Engineering the FC Viktoria Plzeň Mobile App

A feature-rich mobile platform integrating Cisco-powered indoor navigation and digital season ticket management for the Doosan Arena.

Client
FC Viktoria Plzeň
Services
Mobile App Development, IoT Integration, UX/UI Design
Industries
Sports & Entertainment, Smart City

Overview

Modernizing the matchday experience required a shift from static information to dynamic, utility-driven fan engagement.

For FC Viktoria Plzeň, WDF developed a comprehensive mobile application designed to be the central companion for every supporter entering the Doosan Arena. The goal was to eliminate physical friction points – from ticketing queues to stadium navigation – using cutting-edge infrastructure.

The application serves as a unified digital hub, offering real-time match statistics, a digitized season ticket system, and an innovative navigation layer. By centralizing these features, the club has moved beyond traditional communication, providing a tool that adds tangible value to the fan experience before, during, and after the 90 minutes of play.

The Business 
Challenge

Professional sports venues face a unique technical hurdle: high-density environments where traditional GPS and cellular data often fail.

The Doosan Arena needed a solution that could provide reliable services to over 11,000 fans simultaneously. Specifically, the club wanted to digitize the "Permanentka" (season ticket) to reduce administrative overhead and physical card production.

Furthermore, navigating a concrete stadium to find specific sectors, restrooms, or refreshment stands is a common pain point for fans. The challenge was to integrate professional-grade networking hardware with a consumer-facing mobile app to provide precise indoor positioning—a feat that required bridging the gap between mobile software and stadium-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure.

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Our Role

WDF acted as the lead architect and developer, specializing in the integration of Cisco’s CMX (Connected Mobile Experiences) with the app’s frontend.

Our role was to transform the complex network data from the stadium’s Wi-Fi access points into an intuitive "Blue Dot" navigation experience for the user. We focused on creating a seamless handoff between the app and external services like the official ticketing portal.

Technically, we prioritized security and reliability. The integration of the season ticket (Permanentka) into the user’s account required a secure verification process and an offline-ready QR code display. Our UI/UX team focused on "Matchday Mode" – an interface optimized for high-glare outdoor conditions and one-handed use, ensuring fans could access their tickets or news updates instantly.

The Delivery Journey

A multi-phase integration of high-density hardware and fan-centric software.

Phase 1

Core content & account infrastructure

The foundation of the project was the development of the news engine and the centralized account management system. We implemented a robust backend to aggregate club news and match data, including live scoreboards and historical results. This phase established the secure user authentication required for "Permanentka" integration, allowing fans to link their physical cards to their digital profiles for the first time.

We also designed the notification engine, supporting both Push and Email channels. This was critical for the club’s communication strategy, enabling them to send real-time alerts for goal updates, lineup changes, or emergency stadium announcements. The architecture was built to handle massive spikes in traffic – specifically the "halftime rush" where thousands of users check stats simultaneously.

Phase 2

Digital ticketing

The second phase focused on the commercial and entry logistics. We developed the module that allows fans to scan and store their season tickets directly within the app, generating encrypted QR codes for stadium turnstiles. For individual match tickets, we implemented a seamless redirection to the plzenskavstupenka.cz portal, ensuring a secure and familiar transaction flow for the user.

A key part of this phase was the "Digital Wallet" UX. We ensured that once a ticket or season pass is loaded, it remains accessible even without an active internet connection. This addressed the common stadium issue of network congestion, guaranteeing that no fan would be stranded at the gate due to a poor signal.

Phase 3

Cisco Wi-Fi Navigation & POI Mapping

The final, most technical phase involved the integration with Cisco’s stadium infrastructure. By utilizing the Wi-Fi 6 network at Doosan Arena, we enabled precise indoor navigation. We mapped every critical Point of Interest (POI) in the stadium, including specific seating sectors, refreshment stands, and restrooms. This allows fans to see their real-time location on a custom map and get directions to the nearest amenities.

We also launched the interactive Refreshment Map, which displays all available food and beverage stands throughout the arena. This phase was concluded with the integration of the City of Pilsen’s communication channel, turning the app into a broader municipal tool that provides local news and updates, strengthening the bond between the club, the fans, and the city itself.

Why It Matters

In the era of the "Smart Stadium," technology is the key to maximizing fan satisfaction and operational efficiency.

By digitizing the season ticket, FC Viktoria Plzeň has significantly reduced the costs and logistics of physical card management. The inclusion of Cisco-powered navigation sets a new standard for Czech sports venues, providing a premium experience that rivals top European stadiums.

Beyond matchday, the app serves as a 24/7 engagement tool. The combination of live news, historical data, and city-wide communication ensures that the app remains relevant to the user throughout the week. This persistent connection provides the club with better data insights and a direct marketing channel that isn't dependent on third-party social media algorithms.

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Results:
  • Indoor navigation
    Precise, Wi-Fi-based "Blue Dot" positioning for finding sectors, WC, and refreshments in a high-density environment.
  • Digital season ticket
    100% reliable digitisation of season tickets, enabling gate entry via offline-ready QR codes.
  • Real-time match hub
    Instant delivery of live results and historical data to over 10,000 active users.
  • Streamlined ticketing
    Optimized handoff to the official ticketing portal, increasing the speed and volume of mobile ticket sales.

Technologies

Python

Used for complex data ingestion pipelines, emissions modeling algorithms, and valuation logic.

React

Building the data-rich dashboards and visualization tools used by analysts and decision-makers.

AWS

The secure, scalable foundation hosting the entire platform, from compute to managed databases.

PostgreSQL

Reliable primary storage for user data, fleets, and core application state.

TypeScript

Powering the core microservices architecture and API layer for high-performance data delivery.

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our team

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Prefer to reach out directly?

Vojta Strnad
Vojta Strnad
Director at WDF
+420 732 777 791vojtech.strnad@wdf.cz
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