safer, smarter, more sustainable world.

To learn more, download ‘Building a better normal: The sustainable future within sport’s grasp’, the latest digital report from Leaders, in partnership with Signify.

About the author:

Stephen Rouatt

Chief Executive Officer, Signify UKI

For further information, please contact:

Signify Global Integrated Communications
Neil Pattie
Tel: + 31 6 15 08 48 17
Email: neil.pattie@signify.com

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

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