The MSG Sphere, a new 18,000-seat arena in Las Vegas, was lit up for the first time last week with a captivating display of dynamic, animated content on the venue’s exterior – the Exosphere – transforming the Las Vegas skyline. The Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors – creating a vivid new landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.

“Sphere’s Exosphere is a 360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth,” said David Hopkinson, president and CEO of MSG Sports, who oversees global marketing and brand partnerships across Sphere Entertainment and the MSG family of companies. “There’s nothing comparable to the impact from displaying innovative brand and immersive content on the world’s largest video screen. The extraordinary experiences we can create are only limited by imagination, and we’re thrilled to finally share with the world the spectacular potential of the Exosphere.”

The Fourth of July production was just the beginning for the Exosphere, as it will continue to display creative activations in coordination with major events in Las Vegas, with more content planned throughout the month. Later this year, the Exosphere will be prominently featured as part of Sphere’s opening in September with U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, as well as during the first Sphere Experience, Postcard from Earth directed by Darren Aronofsky,in October. In November, during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sphere will have a prime position along the circuit to showcase the Exosphere to a global audience – in-person and on TV – as well as significant exposure through planned takeovers of the Exosphere for race-related content, activations and advertising. Eventually, the Exosphere will display a wide range of artistic and branded content daily, from rituals such as sunrise and sunset, to impactful brand campaigns, to delightful moments running at set times.

The Exosphere was developed by an interdisciplinary team of creative, production, technology, and software experts at Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio dedicated to creating live entertainment experiences exclusively for Sphere. Sphere Studios partnered with Montreal-based SACO Technologies, an industry leader in solid-state LED video lighting and media solutions, to design and manufacture the Exosphere’s unique LED display. The Studios team also worked with 7thSense, a creative software and technology company specializing in high profile media-based attractions, to deliver programming onto the Exosphere using their advanced media server, pixel processing, and show control technologies, in continuation of a decade-long partnership with MSG. The content for the Fourth of July show was designed and developed by Sphere Studios’ experienced in-house Creative Services team.