Sphere and Disguise Sign Multi-Year Deal on Next-Gen Playback Tech
2026-09-30 · via invidis
Sphere Entertainment and visual technology company Disguise have signed a multi-year agreement to jointly develop new video playback technology and workflows, according to the companies. The deal matters to anyone running large-format LED or projection systems because it signals where media server technology is headed as venues push beyond conventional screen sizes.
Disguise has supplied Sphere with media servers and playback software since the Las Vegas venue opened in 2023, handling real-time processing and synchronization of content for concert residencies and corporate events. That relationship began with the venue's opening production, U2 Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, which ran on 23 Disguise GX 3 media servers, each with 30 TB of storage, to drive content on the interior LED display.
The new agreement moves the relationship from vendor-and-customer to joint development. Sphere and Disguise say they will work together on systems and workflows built specifically for Sphere's scale, with a stated focus on accelerating video playback. Sphere will also be the first partner to bring Disguise's next-generation technology to market, meaning whatever comes out of this work will debut at Sphere before it reaches other Disguise customers in concert touring, corporate AV or fixed installation.
Neither company disclosed technical specifications or a timetable for the new systems. That absence is notable given the scale of the claims: Sphere's screens are among the largest and highest-resolution LED surfaces in commercial use, and any meaningful jump in playback capability would be a significant engineering story on its own.
Ryan Dolan, Sphere's executive vice president and head of event and interactive technology, said every artist who has performed at Sphere has used Disguise technology, and that the companies now plan to develop future versions of the production technology to support Sphere's expansion into new markets. Disguise CEO Fernando Küfer said the deal builds on three years of prior development work and will focus on expanding Sphere's video capabilities.
That expansion context is the real driver here. Sphere Entertainment has announced plans for venues in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor, Maryland, and each new location will need media server infrastructure capable of matching or exceeding the Las Vegas build. A jointly engineered platform, rather than off-the-shelf servers, suggests Sphere wants playback technology purpose-built for its architecture rather than adapted from touring or fixed-install products.
For operators outside the Sphere ecosystem, the practical takeaway is limited for now. No product names, release windows or specs were shared. The agreement is a signal of direction rather than a launch.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
The companies will jointly develop next-generation video playback technology and workflows as Sphere prepares to expand beyond Las Vegas.
Sphere Entertainment and visual technology company Disguise have signed a multi-year agreement to jointly develop new technology for Sphere’s live productions and future venues.
Disguise has worked with Sphere since the Las Vegas venue opened in 2023, supplying media servers and software used to process, synchronize and play back visual content in real time for concert residencies and corporate events.
The expanded relationship moves beyond supplying existing technology. Sphere and Disguise will work together on new systems and workflows designed specifically for the venue’s unusually large-scale video requirements, with a focus on accelerating video playback capabilities.
Sphere will also become the first partner to bring Disguise’s next-generation technology to market.
The development work comes as Sphere Entertainment prepares to take the venue concept beyond Las Vegas. The company has announced plans for Sphere venues in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor, Maryland.
Ryan Dolan, Sphere’s executive vice president and head of event and interactive technology, said every artist who has performed at Sphere has used Disguise technology. The companies now plan to develop future iterations of the production technology that can help support Sphere’s expansion into additional markets.
Disguise’s involvement with the venue dates to its opening production, U2 Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. That production used 23 Disguise GX 3 media servers, each equipped with 30 TB of storage, to handle content for the venue’s interior LED display.
The companies did not provide technical specifications or a timetable for the next-generation systems being developed under the new agreement.
Disguise CEO Fernando Küfer said the partnership builds on three years of development work between the companies and will focus on expanding Sphere’s video capabilities.