German top-flight soccer team Bayer 04 Leverkusen has enlisted Extreme Networks to overhaul the club’s connectivity, installing a Wi-Fi 7 network in the 30,000-capacity stadium.

Extreme already provides connectivity for rivals Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, but its network at Leverkusen’s BayArena is an apparent first Wi-Fi 7 deployment for a German soccer stadium. More than 400 Extreme Wi-Fi 7 access points provide coverage across the stadium, extending across the club’s training facilities, concourses, pitch-side areas, and lounges.

The network extends some 30 meters beyond the stadium’s gates to give fans wireless access to bring up digital tickets. On-site IT teams, meanwhile, benefit from a centralized management system, with Extreme providing the means to segment the network to ensure critical systems are separate from fan Wi-Fi.

“BayArena has hosted countless legendary matches, and the technology behind it needs to keep pace with the game. Extreme Wi-Fi 7 gives us the connectivity to support more fans and staff with a significantly higher number of devices and more data, while keeping critical stadium operations running reliably, from Bundesliga matches to international competitions,” said Bayer Leverkusen’s head of IT, Andreas Hinder.

For years, Leverkusen were Germany’s perennial nearly men, routinely finishing behind Bayern Munich – earning them the unwanted moniker by rivals of Vizekusen (‘Neverkusen’). The team broke their hoodoo in 2024, winning the domestic double under then-coach Xabi Alonso. Leverkusen currently sit fourth in the German Bundesliga.

Extreme’s work with Leverkusen marks a growing list of deployments at sporting venues. It’s the official Wi-Fi network solution vendor for Liverpool and Manchester United, while in the U.S., Extreme supports connectivity for Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo.

Beyond soccer, Extreme has rolled out its wireless infrastructure across numerous sporting arenas, including venues hosting NASCAR, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and various NFL teams.

The vendor expanded its portfolio designed for stadiums and large venues in June off the back of winning the race to connect the New Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, which is set to host Super Bowl LXIV in 2030.

“The need for high-performance connectivity across the stadium has never been greater,” said Thomas Mehrfort, head of sports and venues for EMEA at Extreme. “With Extreme Wi-Fi 7, Bayer 04 Leverkusen is building a smarter, more resilient venue where the network creates a foundation for richer fan experiences and enables the next generation of live events.”