Manchester City and Sony launch ‘Man City Virtual Etihad Stadium’

Manchester City has today announced the launch of the ‘Man City Virtual Etihad Stadium’ – a new interactive fan experience delivered by Sony for the fans to enjoy.

The interactive experience sees City become the first sporting brand to utilise Sony’s new FavoriteSpace™ service.

The two global brands have been working on the fan engagement PoC (proof of concept) experience since a partnership between the organisations was announced in November 2021.

Available to fans for the first time, the newly launched app allows users to take part in a virtual fan community, where Cityzens from the UK, US and Japan can connect and celebrate the club throughout the season.

Fans are able to create a personalised avatar and participate in a variety of activities including daily challenges, social events, minigames and co-creation functions. Digital merchandise is also available to redeem within a virtual City Store.

Powered by the data tracking technology of Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, fans can explore 3DCG immersive match highlights for City home matches during the 24/25 men’s season, as well as relive key moments from the 23/24 season.

Through the FavoriteSpace service, the club is providing new opportunities for club partners within the Manchester City experience, with the likes of Etihad and Nissan being the first to develop innovative and engaging activations.

This includes reactive LED messaging within the Immersive Highlights for Premier League matches and specific challenges within the interactive Stadium Tour.

The Customer Journey, Fan Experience, Hospitality, Premium Sales & Service, and Venue Commercialisation are among the key focuses for the 2024 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition kicking off in just under 50 days time.

Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing and Fan Experience Officer at City Football Group, said:

We’re delighted to launch this new experience today alongside our long-term partner Sony as part of our wider strategy to embrace new technologies and continuously explore new ways to engage and entertain our audience.

It’s exciting for us to be able to see the PoC partnership come to life with today’s launch and we’re grateful to Sony for collaborating with us to launch the Man City Virtual Etihad Stadium today. 

This is the latest digital experience we have launched for our global fanbase – following success on other platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite in recent years – and we hope fans across the world will enjoy it.

Yuhei Yabe, Head of New Business Development Division, Sony Group Corporation, said:

We are pleased to bring this new sports experience to football fans by combining Sony’s new service, FavoriteSpace, with the attractive content provided by Manchester City.

Sony is committed to making the future of sports more engaging and innovative by utilising Sony’s technology and entertainment expertise. It’s been an incredible journey from the PoC phase with our partner Manchester City, and today, we are thrilled to announce the launch.

At FavoriteSpace, we will continue to develop services that bring fans closer together, making the act of supporting their favorite teams and players even more enjoyable.

Source and imagery, courtesy: Manchester City

Sports Venue Business has launched a raft of new offerings under the SVB LIVE banner, including Networking Events & a Webinar Series, culminating in the annual SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition, being held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on October 9th and 10th, with an Opening Night Icebreaker at Aviva Stadium on October 8th, 2024.