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Sphere Debuts with an Unforgettable 4th of July Show

July 6, 2023

submitted by SPHERE

Last night, Sphere lit up the global stage with a captivating display of dynamic, animated content on the venue’s exterior – the Exosphere – transforming the Las Vegas skyline. A signature feature of Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium, the Exosphere will showcase a wide range of artistic and branded content that will be seen not only by guests at Sphere and the 40+ million visitors to Las Vegas each year, but also is photographed and shared around the world on social media.

As part of a special show to celebrate the Fourth of July, for the first time ever, Sphere’s 580,000 square foot fully-programmable LED exterior – the largest LED screen on earth – was completely illuminated. The show started with a welcome – “Hello World” – and was followed by dazzling fireworks and stars and stripes animations, before transitioning through a wide array of visual content, from vibrant underwater scenes to performances to vividly-textured lunar surfaces, putting on full display the versatility of this unparalleled canvas.

Guy Barnett, SVP Brand Strategy and Creative Development, said: “The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world. Last night’s show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.”

David Hopkinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports, who oversees global marketing and brand partnerships across Sphere Entertainment and the MSG family of companies, said: “Sphere’s Exosphere is a 360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth.

There’s nothing comparable to the impact from displaying innovative brand and immersive content on the world’s largest video screen. The extraordinary experiences we can create are only limited by imagination, and we’re thrilled to finally share with the world the spectacular potential of the Exosphere.”

The Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors – creating a vivid new landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.

The Fourth of July production was just the beginning for the Exosphere, as it will continue to display creative activations in coordination with major events in Las Vegas, with more content planned throughout the month. Later this year, the Exosphere will be prominently featured as part of Sphere’s opening in September with U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, as well as during the first Sphere Experience, Postcard from Earth directed by Darren Aronofsky, in October.

In November, during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sphere will have a prime position along the circuit to showcase the Exosphere to a global audience – in-person and on TV – as well as significant exposure through planned takeovers of the Exosphere for race-related content, activations and advertising.

Eventually, the Exosphere will display a wide range of artistic and branded content daily, from rituals such as sunrise and sunset, to impactful brand campaigns, to delightful moments running at set times.

The Exosphere was developed by an interdisciplinary team of creative, production, technology, and software experts at Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio dedicated to creating live entertainment experiences exclusively for Sphere.

Sphere Studios partnered with Montreal-based SACO Technologies, an industry leader in solid-state LED video lighting and media solutions, to design and manufacture the Exosphere’s unique LED display. The Studios team also worked with 7thSense, a creative software and technology company specializing in high profile media-based attractions, to deliver programming onto the Exosphere using their advanced media server, pixel processing, and show control technologies, in continuation of a decade-long partnership with MSG. The content for the Fourth of July show was designed and developed by Sphere Studios’ experienced in-house Creative Services team.

Photo credit: ECN Editor, Li Jackson, quotes “the Sphere’s 4th of July Show was beyond beautiful. So lucky to have seen it in person. So proud of all the amazing ground breaking technology that Vegas has to offer. Nothing like it.”

About Sphere

Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that will bring wonder to the world and redefine the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists will create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue will host original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies from the world’s biggest artists; and premier marquee events.

The first Sphere venue is currently under construction in Las Vegas and expected to open in September 2023. It will be a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thespherevegas.com.

About Sphere Entertainment Co.

Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue is currently under construction in Las Vegas.

In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at sphereentertainmentco.com.