Dutch firm Signify, formerly Philips Lighting, has introduced smart lighting software to respond to on-pitch action during this year’s Fifa World Cup.

Called Sports Live, the smart lighting is driven by live sports data, bringing real-time match moments into the home.

Philips Hue and Philips Smart Lighting, parts of Signify, say the software will be available during the major football tournament.

Sports Live uses live match data to trigger real-time lighting effects for key moments such as goals, and red and yellow cards, extending the action beyond the screen and into the home. It is easy to set up and will be in time for the world’s biggest football event.

As key moments happen – from goals to cards – lighting effects are triggered instantly, bringing the pace and intensity of the match into the room.

Designed for live viewing, the system allows users to fine-tune timings to account for minor broadcasting delays. If users choose to pause the action, lighting effects are also paused and – upon resuming – sync to current, live match events for a consistent and accurate real-time experience.

Powered by an integrated live sports data API, Sports Live connects Philips Hue and Philips Smart Lighting home lighting systems to key match events.

During quieter periods of play, the action is still mesmerising, as home lighting systems intelligently adapts to the game state, showing the owner’s favourite team’s colours, the colours of the team in front, or a warm white for a tied score.

Designed to be quick to set up, and taking just a few minutes, users select a preferred team and assign compatible colour-capable lights, and the system will automatically connect to live match data.

The Philips Hue app uses the Philips Hue Bridge to connect any supported smart lights to the Sports Live software and kick-start real-time connectivity. Using the connected ecosystem, the experience scales effortlessly from a single room to a full zone of the home, depending on the user’s setup.

Sports Live operates through a wifi-based setup, designed for accessibility and personalisation without the need of a bridge. The system supports an unlimited number of lights, allowing users to scale their entertainment setup without limitations.

Sports Live builds on Philips entertainment ecosystems to create immersive ways to experience content at home. There’s no need for any other syncing hardware, including HDMI devices, and it complements existing features such as Hue Sync or Wiz Sync with TV, for flexibility in customising at-home entertainment set-ups. 

“With Sports Live, we’re moving beyond the traditional screen-based sync offering, broadening the role of our at-home smart lighting in sports,” said John Smith, business leader for connected lighting at Signify (www.signify.com). “By using live match data to trigger lighting in real time, we’re creating a new level of precision and immersion to how fans experience sport at home, making every match a truly memorable occasion.”

The feature will be available for a limited time, aligned with Fifa World Cup (www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026) football matches taking place in Canada, Mexico and the USA from 11 June and throughout the tournament period to the final on 19 July.

To see how it works in practice, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ-D4sujgRc.