Las Vegas Sphere Gets Worked Into This Weekend’s F1 Race
November 16, 2023 by Dave Haynes
Few people would be surprised to learn the Sphere in Las Vegas will be highly visible during this week’s Formula One race sessions, but the degree of the giant LED ball’s involvement is perhaps more than expected.
The company behind the attention-grabbing new venue has done a deal with the F1 people to use the exterior LEDs to show some of the data from the track and cars.
What’s billed as the world’s largest LED screen is located right by part of the track, which has been worked into the Strip and surrounding streets. “Sphere’s Exosphere doesn’t just complement the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, it elevates it to new heights, turning every lap into a mesmerizing experience for fans in attendance and watching on TV globally,” says Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer for Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc. “Picture real-time pole positions, thrilling podium celebrations, and a dynamic showcase of all 20 drivers and their iconic cars displayed larger-than-life. We are excited to have Sphere at the heart of race weekend.”
The big race on Saturday evening – late so that it will be breakfast entertainment for European F1 fans – will see content created exclusively by Sphere Studios for the race, cued live throughout. That will include real time pole positions, and a custom podium moment to celebrate the race’s winner.
In addition, throughout the week, F1 content will be on display including driver cards featuring all 20 drivers and their cars in a larger-than-life form, as well as F1 helmets to serve as iconic backdrops for fan photos. Additional bespoke content will be unveiled during the race itself, including opportunities for fans to see themselves on Sphere.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix marks the first live event that features Sphere as part of the official broadcast, reaching millions of F1 fans watching the race around the world. Because of the venue’s prime position along the track, Sphere will be visible from multiple unique angles, including above. The custom Exosphere content running throughout race week will be optimized to account for a bird’s eye view of the track and venue.
In addition to custom Las Vegas Grand Prix content, some of the world’s largest brands will have advertisements displayed on Sphere as part of their partnership with the Grand Prix, including American Express, Aristocrat, Aston Martin, Body Armor, Google Chrome, Heineken, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Mercedes Benz, Netflix, Paramount+, Pirelli, Puma, Salesforce, T-Mobile, and Virgin Hotels.
Also very prominently featured in the new Netflix special, ‘The Netflix Cup’…Golf tourney at Wynn with PGA pros and F1 racers…
There is nice video from AVIXA showing sphere