New York-based Magnetic 3D [1], a leader in glasses-free, auto-stereoscopic 3D displays and 3D digital signage solutions, recently deployed glasses-free auto-stereoscopic 3D LCD displays in the ‘Suites of the Future’ campaign at Sun Life Stadium [2] Feb. 7 in Miami Gardens for the XLIV Super Bowl – – We’re a little late with this news, but just learned about this happening at the Super Bowl last month, and think it’s well worth noting. Ed.
The VIP Suites of the Future showcased entertainment innovations that redefined the stadium experience for fans while generating additional advertising revenue channels for the franchise owners.
“The Suites of the 
[3]Future campaign gave NFL team owners at the Super Bowl an exclusive first look at the next generation of out-of-home entertainment and innovative fan engagement techniques driven by our glasses-free 3D technology,” says Tom Zerega, co-founder and CEO, Magnetic 3D. Noting that Magnetic 3D’s goal is to deliver a unique, media-rich fan experience with glasses-free 3D entertainment and sponsored content that literally pops off the screen Zerega says, ”As an entertainment experience fans could only enjoy at the stadium on game day, glasses-free 3D aligned perfectly with the franchise’s goal of selling more tickets and merchandise while providing marketing departments with a new and exciting sponsorship opportunity in 3D.”
The Suites of the Future enabled sports and entertainment venues to target and deliver customized 2D and 3D video, promotional content, and relevant game-day information to virtually any display within the venue. For the deployment within Sun Life Stadium, Magnetic 3D installed its state-of-the-art Allura 3D Digital Signage product line to provide the sports entertainment.
“The 3D technology made a great impression on all who entered the suites,” said Tery Howard, senior vice-president of Information Technology for the Miami Dolphins [4] and Sun Life Stadium. “Our VIP Super Bowl guests were amazed at the glasses-free 3D technology and the high definition clarity of the displays. We are truly transforming the way our fans experience the game.”
The Suites of the Future Super Bowl display solution featured a 42” Allura screen, which was capable of displaying high definition glasses-free 3D video and images while also offering backwards compatibility with traditional 2D using the versatile Magnetic 3D FuzionCast network player. Through the FuzionCast player, those in the suites were even able to watch 2D content on the same screens, providing a seamless experience for the audience. The upgrade to glasses-free 3D content and deployment of 3D content to the Suites of the Future screens was simplified using Magnetic 3D’s proprietary E3D auto-stereo file format, which uses the latest in image compression technology.
Glasses-free 3D content broadcast to the suites included the football league, divisional and team logos, as well as match-up sequences, Super Bowl history messages and a fly-through animation of Sun Life Stadium, in addition to triggered sequences for the kickoff and halftime. No 3D glasses were required to view the 3D content, as Magnetic 3D’s lens technology creates multiple distinct images and true Volumetric Perception which is the appearance of apparent pop and depth of content displayed during playback. Essentially, the display wears the 3D glasses instead of the viewer.
“The combination of our simultaneous 2D and 3D capable Allura displays and FuzionCAST player enabled the Suites of the Future to truly demonstrate the next level in major stadium and event experiences at this year’s Super Bowl,” says Eric Angello, vice-president marketing and creative, Magnetic 3D. “Not only was the content an exciting complement to the game’s thrilling live action, but our content distribution channel also seamlessly deployed each stage right on cue. Throughout the event, this maintained a steadily engaging, and unforgettable, unique in-stadium experience for the fans, right up until we broadcast the winning logo to cement another place in football history at the end of the game.”