Royal Philips, FC Bayern Munich, the German soccer champions, and its home stadium Allianz Arena, today announced a partnership that will make the stadium the first in Germany and the largest in Europe to feature a dynamic light show made possible by energy efficient connected LED lighting. As part of a three-year agreement, Philips will also become a sponsor of the Allianz Arena and the official lighting partner for FC Bayern Munich. 

The 71,137 capacity stadium has a façade comprising the world’s largest membrane outer shell which stands 35 meters tall and covers roughly 29,000 square meters. This will be a gigantic canvas for colored lighting patterns and even animations, giving fans and visitors a unique and unforgettable stadium experience. In the future, 380,000 LEDs within 8,000 Philips ColorGraze fixtures will allow the arena to showcase more than just static images. The new LED system will also be 60% more energy efficient than conventional lighting. 

Philips teams up with FC Bayern Munich to light up their home stadium Allianz Arena. (photos courtesy of Philips)

"We will expand the palette from three to 16 million colors. There will be plenty of light scenarios possible with which the Allianz Arena will be able to create unique moods,” said Roger Karner, Managing Director of Philips Lighting in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The partners have already developed the first design concepts and will continue to develop them with the relevant government departments. This latest innovation from Philips is part of a fully connected lighting network. Every single point of light can be precisely controlled in real-time. Color gradients and animated interplays of color can even be created from within the 1,056 illuminated segments that make up the façade. 

From left to right: Roger Karner (Executive Board Member Philips DACH), Andreas Jung (Executive Board Member FC Bayern Muenchen AG), Thomas Schoenen (Head of Brand, Communications, Digital, Philips DACH), and Juergen Muth (CEO Allianz Arena Muenchen Stadion GmbH) in the "FC Bayern Erlebniswelt" in the Allianz Arena signing contract in Munich, Germany. (photo courtesy of Philips)

"The new lighting from Philips will allow visitors and TV viewers to feel the full emotion and dynamism of the match from their very first glance," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern München AG. 

"FC Bayern welcomes Philips, the global player for stadium lighting, to the team," said Executive Board member Andreas Jung. "Together we will play to win in the world’s most attractive arena." 

From left to right: Andreas Jung (Executive Board Member FC Bayern Muenchen AG), Thomas Schoenen (Head of Brand, Communications, Digital, Philips DACH), Roger Karner (Executive Board Member Philips DACH) and Juergen Muth (CEO Allianz Arena Muenchen Stadion GmbH) in the "FC Bayern Erlebniswelt" in the Allianz Arena signing contract in Munich, Germany behind a model of the Allianz Arena. (photo courtesy of Philips)

The two top global brands Philips and FC Bayern Munich will also work closely together in terms of brand communication. "Philips and FC Bayern will bring the fascination of light to life and not only by live-events with fans inside the arena. Together with the FC Bayern Munich we will develop creative communication concepts for all channels," said Thomas Schönen, Head of Brand & Communications for Philips in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. 

Clear vote for sustainability in sports

By using controllable Philips LEDs, the stadium will lower the amount of energy it consumes from lighting by around 60%. This amounts to an annual saving of about 362 tons of CO2 . In addition, the long-life of LEDs means less maintenance is required. The LED solution underlines the partners’ support for sustainability in sports and for the region as a whole. 

Philips will assume responsibility for comprehensive servicing, from professional lighting designs and project planning through programming and start-up to maintenance.