Panomera security system featured in stadium project

Gazprom Arena, a host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and upcoming Euro 2021, has utilised Dallmeier's Panomera security system.

Gazprom Arena, one of the host stadiums of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, upcoming 2021 European Football Championship and home of Zenit St. Petersburg, has utilised Dallmeier’s Panomera security system features. 

Hosting major events at the Gazprom Arena requires the stadium to meet strict security regulations of FIFA, UEFA and ESSMA. The solution came from German manufacturer Dallmeier, offering multifocal-sensor systems to stadia all over the world. 

The aim was to bring in video technology for the stadiums’ interior and exterior – entrance gate approaches, rooms below grandstands and the stands themselves in one of the largest stadium video security projects. 

A high-performance system had to be completed for the 60,000-capacity stadium and remain adaptable and flexible to different demands. 

One requirement of the stadium was to capture all areas of each grandstand constantly, where traceability of offenders could be achieved. For this to work, the Russian Interior Ministry opted for two key video security requirements. 

The entire grandstand area must be captured with a “minimum resolution density” of 250 pixels per metre (px/m), corresponding to the performance criterion defined and globally valid standard DIN EN 62676-4 for video security systems for purposes of enabling identification of an unknown person. The other objective is the image frequency must not fall below a frame rate of 25 frames per-second (fps). Because it is typically only the combination of the specified minimum resolution density and a fluid representation of events, that can solidify incontestable evidence that’s usable in a court of law. 

The patented Panomera multifocal-sensor system from Dallmeier can guarantee coverage of even the largest expanses with stipulated minimum resolution density and frame rate, offering greater coverage than typical megapixel or PTZ camera technologies. 

Panomera continously captures movement in full resolution and allows high-resolution zooms – both live and in recordings. Stadium operators can then track and reconstruct events at the time or after the fact. 

Another advantage of Panomera technology is the innovative 3D planning approach, where a reproduction of the Gazprom Arena was created. This makes it easy to fulfil the 250 px/m requirement and cover each area of the stadium and see where corrections might need to be made, which could be done by the stadium with less than 100 Panomera camera systems. This is not only effective in terms of resources, but saving on infrastructure costs too. 

Dallmeier’s 3D planning also includes the automatic generation of “CamCards” – showing exactly where each camera should be mounted, how high and at what angle. It not only saves time but gives planning reliability, delivering greater accuracy and minimises levels of uncertainty.  

Dallmeier has given unwavering assistance and support throughout the project, where testing by the state technical personnel in Russia was also successful in the subsequent project phases. The result of this was that the stadium operators were able to begin operating the video security system after the final project commissioning in good timing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Today, over 1,000 single-sensor cameras have been installed in the Gazprom Arena in addition to the Panomera® systems – these safeguard every part of the stadium and safeguards those both inside and outside the venue. 

There are a large amount of camera and has seen the total storage capacity for the video security system come to more than six petabytes (or 6,000 terabytes) worth of data.   

High-performance recording appliances from Dallmeier are used to process all the information, with authorised personnel from various departments and stakeholders able to access the system at 80 different workstations. 

The video security system from Dallmeier has been trusted as a reliable solution at the Gazprom Arena, where the seven matches held there for the 2018 FIFA World Cup demonstrated the strong performance and capabilities of Dallmeier in running the Panomera security system and building a more secure stadium for everyone involved.   

“Of course we were delighted that the security managers of Zenit St. Petersburg also decided to rely on Dallmeier again for their new home, the Gazprom Arena,” Director Sales Eastern Europe/RUS/ GUS at Dallmeier, Karlheinz Biersack said. 

“This success in the largest stadium project we have ever undertaken shows once again that Dallmeier’s holistic security and solution approach – above all the patented Panomera technology and our unrivalled project and consulting services represent an immense benefit for our customers.” 

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Netflix’s Women’s World Cup deal puts IMG’s technology in the spotlight

Netflix’s first exclusive football deal will see the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup at the centre of it’s live-sport strategy. The US-streaming service company has appointed IMG as its production partner for all 64 matches in Brazil, as well as more than 100 hours of live studio programming. The deal includes English and Spanish coverage for viewers within the US, and English and French-language coverage for those in Canada. IMG will also support Netflix’s coverage of the tournament’s draw in December.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup runs from June 24 to July 25 across eight host cities, and will be the first edition to feature 32 teams. The scale of the tournament makes it an ambitious first foray into sports broadcasting for Netflix – which means IMG’s involvement will be of great significance.

IMG’s production engine

IMG has built its reputation on producing and distributing live sport at scale. It’s Stockley Park, London facility includes broadcast studios, production galleries, edit suites and facilities for radio, podcasting, dubbing and visual effects. The company has worked across major properties including the Premier League, Major League Soccer and other international sporting events.

For a World Cup, this infrastructure provides more than a place to make television; it creates a central point where production teams can manage feeds, graphics, replays, commentary, editing and distribution while events are taking place thousands of kilometres away.

Remote production is the key

The most important technology for a tournament spread across eight Brazilian cities is connectivity. IMG has invested in remote-production workflows that allow production teams to work across locations, rather than putting every specialist inside each stadium. Its wider production operation has used fibre, satellite, cloud and IP-based connectivity to move live signals between venues and production centres.

