Sports, Media, and Entertainment

Visionary blend of tech and urban design

One of the largest urban mixed-use development projects in the United States, Hollywood Park is also a showcase for the innovative use of smart city technologies, with a major assist from Cisco. This city-within-a-city in Inglewood, California, built on the grounds of the former Hollywood Park racetrack, represents a transformative vision for integrating sports, entertainment, shopping, and residential living.  

The centerpiece of Hollywood Park is SoFi Stadium, a world-class, 70,000-seat venue that hosts Southern California football teams and championship events. Adjacent to the stadium, the development features an expansive array of attractions such as a luxury hotel, the 6000-seat YouTube Theater, retail stores and restaurants, 20 acres of parkland, condominiums, and office space. 

In 2019, Cisco and Hollywood Park formed a technology partnership to create one of the most technologically advanced multipurpose venues and communities in the world. As the official IT network services partner of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Cisco designed and deployed an end-to-end converged network throughout the entire 298-acre complex. Early planning for a small city-scale infrastructure within this vast project not only enabled simplified onboarding as the development expanded but also underscored a crucial lesson for large-scale undertakings: involving technology partners from the outset can significantly streamline processes and save time when the broader vision is ultimately realized.

Stadium with cutting-edge technologies

At SoFi Stadium, the converged Cisco network connects all endpoints, including point-of-sale systems, TVs, signage, Wi-Fi access points, and collaboration tools. The data center and broadcast networks rely on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches in a spine-leaf configuration, simplifying the design, reducing network latency, and improving scalability by enabling a full mesh topology where all devices are equidistant, requiring minimal hops for data transmission. By utilizing virtualization and hyperconverged infrastructure, the stadium runs on a compact server setup.

The stadium's infrastructure includes 229 telecom rooms condensed into two racks with Cisco Catalyst 9606 switches and Catalyst 9400s elsewhere. This unified network supports building management systems, IPTV screens, Wi-Fi access points, public address systems, collaboration endpoints, and TV broadcasts. It also connects to the NFL Network via 100 Gig Ethernet interfaces.

SoFi Stadium has among the largest Wi-Fi 6 deployments in any sports venue, with approximately 2500 Cisco access points. Wi-Fi 6 ensures fast connectivity and improved reliability while enhancing power efficiency for fans’ devices. The network also handles uncompressed 4K video for broadcasts, consuming approximately 12 Gbps of bandwidth. Cisco IP Fabric for Media enables the only live 4K HDR production facility in the U.S., allowing bidirectional traffic flows without altering physical infrastructure.

The stadium features advanced IPTV solutions with more than 2000 4K displays across concourses, suites, concession stands, and in other areas of Hollywood Park. Operators can customize content centrally for every screen.

Model for a smart city

The converged network at Hollywood Park extends beyond SoFi Stadium to support the broader mixed-use development. The network connects retail, commercial, and residential areas via a single platform, enabling centralized management of systems like digital signage, security, and building controls. Over 2500 4K displays across Hollywood Park are powered by Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage, allowing dynamic content customization for concourses, public spaces, and businesses.

Virtualized operational technologies (for lighting and access controls, for example) also run on Cisco’s hyperconverged infrastructure, streamlining energy efficiency and security with controls and analytics across the area. Cisco wireless solutions and Catalyst switches ensure high-density coverage for public spaces, while the IP fabric supports future expansions, including media production and smart city integrations.

At Hollywood Park, Cisco's advanced network solutions not only enhance the experience for fans and visitors but also establish seamless connections to bring new features and convenience to sports, entertainment, commerce, and residential living. This innovative approach positions Hollywood Park as a tech-driven hub and a model for interconnected smart cities of the future.

Cisco converged network and data center infrastructure connects SoFi Stadium and the large Hollywood Park development.