Softseed: The future of Immersive Reality in entertainment

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Image credit: DFL

Softseed is a rapidly growing global Software as a service (SaaS) company with a diverse team of top developers – and their goal is to create Virtual Reality (VR) and Immersive Reality (IR) technology for consumers to broadcast events.

The company was established as recently as 2013 by three founders in Berlin who had an academic and media background.

They now have three locations that the company work out of: Berlin (Head Office), Bangkok (Product Development) and Palma de Mallorca (Sales & Distribution).

The Berlin-based start-up have three products (PLAIGROUND®, LOKI® and RE-PLAY®) based off this ever popular technology that allows people around the globe to enjoy their favourite content not as a spectator but to be right in the middle of it.

The company mentions the fact that Immersive Reality is the future of the entertainment industry because of its data processing speed and its sustainability compared to other similar technologies.

Products:

PLAIGROUND®

PLAIGROUND® is a cutting-edge, proprietary software solution designed to deliver live Immersive Reality experiences to the mass market. This patented solution is based on a novel 3DIR codec which execs said was an adaptation of the MV-HEVC codec, a Multiview extension of HEVC, developed by Fraunhofer ISS and for which Softseed is a test partner.

The technology sets the standard in innovation and performance, offering unmatched colour depth, frame rate, motion clarity, noise reduction, and resolution.

With extremely low latency, PLAIGROUND® ensures consistent 10K 3D stereoscopic quality at over 90Hz and a minimum of 30fps at a bitrate of 100mbit and 10-bit colour depth. This advanced technology is ideal for ultra-fast sports and music events that demand flawless live streaming as part of an individualised Immersive Reality experience.

LOKI®

LOKI® is the world’s first cloud-based Virtual-IR-Receiver, using AI-powered computing to process, encrypt, and adapt IR data for personalised playback on any device.

LOKI® can convert 2D video into native 3D in real-time, creating smooth, immersive 360° 3D video in 8K resolution—even from lower-quality input. Additionally, it seamlessly combines two 180° 3D video streams into a single 360° 3D image at 8K or 10K resolution.

RE-PLAY®

RE-PLAY® is an advanced software solution designed to monetise live event replays for a wider audience.

Exclusively on the Apple Vision Pro, RE-PLAY® delivers stunning 11K 3D stereoscopic quality, up to 90fps, with a 500MB/s bitrate and 10-bit colour depth. All of this includes a 360° camera and multiple angles that allows viewers to watch however they would like.

This system works with top tier audio and video devices ensuring a smooth, immersive experience that is perfect for sporting and musical events.

Involvement in 2024 German Supercup

Softseed featured in the 2024 German Supercup between Leverkusen and Stuttgart. Germany’s annual curtain-raiser in Leverkusen was the German Football League’s (DFL’s) latest chance to show off its innovative side.

The 30,000-seat BayArena was the scene for the DFL to deliver the world’s first 10K resolution VR live stream of a football match in partnership with Berlin-based tech start-up Softseed.

Fans were able to watch a 360-degree, 10K resolution stream of the SuperCup, with the stream providing a view for users that was as if they were standing in the stadium. Multiple perspectives were offered in the live trial and the Apple Vision Pro was used as the product to showcase this technology.

The 10K live stream had a latency of under 35 seconds, a remarkably short timeframe given one terabyte of data per minute is being processed. It provided a look-in to the potential future of how fans watch a streamed game.

Conclusion

Softseed Technologies have created groundbreaking technology which, even in its infancy, is proving to be a potential game-changer in how sports and music events are viewed using Immersive and Virtual reality.

It is a unique product that is proving successful and the technology is almost certainly going to be licenced by large sporting or music organisations in the near future.

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Chelsea FC Women Renews Partnership with Škoda UK

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Image Credit: Chelsea FC website

Chelsea FC Women has revealed its renewal and expansion of its partnership with Škoda UK, naming the automotive brand as the club’s first-ever Official Back of Shirt Partner.

The renewed agreement will carry through the 2025/26 season and beyond, strengthening a collaboration that first took shape in January 2024. It underscores Škoda’s ongoing commitment to investing in women’s sport.

Under the new sponsorship deal, Škoda’s logo will appear prominently on the back of all Chelsea FC Women matchday kits, beginning with the closing fixtures of the 2024/25 season. The branding launch will align with Chelsea’s historic celebration of a sixth consecutive Barclays Women’s Super League title — a moment of major visibility for both the club and the brand.