That model can reduce the amount of equipment and specialist staff required at every venue while allowing senior producers, directors, replay operators and graphics teams to work from centralised facilities. IMG has also demonstrated long-distance IP production, including a 20,000-kilometre link between Tokyo and London that carried uncompressed, low-latency video. For Netflix, those capabilities are particularly relevant. The platform is building a single viewing experience for audiences in two markets, but the raw ingredients will come from stadiums spread across Brazil. A resilient network becomes just as important as the cameras themselves.

From stadium to stream

The technology chain does not end when the pictures leave the venue. A modern sports production operation has to manage ingest, replay, media asset management, graphics, audio, quality control, archiving and transmission. IMG’s facilities have been built around those workflows, with master control and transmission capabilities alongside post-production and archive operations.

That infrastructure also gives IMG the ability to turn the live tournament into a wider stream of content. A goal can become a replay, a highlight, a social clip or part of a studio package without waiting for the match to finish. For Netflix, that fits a platform built around on-demand discovery as much as live viewing.

A new test for Netflix

Netflix has already made a significant investment in football through documentaries and other programming. The 2027 Women’s World Cup takes it up a level. FIFA describes the agreement as the first competition Netflix has acquired in full, making the tournament a major test of its live sports operation. IMG therefore has a job that goes beyond producing 64 matches; it must help Netflix build the technical backbone for a month-long, multi-venue broadcast, while maintaining consistent production standards across languages and locations.

The viewer may simply press play and see a World Cup match appear instantly. Behind that button will be a complex network of cameras, connectivity, control rooms, production systems, people and data. That is the real significance of Netflix’s IMG deal: the streamer is bringing the tournament to its platform, but IMG is providing much of the machinery that can make a global football event feel seamless.

The ball is no longer just being improved it is being connected

The humble football is becoming one of the more technologically advanced objects on a football pitch.

Across the A-Leagues, Mitre’s new Ultimax Pro is focused on improving what happens when the ball is kicked, while LaLiga has taken the next step by turning the ball into a source of live match data.

The contrast shows how football technology is moving in two directions at once, improving the physical performance of equipment while increasingly connecting it to the digital systems surrounding the game.

Refining the Physical Object: Mitre’s Ultimax Pro

The Ultimax Pro, which will be used across the 2026/27 A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women seasons, incorporates Mitre’s HyperFlow, HyperFoam, HyperSeal and Delta Skin technologies.

Its debossed grooves are designed to reduce drag and improve stability in flight, while the cushioning, bonding and surface technologies are aimed at producing consistent rebound, durability and control. The ball carries FIFA Quality Pro certification, reflecting the testing standards required for professional match balls.

The technology is largely invisible to supporters. Its purpose is to make the ball behave more predictably for players, rather than fundamentally changing the football itself.

Connecting the Ball to the Digital Ecosystem: LaLiga’s Sensor-Driven Approach

LaLiga’s approach is different.

The Spanish competition has introduced a radio-frequency sensor developed by KINEXON into its PUMA match ball, with the technology being used across every LaLiga EA Sports fixture this season.

The sensor continuously transmits information about the ball’s position and the precise moment of contact. Around 12 antennas installed in each stadium capture the data and feed it into LaLiga’s wider technology infrastructure.

That gives the ball a role beyond simply being the object of play.

Knowing exactly when the ball is touched can help officials in a variety of situations. Offside, handballs, deflections and other decisions where a difference of milliseconds can affect the outcome could all benefit.

But the more interesting development may sit outside officiating.

LaLiga is using the connected ball to create xBALL, an official data layer that can feed broadcasts, digital products and future second-screen experiences. Data such as shot speed, ball spin and trajectory could all be incorporated into its media and digital products.

The ball is no longer just something that manufacturers compete to make faster, more durable or more responsive. It can also become a source of proprietary data that leagues can use to improve broadcasts, develop digital products and create new ways for supporters to understand the game.

The Ball as Part of Football’s Intelligence Layer

Mitre is refining the physical object. LaLiga is connecting that object to the digital ecosystem of the match.

Together, however, they point to the same direction of travel.

Football equipment is becoming increasingly intelligent.

The evolution is not necessarily about adding technology for its own sake. In the A-Leagues, the objective is consistency: predictable flight, touch and rebound. In LaLiga, the objective is precision and information: knowing exactly where the ball is and when it was touched.

The commercial opportunity comes from what can be built around those capabilities.

As stadiums become more connected, broadcasts become more data-rich and clubs and leagues collect increasingly detailed information about matches, the football itself can become another input into that infrastructure.

It also changes the relationship between equipment manufacturers and competitions.

A match ball used to be primarily a physical product supplied to a league. Connected technology creates the possibility of the ball becoming part of a broader technology stack involving officiating systems, broadcast platforms, analytics and fan-facing digital products.

The A-Leagues are starting with the physical performance of the ball. LaLiga is showing what can happen when that physical object becomes connected.

The next generation of football technology may not be something players wear or referees use.

It may be the ball itself.

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