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Sphere Entertainment Co. and Disguise announced a multi-year technology partnership in a joint release on 23 September 2026. Sphere, the LED-dome venue in Las Vegas, will be the first partner to bring Disguise’s next-generation technology to market, the companies said. The companies will develop technologies and workflows to speed up video playback, according to the release.
Disguise makes media servers and software. A media server is the computer that stores a show’s video and plays it across a display in sync. Sphere has used Disguise media servers and software for its live residencies and corporate events since it opened in 2023.
“Every artist who has performed at Sphere has benefited from Disguise’s technology,” said Ryan Dolan, executive vice president and head of event and interactive technology at Sphere.
U2’s residency at Sphere ran on 23 Disguise GX 3 servers, each holding 30 terabytes, 690 terabytes in all. Peter Kirkup, Disguise’s solutions and innovation director, gave those figures to TV Tech in November 2023. Kirkup described Sphere’s display as 16K by 16K pixels.
Dolan said Sphere is looking forward to “developing future iterations of immersive productions.” He tied that to “our long-term vision of offering these experiences to audiences in new Sphere venues around the world.”
Sphere Entertainment Co. has announced two more venues. The company has named Yas Island as the site of Sphere Abu Dhabi. Construction is expected to finish by the end of 2029, according to the company’s second-quarter results on 30 July.
The same results said plans to bring Sphere to National Harbor in Maryland “continue to move forward.”
For operators choosing a playback supplier for an LED dome, Sphere has expanded its relationship with Disguise. For AV suppliers, Dolan linked the partnership to new Sphere venues, and Sphere Entertainment Co. has announced two, in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor.
What immersive venue technology does Disguise supply to Sphere? Media servers and software. Sphere uses them to process, synchronise and play back content in real time. Sphere has used them for its live residencies and corporate events since it opened in 2023.
What did Sphere and Disguise announce on 23 September 2026? A multi-year partnership to develop technology the companies described as custom-made for Sphere. Sphere will be the first partner to bring Disguise’s next-generation technology to market, the companies said.
How many Disguise servers ran U2’s residency at Sphere? 23 GX 3 servers with 30 terabytes of storage each, 690 terabytes in all. Disguise’s Peter Kirkup gave the figures to TV Tech in November 2023.
Where are the next Sphere venues planned? Abu Dhabi, on Yas Island, with construction expected to finish by the end of 2029, and National Harbor, Maryland, according to Sphere Entertainment Co.
