Real Madrid C.F. and Microsoft join forces to accelerate the digital transformation of the club

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Nov 18, 2014, 12:45 ET

The two organizations sign an agreement covering a range of technological developments, starting with the creation of a digital platform that will revolutionize the way millions of supporters enjoy following their team.

Real Madrid will lead the transformation of the sports industry, enabling sports lovers to enjoy their passion in a unique way.

MADRID, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Real Madrid C.F. and Microsoft have signed a landmark agreement accelerating the digital transformation of the club through technology. This alliance, through which Microsoft becomes the strategic technological partner of Real Madrid, will revolutionize the experience enjoyed by members and supporters of the club by providing digital services that are accessible anywhere, anytime and on a host of devices (such as PCs, tablets, smartphones and wearables).

The agreement provides for a number of different initiatives and technological developments that will be unveiled in the upcoming months. These advances will serve to make Real Madrid the football club that delivers a comprehensive and streamlined online experience to its supporters, leading the way in the digital transformation of the sports industry.

Florentino Perez, chairman of Real Madrid C.F., and Orlando Ayala, corporate vice president and chairman, Emerging Markets at Microsoft, announced this strategic partnership at an event hosted at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, and at which Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, participated with a video message. The announcement was also streamed live online, so Real Madrid fans around the world could hear about this milestone in the history of both organizations.

Nadella highlighted that "At Microsoft we are fully committed to ensuring that people from across the world can make the most of each moment of their lives. Amazing things can happen by providing people with the right tools, just when they need them in order to interact, create or share everything they can imagine. We are delighted to offer these tools to millions of Real Madrid fans worldwide and help make their passion for football much more exciting."

Ayala focused on what this agreement means for supporters of the club: "Today is the start of a long journey that Real Madrid and Microsoft are embarking on together, heading toward the full digital revolution of the club. This new era translates into an unprecedented personalized experience for supporters that will allow millions of fans from all over the planet to enjoy their passion for Real Madrid anywhere, anytime and on any device."

Fans of the club, stars of this agreement

The first step in the collaboration between Real Madrid and Microsoft will be to build a digital platform that will revolutionize the way in which Madridistas can follow their team and share their passion for the club. Through cutting-edge technologies, supporters of Real Madrid will be able to access experiences, content and exclusive digital services, either at the stadium, at home or in any other location. Fans will improve their interaction with players and the club, making it even more personal, direct and exciting.

A host of online services will provide an enriched experience for watching matches. For instance, supporters of the club will be able to access the stadium virtually, before, during and after each game, selecting the content they want to see when they want to and where they want to see it. The aim of this technological initiative is to make Madridistas the real stars of their own experience by allowing them to view and consume the content they want and also create and share it with their friends on social media and other digital channels.

Services and devices

This agreement also provides for the use of services and devices, such as Surface Pro 3, by players and coaching staff as key work tools, with the aim of enhancing the performance and efficiency of the team. New internal collaboration and communication solutions will also be adopted, as well as the latest technology trends in areas such as cloud computing or big data.

In addition, both organizations will collaborate by exchanging and facilitating access to useful information and knowledge on the application of technology in the sports industry and assess potential partnerships on joint research projects with Microsoft Research in this area.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.