Real Madrid and Cisco expand their global alliance with greater technological innovation

After this new alliance, Cisco will optimize the technological infrastructure of the Real Madrid, also including the Sports City, with upgrades spanning an AI-ready data center, Wi-Fi 7 and a network of 100 Gbps to connect the Santiago Bernabéu stadium with training facilities.

After positioning the Real Madrid as a reference in innovation and experiences for fans during two decades of collaboration, this sports entity and Cisco, as official technological partner of the club, have announced a multi-year expansion of its global alliance.

The act of renewal, that has taken place in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, has had the assistance of Alex Wicks, CEO of Real Madrid Stadium, along with Agostino Santoni y Andrew Vilamitjana, vp. senior for Southern EMEA and general director for Spain and Portugal at Cisco, respectively.

This agreement will incorporate the latest technology in networks and security from Cisco to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and important improvements in the Sports City of the club.

Real Madrid will continue implementing the complete portfolio of Cisco solutions, including business networks, connectivity, security, digital signage, data center technologies, etc.

The collaboration will focus on technology upgrades including creating a scalable data center, high-performance and AI-ready at the Real Madrid Sports City, improving the club's energy efficiency measures and will adapt to new AI workloads.

Added to this is the Cisco Wi-Fi deployment 7 throughout the Real Madrid Sports City, a next-generation wireless standard that offers faster speeds, Lower latency and seamless connectivity for fans and employees.

This technological alliance will also have a new and robust network infrastructure 100 Gbps to connect the Santiago Bernabéu stadium with the sports complex.

Based on Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), This infrastructure will facilitate simple and secure network management, rapid implementation of new services and greater digital resilience across the club's digital network.

“Technology has the power to transform the fan experience, and Real Madrid is marking a new milestone in innovation in sports, entertainment and culture - he pointed out Agostino Santoni-. By leveraging Cisco expertise, It is not only reinventing the sport for fans, but also enriches the experiences of hundreds of thousands of visitors at the stadium. Together, “We make it easier for the club and the stadium to remain at the forefront of sports technology in the world.”.

Improvements in the Sports City

The technological renovation at the Real Madrid Sports City will include Cisco observability solutions to provide a Greater network visibility and more operational information throughout the club's digital ecosystem.

At the moment, These training facilities serve as a command center to manage all the Santiago Bernabéu IP terminals in real time. Also, the navigation protection solution Cisco provides a secure connection experience for employees and athletes.

Technological innovation for sport

Cisco solutions have served as the technological foundation of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium for almost two decades, including a large-scale renovation completed in 2024 that positioned the venue as the new standard in innovation and experiences for fans.

The renewal involved a comprehensive implementation of Cisco's technology portfolio, including a single, converged Software Defined Access network (SDA), the first of its kind in a European sports stadium.

Besides, the solution IP Fabric for Media Cisco is used to produce real-time content, which is then distributed to more than 2.500 screens throughout the venue and to millions of fans who follow the broadcast around the world.

“Networks are the basis of digitalization, that is transforming all sectors, including sports and entertainment. last year, The new Santiago Bernabéu became a world reference in convergent connectivity with Cisco technology. Now, thanks to this expanded collaboration, will once again be a pioneer in offering immersive interactions, sustainable and profitable”, concludes Vilamitjana.