Merlins Immersive began not in sports — but in music.
Our immersive journey started around the time of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, when, alongside our creative partners Crossmedia Group in Florence, Italy, we explored how fans might one day experience an entire musical catalogue — every album, every era, every story — not just on screens or stages, but inside a fully immersive world.
The vision was to translate music into physical environments. To allow fans to walk through sound, memory, fashion, and emotion. The experience was designed, developed, and presented for future consideration.
As anyone familiar with Taylor Swift’s organization understands, decisions are never made by a single individual — they are made collectively, by a highly aligned and creative team. Ultimately, the project did not materialize, as the artist chose to move in another direction.
But no creative process is ever wasted.
What emerged from that development phase — and what visitors can see reflected today in the Merlins visual language — was the extraordinary imagination and technical artistry of the Florence team. Their work became the foundation of what Merlins would grow into.
From that point forward, we pivoted.
We expanded our vision into sports, film, and culture — and later into emerging technologies, including AI — using innovation not to replace creativity, but to extend it. To help transform stories, scripts, archives, and even classical literature into immersive experiences. One early example can be seen in the team’s interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, where written narrative becomes a living environment.
Our Italian partners went on to design immersive concepts for MotoGP (now under Liberty Media, owners of Formula One), with a vision of enabling fans to fully engage with the sport beyond the track. They also developed immersive experiences for ACF Fiorentina, and in film, created a touring exhibition for the beloved classic Cinema Paradiso.
Through these projects, a realization became clear.
We could create magic for fans.
We coined the phrase Screen to Streets — the idea that what once lived only on screens could be brought into the real world.
Suddenly, the possibilities were limitless.
The Lakers era with Kobe.
The legacy of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A Blue Jays vs. Dodgers World Series moment.
The worlds of The Matrix or Star Wars.
Stories, dynasties, and cinematic universes could be transformed into physical journeys — environments fans could walk through, feel, and remember.
And just like music tours, these experiences could tour the world.
The vaults of Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount, NBC Sports, and countless studios are filled with stories that have already had their moment on screen. Through Merlins, and through our creative partnership in Florence, those stories can now be brought to the streets — re-imagined as intimate, emotional, and unforgettable fan experiences.
This is the future we believe in.
A future where technology meets creativity.
Where innovation supports artistry.
Where stories leave the screen and enter the real world.
AI plays a role — but only as an instrument. Its purpose is to assist an already world-class creative team, helping accelerate design, visualization, and storytelling. As new technologies emerge, we adopt them thoughtfully, always in service of imagination.
This philosophy has become one of the core pillars of Merlins Sports Entertainment.
This is Merlins Immersive.
And this is Screen to Streets.