
Tech Focus: Immersive Sports Sound, Part 1 - Venue Systems May Be the Next Logical Step New technology to manage it can facilitate deployment in arenas and stadiums By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Immersive audio for broadcast sports is already far along in the process of establishing itself as a standard. Dolby Atmos has been used on-air in proof-of-concept stages since 2016, with a growing number of events sending it out for regular broadcast, including the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Premier League, Super Bowl LVI, and, most recently, US Open tennis.
However, immersive sound has also been making inroads into entertainment venues - theaters, performing arts centers - for theatrical performances and music concerts. New and updated venues like Resorts World and Park MGM in Las Vegas, the Beacon Theater in New York, and Broadway musicals have permanently installed so-called spatial sound systems, including Atmos, in the past two years.
Can sports stadiums and arenas be far behind?
Immersion in Memphis Memphis's 18,000-seat FedEx Forum may be the first to take that step. In July, Germany-based sound system developer d&b audiotechnik installed its immersive Soundscape system in the arena, home to the NBA Grizzlies and the University of Memphis's NCAA Division I men's basketball program. A temporary installation used for a non-sports-related event, the system served as a demo of a potential replacement for the venue's nearly 20-year-old sound system. Several interested parties - among them consultants and integrators in the sports sector - were able to listen to how immersive sound could work in an acoustically challenging environment like a sports arena. NDAs prohibit disclosure of who was there and any outcomes, according to Steve Seable, business development manager, d&b audiotechnik, but the event was positive.
Memphis's FedEx Forum served as a demo for d&b audiotechnik's immersive Soundscape system.
We had a vocalist in to sing the national anthem, and she began singing without an introduction or a spotlight, he explains, but everyone instantly knew where to look to see her, midway on the short end of the court behind the hoop. The sound is that localized.
Although immersive sound in cinema and television has taken the lead in the burgeoning sector, Seable says, its practical application in venues has depended on development of technology to manage it. Specifically, DSP had to reach a point where it could manage dozens of individual point sources and a matrix of delay speakers as a coherent single entity.
The technology for moving [live] sound objects around a matrix like that and keeping them all perfectly time-aligned didn't exist until four or five years ago, he says, referring to d&b's DS100 signal processor and R1 remote-control software, which handle those tasks for Soundscape.
Even with the most difficult processing challenges being addressed, sports venues will likely have to develop and evolve content to accommodate an immersive environment.
Most venue audio, such as sound effects and even music, is mono or at most stereo, says Seable. You need multitrack audio stems to best take advantage of immersive.
Moving Forward Cautiously Gino Pellicano, application project manager, L-Acoustics, whose L-ISA immersive sound system is in theaters and on concert tours, is generally sanguine about immersive's prospects in venues, but he wonders if, at least initially, immersive live sound in sports venues might best be reserved for special sections instead of the entire bowl.
L-Acoustic's Gino Pellicano: You want to think carefully about how you might deliver an experience [fans] can't get at home.
Arena-sound reinforcement is inherently challenging given the large volumes, hard surfaces, and corresponding long reverberation times, he says. Achieving acceptable speech intelligibility and preserving the impact and fidelity of music playback is a challenge under the best conditions. When you add that sports venues generally have audiences that surround the action on a field or court, adding immersive elements becomes very challenging. You need to consider what impact adding more speakers and sounds into these venues will have on the experience.
Immersive sound, Pellicano adds, can also be looked at as a pure effects proposition: moving live and prerecorded sound effects around a venue as a means of fan engagement. He also suggests the potential for immersive via hybrid solutions, such as the one offered by Mixhalo, a wireless-networking technology that can deliver high-resolution audio in real time to attendees' mobile devices at events. (L-Acoustics acquired an equity stake in the company last year.)
Ultimately, he says, immersive audio is feasible in sports venues, but it should be implemented and managed in a thoughtful way that is more than just having music/effects coming from all around the venue all the time.
You want to think carefully about how you might deliver an experience they can't get at home, Pellicano contends. Having smaller premium experiences in suites, coupled with subtly placed effects throughout the game/match, could elevate the experience, making it unique without becoming too fatiguing or gimmicky.
Installing Immersive Major systems integrators, which have been building much of the new loudspeaker-and-processing infrastructure for immersive broadcast audio, are also watching the sports-venue market develop. Diversified - whose sports-venue portfolio includes SoFi Stadium, Met Life Stadium, and Wells Fargo Center - obliquely entered the field in 2020 with the installation of a separate, parallel PA system in the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field in March 2020, part of a larger audio infrastructu
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
11/05/2026
New production unit features not only wealth of Ross gear but also Sony cameras, Canon lenses, and a Calrec Argo S audio board...
11/05/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) has announced TCA Tour, a portable fly-away audio production system built from System T components for broadcast, touring, and live prod...
11/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced it will serve as Official Connectivity Integ...
11/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and NETGEAR AV have announced a plugin that automates network configuration for G&D KVM-over-IP deployments on NETGEAR AV Line infra...
11/05/2026
The Famous Group (TFG) and Elite Edge, a production studio specializing in live-action production, show opens, set design, and fabrication for sports and live e...
11/05/2026
The native of S o Paulo, Brazil, will play a crucial role in the broadcaster'...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital will exhibit its IPMX/ST 2110 product lineup at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D2-4), anchored by the COBALT blueCORE family of standalone signal pro...
11/05/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5C1-10), demonstrating...
11/05/2026
T-Mobile is serving as a technology partner for the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, deploying 5G connectivity and ...
11/05/2026
Vizrt has announced it has been named an Official Technical Supplier of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, in partnership with host broadcaster ORF. The 70th edi...
11/05/2026
The WNBA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the WNBA. AWS is also joini...
11/05/2026
Austrian private broadcaster kronehit publicly awarded SLG Broadcast AG and Lawo...
11/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
11/05/2026
Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds
Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...
11/05/2026
Our exhibition coverage
Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...
11/05/2026
You're not meant to look at an Eclipse, but you won't be able to take yo...
11/05/2026
L3Harris has completed more than 50% of a nationwide effort to rebuild the invisible backbone of America's airspace....
11/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
As Asia Pacific's streaming market continues to evolve, operators across the region are rebalancing their strategies and shifting their focus from subscribe...
11/05/2026
LONDON, MAY 11, 2026 QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will showcase its latest innovat...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital's BroadcastAsia Line-up Highlights Flexible End-to-End IPMX/ST 2110 Ecosystem
Award-winning blueCORE standalone signal processors at the he...
11/05/2026
Encompass Digital Media, in partnership with VideoMagic International, announced at NAB 2026 the launch of Altitude Intelligence, an AI-powered platform designe...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has completed a major new corporate installation in Spain with the upgrade of the auditorium at Torre I...
11/05/2026
11 May 2026
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...
11/05/2026
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
11/05/2026
Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany
Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network
G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
Berklee Honors Jacob Collier, Jill Scott, and Vinnie Colaiuta at 2026 Commenceme...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
09/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...
09/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...
09/05/2026
New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop
Jessie Electa Petrov May 9, 2026
0 Comments
CrumplePop 2026.5 streamlines music, voice, and cin...
09/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
NBC's 9:16 live-production workflows power Courtside Live, Rinkside Live, Vi...
08/05/2026
Native 1080p HDR productions will rely on a mix of remote workflows from Bristol and Los Angeles
Despite another prosperous WNBA season in 2025, there was no g...