Leisure
From Fans Bar
How Connect Anything and Habitech delivered a state-of-the-art audiovisual experience that has become a game changer for Stoke City Football Club.
When Stoke City Football Club decided to reimagine their matchday hospitality offering, the vision was bold. What had been a basic fans bar known as Delilah's was to be transformed into a state-of-the-art facility capable of serving as both a pre-match gathering point and a genuine destination in its own right. To bring this ambition to life, the club turned to Connect Anything Ltd for AV integration and distribution partner Habitech.
Simon King, Chief Operating Officer at Stoke City FC, was clear from the outset: the new sports bar needed to transform the customer experience entirely. The brief centred on flexibility. The club wanted as many screens as possible to eliminate dead viewing space, the ability to show multiple sports simultaneously, and a system versatile enough to adapt to different events and audiences throughout the week.
The goal was not simply to upgrade the existing facility but to create something that would set a new standard for stadium hospitality, a venue where fans, corporate guests, and casual visitors alike could enjoy a first-class audiovisual experience regardless of the occasion.
We wanted to create the ultimate all-round sporting experience. A facility that works just as well for a midweek boxing night as it does on a Saturday matchday.
Simon King Chief Operating Officer, Stoke City FCTim Dean, Managing Director of Connect Anything, selected Sonance Professional pendant speakers to deliver clear, powerful audio across the entire venue. The pendant form factor was ideally suited to the sports bar environment, providing even coverage throughout the space without the visual intrusion of traditional wall-mounted cabinets.
The audio backbone is powered by Yamaha Commercial amplification, paired with Yamaha MTX processors to handle the complex routing demands of a multi-zone venue. This combination ensures that audio can be tailored to different areas of the bar, with seamless transitions between background music, live commentary, and event-specific content.
For video over IP, Connect Anything specified WyreStorm, a proven market leader in the sports bar sector. The WyreStorm platform provides flexible video distribution, allowing staff to route any source to any screen across the venue with complete reliability.
This level of flexibility was central to the brief. On a busy matchday, the system can display the main fixture across the majority of screens whilst simultaneously showing alternative fixtures, statistics, or promotional content on others. The result is a venue with no dead viewing space, where every seat in the house offers an engaging visual experience.
Every supplier has been first class. From the initial consultation through to the final handover, the quality of service and the reliability of the products have been outstanding. I would recommend them without hesitation.
Simon King Chief Operating Officer, Stoke City FCSimon King highlights the system's ease of use as the true game changer. Staff can operate the entire audiovisual installation from a simple touch interface on an iPad. Content can be routed across multiple screens with a single tap, meaning there is no need for specialist technical knowledge or lengthy training.
Tim Dean notes that approximately 80 per cent of the system's functionality was proven before equipment was even installed on site. This thorough pre-configuration meant that the on-site commissioning was efficient and the learning curve for staff was minimal, allowing the venue to be operational from day one.
The transformation of Delilah's into Stoke City's flagship sports bar stands as a compelling example of what can be achieved when a forward-thinking venue, an experienced integrator, and trusted distribution partners work together with a shared commitment to quality.
From Sonance pendant speakers delivering room-filling audio to WyreStorm's reliable video distribution and an intuitive iPad control interface, every element of the installation has been considered to deliver a facility that exceeds expectations on match day and beyond.
Pendant speakers delivering powerful, even coverage throughout the sports bar for an immersive match-day atmosphere.
Yamaha MTX matrix processing and commercial amplification providing flexible zone control and reliable power for every event.
Networked AV distribution routing live sports content to screens across the venue with zero-latency switching.
Connect Anything Ltd
AV integration
Stoke City Football Club
Venue
Habitech
Distribution and support