Latest news with #SphereEntertainment


CNBC
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNBC
Las Vegas Sphere to screen 'The Wizard of Oz' in the immersive venue's first film experience
The Las Vegas Sphere will soon screen 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" in the immersive event venue's first film experience. The project places viewers inside the world of Oz using the Sphere's 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen. The film will play in 16k resolution with full spatial audio using 167,000 speakers and haptic seating, according to a June press release. In a partnership with Google Cloud, engineers used AI "outpainting" to expand the original film frames to fit the immersive space, according to an April press release. "Our standard on this was not to modify the film at all, but to try and bring you into as if you were in the studio when it was shot," James Dolan, Sphere Entertainment CEO, told CBS Sunday Morning. Glenn Derry, MSG Ventures executive vice president and visual effects artist, is in charge of the 4D effects, such as motion, wind, water and scent, to make audiences feel like they are in Oz, CBS reported. Derry told CBS Sunday Morning his team used technology to bring in fog and wind effects to mimic tornadoes that are seen in the movie. "The Wizard of Oz" experience opens to the public on Aug. 28. The Las Vegas Sphere opened in September 2023 and has a capacity of roughly 20,000. About 10,000 of the seats in the arena have haptic technology, according to Sphere Entertainment. The venue has garnered attention since its opening for impressive live concerts and unique visuals.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Wizard of Oz' blown up by AI for giant Sphere screen
The massive Las Vegas venue known as Sphere will be screening its first classic movie, 'The Wizard of Oz,' starting on August 28. And as detailed in a segment on CBS Sunday Morning, this isn't just a matter of taking the existing movie and projecting it on Sphere's 160,000 square foot, wraparound LED screen. Instead, Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan said a 2,000-person team is creating a new experience. That includes using AI to both increase the resolution of the existing film and expand the footage beyond the frame of what was actually shot. For example, Turner Classic Movie presenter Ben Mankiewicz said that through the use of AI, 'a grainy close-up of Dorothy becomes richly detailed, and then through a process called outpainting — though it seems like magic — we see the rest of the Scarecrow, the Yellow Brick Road, and the mountains of Oz.' In other cases, expanding the frame means creating new performances from the existing actors. Despite these changes, Dolan said, 'Our standard on this was not to modify the film at all but to try and bring you into the film, as if you were in the studio when it was shot.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- TechCrunch
‘Wizard of Oz' blown up by AI for giant Sphere screen
In Brief The massive Las Vegas venue known as Sphere will be screening its first classic movie, 'The Wizard of Oz,' starting on August 28. And as detailed in a segment on CBS Sunday Morning, this isn't just a matter of taking the existing movie and projecting it on Sphere's 160,000 square foot, wraparound LED screen. Instead, Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan said a 2,000-person team is creating a new experience. That includes using AI to both increase the resolution of the existing film and expand the footage beyond the frame of what was actually shot. For example, Turner Classic Movie presenter Ben Mankiewicz said that through the use of AI, 'a grainy close-up of Dorothy becomes richly detailed, and then through a process called outpainting — though it seems like magic — we see the rest of the Scarecrow, the Yellow Brick Road, and the mountains of Oz.' In other cases, expanding the frame means creating new performances from the existing actors. Despite these changes, Dolan said, 'Our standard on this was not to modify the film at all but to try and bring you into the film, as if you were in the studio when it was shot.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quarterly Earnings Beat Lifted Sphere Entertainment Co. (SPHR) in Q2
Ariel Investments, an investment management company, released its 'Ariel Fund' second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter was a volatile period. Stocks fell sharply in early April following the 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement, pushing the market close to bear market territory. Later, the pause in plans led to a strong recovery. Excitement for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks reignited, with positive economic data and strong corporate earnings driving U.S. indices to new all-time highs. Growth stocks outperformed value stocks, and large caps continued to outperform their small-cap counterparts. Against this backdrop, Ariel Fund returned 6.96% in the quarter, lagging behind both the Russell 2500 Value Index's +7.29% return and exceeding the Russell 2000 Value Index's +4.97% gain. For more information on the fund's top picks in 2025, please check its top five holdings. In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Ariel Fund highlighted stocks such as Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR). Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) is a US-based live entertainment and media company. Sphere Entertainment Co.'s (NYSE:SPHR) one-month return was 12.92%, and its shares gained 2.97% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 18, 2025, Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) stock closed at $46.15 per share, with a market capitalization of $1.661 billion. Ariel Fund stated the following regarding Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter: "Several stocks in the portfolio had strong returns in the quarter. Live entertainment, media and technology company, Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) advanced following a quarterly earnings beat driven by resilient consumer demand and lower than anticipated operating costs. We expect financial results will continue to ramp as Sphere debuts its next fully immersive experience, The Wizard of Oz, later this summer; scales its concert residencies; and reaches higher venue utilization across show types. Advertising, sponsorship and suite revenue should provide further upside. Meanwhile, expansion with additional spheres beyond Abu Dhabi remains a priority. Additionally, MSG Networks and its lenders worked out an agreement in the quarter, reducing the debt burden for the regional sports networks business going forward and removing an overhang on shares. In our view, the experiential immersive venue in Las Vegas and its franchise opportunities present a meaningfully underappreciated long term opportunity." Stagehands setting up the equipment for a live entertainment event. Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 1 hedge fund portfolios held Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 1 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. In another article, we covered Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) and shared the list of best stocks to buy according to John W. Rogers of Ariel Investments. In Q1 2025, investor letter, Ariel Fund noted that Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) declined due to profit taking following robust earnings. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


New York Post
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Backstreet Boys kick off cutting-edge Las Vegas Sphere summer residency: photos
The Backstreet Boys kicked off their 'Into The Millennium' summer residency at Las Vegas' Sphere this weekend, becoming the first pop act to play the cutting-edge venue. Produced by Live Nation, the sold-out shows featured hits like 'I Want It That Way' and 'Larger Than Life,' amplified by the Sphere's 160,000-square-foot LED dome, the world's highest-resolution screen. 1 of 15 The Backstreet Boys, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, have been performing together for over 30 years. Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment 2 of 15 Brian Littrell and The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. @flybychicago & @jaybyrdfilms 3 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 4 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment 5 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment 6 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment 7 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 8 of 15 Nick Carter and The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. @flybychicago & @jaybyrdfilms 9 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 10 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 11 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 12 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 13 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 14 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. Justin Segura/Sphere Entertainment 15 of 15 The Backstreet Boys perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. @flybychicago & @jaybyrdfilms