Sphere Entertainment Acquires HOLOPLOT

Sphere Entertainment is now the sole owner of HOLOPLOT, the audio company that designed the revolutionary immersive sound system used in the eponymous Las Vegas venue.

In a joint statement on behalf of Sphere Entertainment, David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures and Paul Westbury, EVP, Development and Construction, said: “HOLOPLOT is at the forefront of audio innovation, and their custom-designed technology has already transformed what is possible for concert-grade sound. This acquisition reflects our Company’s commitment to staying on the cutting-edge of immersive experiences as we explore growth opportunities for both Sphere and HOLOPLOT.”

One of the biggest challenges in designing Sphere was honing the sound.

“A spherical structure is incredibly efficient from a structural engineering standpoint,” Dibble told Pollstar in September. “A sphere distributes load beautifully so they scale up and scale down. Where they are a nightmare is sound. Acoustically, I’d liken it to taking a laundry basket full of ping pong balls and dumping it on the kitchen floor.”

Fortunately, Dibble and his team found a German outfit that was on the verge of just what they needed.

“We found a company in Berlin that was using wave-field synthesis and beamforming to try to pitch the Deutsche Bahn for a more efficient public address system for German train stations,” Dibble said in that September interview.

Sphere then took a “sizable stake” in HOLOPLOT, which after Monday’s announcement, is now a total stake.

“We have worked alongside the Sphere team for many years in developing our technology, and together we have forever changed the live sound experience,” said Roman Sick, CEO and Co-Founder of HOLOPLOT. “As a result of this transaction, HOLOPLOT can accelerate its mission to bring its technologies to more applications and markets, and continue to push audio innovation to new bounds.”

HOLOPLOT will remain based in Berlin and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sphere Entertainment as it continues to grow its business and serve its customers and clients.