Vodafone and the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) joined forces to bring 5G-powered augmented reality to Bundesliga stadiums, beginning with VfL Wolfsburg's Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany. The initiative began with a test deployment in 2019 and extended into a formal partnership for the 2019/20 season, making the Volkswagen Arena the first 5G-enabled Bundesliga stadium.
At the core of the deployment is a 5G Stadium AR app that gives fans access to real-time match analytics previously available only to broadcasters and clubs. Using 5G-enabled smartphones and Vodafone's Mobile Edge Cloud (MEC) infrastructure, the app overlays live player statistics, attacking and defensive line positions, and pitch occupancy maps onto the fan's view of the match. The system processes data from 16 cameras and Sportec Solutions' platform — a DFL subsidiary that captures 3.6 million positional data points and 1,600 match events per game.
The 5G antenna installation at the Volkswagen Arena increased network capacity by over 60 percent. Mobile edge servers placed close to the stadium enable sub-10-millisecond latency, essential for the real-time data visualisation the AR experience requires. Content production was handled by A4VR, whose co-founder and CTO Michael Albrecht described 5G as the pivotal enabler for meaningful AR and VR stadium applications due to its combination of high bandwidth and low latency.
DFL Managing Director Christian Seifert noted the growing trend of fans using second-screen experiences to access match data, positioning the AR app as a natural progression of that behaviour directly into the stadium environment.