Strategic Sponsorship in a Champion Setting

The timing of the extended agreement comes as Chelsea FC Women continues its commanding presence in English football — boasting eight league titles to date and eyeing a domestic treble. Škoda branding will also feature during the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley on 18 May, providing a high-profile platform for national exposure.

Commercial Director at Chelsea FC Women, Giulia Mazzia, highlighted the brand’s alignment with Chelsea FC Women and its broader values.

“To welcome Škoda as our first Official Back of Shirt Partner illustrates our ambition to innovate and integrate partners into our business model.

“Škoda helps us connect with fans locally and globally through both matchday presence and digital content,” she said via press release.

Beyond the Shirt: Mobility, Media and Matchday Moments

Škoda’s joint venture with Chelsea FC Women extends well beyond shirt branding, underscoring a shared commitment to innovation, performance and progress in women’s sport.

As part of the renewed deal, Chelsea Women’s players and staff — including the Women’s Academy — will be supported with vehicles from Škoda’s all-electric Enyaq range and the Kodiaq iV plug-in hybrid. This seamless integration into the team’s day-to-day operations reflects both the practical and symbolic strength of the partnership.

Škoda will also:

  • Continue as title sponsor of the “We Are Chelsea” podcast
  • Deliver exclusive digital content across Chelsea FC Women and Škoda UK channels
  • Drive a Škoda vehicle ahead of the team bus into Stamford Bridge on select matchdays — a symbolic “arrival” moment that adds visual impact and storytelling potential

Amplifying Brand Values Through Women’s Sport

Škoda has long supported women’s sport, particularly through its established ties to professional cycling — including the Tour de France Femmes and the Škoda Cycling Academy. Its growing investment in women’s football through Chelsea FC Women reflects a broader strategy centred on mobility, inclusion and elite performance.

Head of Marketing at Škoda UK, Kirsten Stagg, underscored the shared values at the heart of the collaboration.

“Chelsea Women exemplify many of the core values we hold at Škoda. It’s a privilege to partner with a team that shares our commitment to excellence and community,” she said via press release.

The brand has also welcomed five Chelsea players as official ambassadors, who will feature across digital content, grassroots and community programs, and Škoda’s internal brand initiatives.

Commercial Significance and Industry Context

Škoda’s continued investment in Chelsea FC Women reflects key trends in the evolving sports marketing landscape. With growing fan engagement, the rising value of sponsorship on women’s kits, and brands aligning with purpose-driven clubs, the partnership showcases the shift towards purpose-led collaborations.

Digital-first engagement through podcasts, player content, and matchday activations is central to long-term sponsorship success. Women’s football is quickly becoming a powerful platform for brand storytelling and global visibility.

Elevating Aintree Football and grassroots sports

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Image credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria has acknowledged Melton City Council for the official opening of the $15.3 million Aintree North Recreation Reserve — a pivotal investment in community sport and active recreation that will serve the area’s growing demand for football and broader sporting participation.

In April, City of Melton Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi and State Member for Kororoit Luba Grigorovitch MP officially unveiled the reserve, which is positioned to play a central role as a district-level facility in Melbourne’s west and will accommodate a range of local sports groups, including football clubs.

City of Melton Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi described the reserve as a transformative development for the local community.

“Spaces like these make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to take part in regular exercise, social connection and outdoor activity,” he said via press release.

“I’d like to thank the Victorian Government and Woodlea for their contributions to this fantastic project.”

The state-of-the-art reserve features premium soccer pitches, an inclusive play area, a youth-focused skate park, a jogging track with a fitness trail, an off-leash dog park, public restrooms, a network of shared pathways, and a contemporary community sports pavilion.

The project was supported by a $11.9 million investment from Melton City Council, alongside a $2 million contribution from the Victorian Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund and an additional $1.46 million from developer Woodlea.

Josephine La Pila, Football Victoria’s Club Development Program Manager, expressed support for the reserve’s opening and commended the commitment to enhancing community football facilities.

“This precinct is a fantastic example of local government, developers and state partners working together to support grassroots football,” she said via press release.

“The facilities at Aintree will open new doors for clubs, players and families – especially in such a fast-growing area. We’re excited to see the positive impact it will have on participation, development and community connection.”

Football Victoria is excited to maintain its partnership with the City of Melton and local clubs, working together to establish the new reserve as a flourishing centre for football and community sports.

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